The remix is usually something we see in the world of pop, dance and hip-hop music, and even though remix albums for rock and metal seem few and far between, there have actually been some pretty awesome translations of heavy records over the years.
With the fresh announcement of Deftones' White Pony 20th Anniversary remix album Black Stallion arriving on December 11, we figured it to be a perfect time to take you back through some of the best remix works in rock, metal and alternative.
For this list we're sticking to entire releases rather than just single songs; with that in mind, let's jump in!
Fear Factory - Remanufacture (1997)
Fear Factory's cold and industrial sound made them almost the perfect candidates for a remix, and that's exactly what happened when their 1995 record Demanufacture got a techno overhaul in the form of Remanufacture - Cloning Technology two years later.
Artists like Junkie XL and Rhys Fulber added their own touch to Fear Factory's works, which then found the band a ton of new fans through various video game soundtrack spots in the late 90's.
A Perfect Circle - aMOTION (2004)
A Perfect Circle were a busy band in the first half of the 2000s, dropping Thirteenth Step in 2003, eMOTIVe in 2004 and then a remixed version of that record called aMOTION just two weeks later.
While eMOTIVe wasn't as well-received as Thirteenth Step, aMOTION features some killer remixes on it from artists like Massive Attack, James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and even Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland.
Rather than going for a completely different sound altogether, the new versions on this record keep A Perfect Circle's overall vibe intact, which we're not complaining about!
Linkin Park - Reanimation (2002)
Reanimation is the fifth best-selling remix album of all time, and is probably the most iconic in heavy music to date. This monster of a retake on the band's seminal 2000 record Hybrid Theory features contributions from a slew of talented artists like Aaron Lewis (Staind), Jonathan Davis (Korn), Alchemist, Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) and way, way more.
The gold standard of remix records and the blueprint for how to do one well, Reanimation is a must-listen for almost everyone.
Melvins - Chicken Switch (2009)
Melvins have recorded a remarkable amount of music over their 35-plus years as a band, which is why they decided to send every artist working on their 2009 remix album Chicken Switch an entire record to pull from.
That's right - each of the 16 experimental/noise artists chosen for collaboration used an entire Melvins album each to produce their Chicken Switch contribution. They were even allowed to name the finished song, making this a remix record in almost a perfectly pure form.
There are also some pretty iconic names on here too including the Japanese noise legend Merzbow and Eye Yamatsuka, who had an infamous musical career with Hanatarash and Boredoms.
Godflesh - Love and Hate In Dub (1997)
Industrial metal titans Godflesh wanted to remix their 1996 album Love And Hate using the top hip-hop producers at the time, but it proved to be way too expensive. So in true DIY fashion, both members Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green decided to remix it themselves in-house.
The result is a fantastic blend of gritty industrial, drum and bass, dub and ambience that still remains super dark, hard-hitting and Godflesh-esque.
Turnstile & Mall Grab - Share A View (2020)
This one was a pretty unexpected, but welcome, collaboration between the Baltimore hardcore punk band Turnstile and Sydney house/electronic producer Mall Grab.
Short in duration at only 3 songs (but very sweet), Mall Grab took the tunes from Turnstile's 2018 LP Time & Space and turned them into something completely fresh.
There are still remnants of Turnstile's original songs sprinkled throughout, but the new release swayed more heavily in Mall Grab's chill, electronic direction.
Pendulum - The Reworks (2018)
Alright, we're cheating a bit by putting Pendulum in a rock and metal list, but this is still an awesome release which sees the likes of Moby, Knife Party and Devin Townsend rearrange some of the Aussie act's classics.
Devin Townsend's contribution comes on the song 'Crush', which features some of Devy's own vocals, some awesome drums and ripping guitar. Have a listen:
What does your dream remix album look like? Whose album would you choose to get a reworking, and who would you choose to do it? Let us know!
COMING SOON: Deftones - Black Stallion (2020)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their most iconic record White Pony, Deftones have reached out to some pretty huge names for a new remixed version called Black Stallion including Robert Smith (The Cure), Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park), DJ Shadow and a ton more (scroll down to see the full list). On paper, it's one of the most ambitious metal remix albums ever, and with such a strong list of musicians involved it should be a fantastic reimagining of the 2000 classic. You can already listen to Purity Ring's chill and ethereal take on the tune 'Knife Prty' below:
Pre-order Deftones White Pony 20th Anniversary Edition here!
Deftones - 'Black Stallion' Tracklisting:
01 – “Feiticeira” (Clams Casino remix)
02 – “Digital Bath” (DJ Shadow remix)
03 – “Elite” (Blanck Mass remix)
04 – “Rx Queen” (Salva remix)
05 – “Street Carp” (Phantogram remix)
06 – “Teenager” (Robert Smith remix)
07 – “Knife Prty” (Purity Ring remix)
08 – “Korea” (Trevor Jackson remix)
09 – “Passenger” (Mike Shinoda remix)
10 – “Change (In The House Of Flies)” (Tourist remix)
11 – “Pink Maggit” (Squarepusher remix)
Listen to Deftones now.
