Serj Tankian Covers Blue Oyster Cult’s ‘Godzilla’ for New Movie
Blue Oyster Cult’s classic hard rock song “Godzilla” has received a modern re-imagining courtesy of System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian.
The new version appears on the soundtrack to the movie Godzilla: King of Monsters, which comes to theaters on May 31.
Tankian teamed with the film’s composer, Bear McCreary, a full orchestra and Dethklok members Brendon Small and Gene Hoglan to create the powerful track. The singer revealed his involvement on Twitter.
“Surprise!!" he wrote. "So my friend composer Bear McCreary calls last year and says, 'I have a crazy idea. Would you sing on the cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s 'Godzilla' for the film Godzilla: King of the Monsters? Fuck yeah!!!!!!"
The modernized version turns Blue Oyster Cult’s original, hard-rocking track into a bombastic, apocalyptic battle cry. Tribal chants, taiko drums, stirring strings and rattling guitar parts provide ample support to Tankian’s signature operatic wails.
You can listen to the new version of “Godzilla” below.
In a conversation with Rolling Stone, McCreary referred to the song as "perhaps the most audacious piece of music I have ever produced.” The composer, best known for his work on the hit TV series The Walking Dead, also called the new version of “Godzilla” to “complete musical madness.”
The song originally appeared on Blue Oyster Cult’s 1977 album, Spectres. Though it failed to chart as a single, the track earned significant radio airplay and became a staple of the band’s live performances and classic-rock radio. You can listen to it below.
The Godzilla: King of Monsters soundtrack, featuring the new version of "Godzilla," is due on May 24.