In case you’re new to Brass Against, the group formed in 2017 as a brass-heavy Rage Against the Machine cover band aiming to duplicate the rap-rock icons’ vicious political energy before branching out to cover tunes from groups like Audioslave and Tool.. Last month they teamed up with vocalist and frequent collaborator Sophia Urista for their first original single, and with a full EP released earlier this month.
Today, however, the band is returning to their origins and sharing a pair of Twenty One Pilots covers: “Heathens,” Pilots’ contribution to the Suicide Squad OST, and their 2018 Trench single “Jumpsuits.” The songs are seamlessly combined in the video Brass Against have shared from the recording studio, with Urista offering up impassioned vocals that culminate in a perfect metal shriek in the latter track’s final seconds.
“Twenty One Pilots are so unique, and we’re always on the lookout for new songs to arrange,” shares BA guitarist Brad Hammonds of the picks. “The first time I heard “Heathens” I fell in love—it’s dark, wicked, heavy, and at the same time really poppy somehow. We wear jumpsuits in our videos and on stage and thought ‘Jumpsuit’ would be a fun one to tackle. I love how heavy the ending to that one is—and thought it would give ‘Heathens’ a super heavy ending. After recording we weren’t sure if it would work—but I love how it turned out!”
View the covers below.
