Rage Against The Machine guitar warrior Tom Morello and System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian have joined forces on a blistering new cover of the Ozzy Osbourne classic Crazy Train, in tribute to legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads.
Their rendition of the hard riffin’ classic, from the seminal Blizzard Of Ozz record, is featured on an upcoming tribute album, Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute, which pays homage to Osbourne’s original guitarist, whose life was cut short at the age of 25.
The cover is set to be one of the disc’s biggest highlights, with Tankian’s trademark kooky vocals the perfect fit to tackle the Prince Of Darkness’s lyrics about going off the rails. Morello, too, does justice to the iconic riff while stamping the tune with his own unique licks and experimental zazz.
The dynamic duo are joined for the cover by one-time Black Sabbath (and current Kill Devil Hill) drummer Vinny Appice, and bassist Rudy Sarzo, who played with Rhoads in both Osbourne’s band and Quiet Riot.
But the chance to tackle such a celebrated heavy metal hymn has special significance for Morello in particular. “Randy Rhoads is my favorite guitar player of all time,” he told Rolling Stone. “It was his poster on my wall when I was practicing eight hours a day, and I named my firstborn son, Rhoads, after him. Serj, Rudy, Vinny and I rocked ‘Crazy Train’ as a sonic tribute to one of rock’s greatest fallen heroes. Crank it.”
Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute also features guest appearances by other big-name rock and metal greats, including Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho, Testament’s Chuck Billy, Firewind’s Gus G and Lynch Mob’s George Lynch. It’s due for release on March 3rd in North America with an Australian release date yet to be announced.
Listen: Serj Tankian, Tom Morello, Vinny Appice, Rudy Sarzo – Crazy Train
Randy Rhoads – The Ultimate Tribute Track Listing
01. Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Serj Tankian
Gtrs: Tom Morello
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Vinny Appice
02. Over The Mountain (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: Jon Donais
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Frankie Banali
03. Mr. Crowley (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Chuck Billy
Gtrs: Alexi Laiho
Keyboards: Kelle Rhoads
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Vinny Appice
04. Believer (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: Doug Aldrich
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Vinny Appice
05. Back To The Coast (Quiet Riot)
Vocals: Kelle Rhoads
Gtrs: Bruce Kulick
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Frankie Banali
06. I Don’t Know (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: George Lynch
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Brett Chassen
07. S.A.T.O. (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Rhythm guitars: Bob Kulick
Lead guitar: Dweezil Zappa
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Vinny Appice
08. Killer Girls (Quiet Riot)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: Joel Hoekstra
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Brett Chassen
09. Goodbye To Romance (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: Gus G.
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Brett Chassen
10. Suicide Solution (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: Brad Gillis
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Brett Chassen
11. Flying High Again (Ozzy Osbourne)
Vocals: Tim “Ripper” Owens
Gtrs: Bernie Torme
Bass: Rudy Sarzo
Drums: Brett Chassen
