Kittie have teamed up with Diamante and The Pretty Wild for a cover of Metallica’s “The Unforgiven,” included on the soundtrack for the upcoming Sumerian Films biopic Queen of the Ring.
The cover, which also features composer Aaron Gilhuis, offers a chance for Kittie to mellow out, setting aside their usual aggressive thrash-metal sound, just like Metallica did when they recorded the iconic ballad. Kittie singer Morgan Lander and her fellow collaborators are backed by sweeping strings and acoustic instrumentation, with the song’s crescendo unfolding into a lush Celtic folk arrangement. For Metallica fans, the cover might trigger a flashback to the cinematic treatment of “Nothing Else Matters” for the Disney film Jungle Cruise.
It’s also the second cover song we’ve heard from the Queen of the Ring soundtrack to involve major metal-leaning artists. We previously reported on Corey Taylor and Bad Omens’ version of the Kansas classic “Dust in the Wind,” which was produced, mixed, and mastered by Gilhuis, and also relies on a similar Celtic folk influence and powerful vocal performances.
The soundtrack for Queen of the Ring is set to release the day the film premieres on March 7th via Sumerian Records, the label of the movie’s director/writer Ash Avildsen (American Satan).
Per a press release, Queen of the Ring “brings to life the untold story of wrestling legend Mildred Burke, who shattered barriers in the 1930s–1950s to become the first million-dollar female athlete and headline arenas over male competitors in a time when women’s wrestling was outright banned across much of the US.” The film stars Emily Bett Rickards as Burke, alongside a cast featuring Josh Lucas, Walton Goggins, Gavin Casalegno, Tyler Posey, and Deborah Ann Woll, along with pro-wrestling stars Kamille, Toni Storm, Trinity Fatu, and Jim Cornette making appearances.
Meanwhile, Kittie are coming off the 2024 release of their comeback album Fire. The reunited Canadian band toured in support of the release last year and currently has a festival appearance at Louder Than Life on the books for 2025.
Stream the cover of “The Unforgiven” below.
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