Rammstein electric guitar player Richard Kruspe and Faith No More bass guitar player Bill Gould have joined forces to cover the Beatles’ 1969 track Come Together as part of a fundraiser for Ukraine, which will raise money in partnership with UNICEF.
The pair are joined by a number of their fellow rock and punk peers for the cover – including ex-Ministry vocalist Chris Connelly, former Filter drummer Matt Walker and current Agnostic Front singer Roger Miret – which was organized by COP International.
It’s a fairly radical reimagining of the classic Beatles track, which does away with the ultra-smooth, groove-driven feel of the original in favor of some mightily oversized six-string riffs. Later, Come Together’s conversion from a laid-back bop to a storming speaker-smasher is confirmed when the crew blend brutal rhythm guitars with electrifying lead licks.
The track also mixes in elements of Queen’s We Will Rock You, and aptly recycles the lyrics as “We Will Stop You” while the outro medley chugs away.
You can check out the track in the link below and on the group’s Bandcamp page.
100 percent of proceeds generated from the track – either from streams or digital sales – will be donated to UNICEF, which is working to provide vulnerable Ukrainian children and families with essential services in the wake of Russia’s invasion of the country.
Support includes providing those in need with access to clean water and healthy food, delivering life-saving supplies to families and improving available health care by giving hospitals emergency resources.
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Head over to the group’s Bandcamp page to stream the single, or visit UNICEF to find out more about its emergency Ukraine mission.
It’s the latest Ukraine fundraiser to be spearheaded by musicians, after The Cure, Massive Attack and Queen all launched their own charity initiatives over the past few weeks.
Last month, Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp released a cover of Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World as a show of solidarity to Ukraine, while Caroline Guitar Company introduced a limited-edition FCK PTIN pedal that raised over $9,500 in 10 minutes.
Elsewhere, John Doe Guitars partnered with UNICEF to auction off a one-of-a-kind Apollocaster for the organization's Emergency Ukraine Appeal.
A string of high-profile artists – such as Green Day – have also canceled gigs in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
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Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
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