If anyone can rock leopard print tights, it’s Jon Bon Jovi. Okay, NO ONE was ever able to rock those, but hey, Bon Jovi has definitely had their fair share of success since their conception in the 80s. One of their biggest hits is “You Give Love a Bad Name,” which was covered by “metalcore” band Atreyu.
Since Bon Jovi started out as an 80s metal hair band, you know their fashion sense was questionable. But don’t let the big hair and ridiculous tights fool you; they were one of the quintessential rock bands of their day. This track is the perfect example.
Starting off with always awesome gang vocals, Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” starts off kicking ass right away. The muffled guitar riff that finishes off with a whiny melody and an anthem you wouldn’t even think is meant to be heartbreaking definitely make you want to use your entire can of Aqua Net to get the best head-banging effect ever on your hair! You probably can’t tell, but I’m not a huge fan of this song. I have to admit though, it’s the perfect example of cheesy 80s rockin’ hair bands.
Atreyu is one of those bands I listen to when I’m craving something really loud and heavy but I really don’t like their cover of “You Give Love a Bad Name.” It certainly doesn’t help that I’m not a big fan of the song anyway. I love drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller’s voice and his portions of the song while the music itself is tolerable, but it’s Alex Varkatzas’ screaming that puts me off; especially the “fuck yeah” immediately following their gang vocal intro. It’s so bad that I’m embarrassed every time I hear that part. I’ll admit that I’m into some of these metalcore acts, but a Bon Jovi song is no place for screaming and growling. This version appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith so I guess it seems appropriate: a hard and fast track to go along with the dynamic of the relationship between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (I’m only guessing as I never really cared enough to watch the movie). But damn, this is just a really bad cover.