The worst part about older songs is their continued relevancy, in spite of advancements in technology, culture, and civilization as a whole. Such is the case for Guns n Roses' "Civil War," originally released in 1990 for a charity compilation and later appearing on Use Your Illusion II. The poignant track features samples from Cool Hand Luke and a speech from a Peruvian Shining Path officer, as well as singer Axl Rose whistling an old Civil War song. The anti-war themes ring ever truer today, as wanton slaughter continues in Palestine, Ukraine, and more.
Industrial metal firestarters 3TEETH continue their tradition of covering one song per album cycle by taking on "Civil War" and putting their own twist on it. Singer Alexis Mincolla doesn't go banshee like Rose was known to do, but he does explore his vocal range to a greater extent than he's usually known for. The guitar tone sounds a bit overproduced, especially compared to the Mick Gordon (composer for the modern DOOM games) touches present on their previous album ENDEX.
While the changes to the arrangement are there, the vibes and intent behind the song do not, as Mincolla explained to Metal Injection:
"We didn't cover this track out of nostalgia... We did it because humanity has this uncanny habit of investing more in ideology than in each other, and that makes us easy prey for the psyops. This cover is a mirror to that cycle. Same bullshit, just in higher resolution."
The band has not uncovered any new details about a new album, but ENDEX released in the fall of 2023 via Century Media Records. It may only be a matter of time before 3TEETH kick off their fifth campaign.
Check out 3TEETH's cover of Guns n Roses' "Civil War" below:
