Today in sentences we never thought we'd write: San Jose pop rockers Smash Mouth, best-known for their 1999 single "All Star," their 1999 single "All Star," and the inclusion of their 1999 single "All Star" in the soundtrack for 2001's Shrek, just appeared on Musora's "Covers on the Spot" music show, answering a challenge to learn and put their own spin on "Duality" by Slipknot. The show, one of a few ongoing series from the music-lessons app, features bands trying to cover songs outside their chosen genre and trying to make them their own, with interesting and occasionally humorous results.
The band, to their credit, knows how ridiculous this is going to be and isn't afraid to laugh at themselves here. After listening to the 2004 Slipknot single, longtime keyboardist Michael Klooster quips to the band, "What if instead of even bothering learning this, we just go make masks and come out here and play 'All Star?'"
Lead singer Zach Goode, who took over after late frontman Steve Harwell left the band in 2021, is apparently an earnest fan of the Des Moines nu metallers, and spoke a bit about his relationship with and appreciation for the band:
I love Slipknot! I hung out with these guys when this album came out...My old job, we sponsored Slipknot with a bunch of clothes. They invited us to San Francisco, we went to see them at The Fillmore in '99 on that first tour, hung out with them backstage. When I met Corey [Taylor], he was like, "Oh, you're in Ghoulspoon, Korn thanked you on their album!" So he knew who I was...and then the other thing is Corey has a great sense of melody. Like, for all the crazy stuff going on, he has a really good ear for melody and a great voice, too. There's stuff in there that can be translated to a more pop idiom.
So, maybe this is less of a silly concept than one would think at first. Maybe it's still really, really silly. Check out the video and make up your mind below:
