Queensrÿche Covers Billy Idol’s Classic Hit ‘Rebel Yell’

Queensrÿche have shared the official music video for their cover of Billy Idol’s iconic hit “Rebel Yell.” The metal outfit put their personal spin on the 1983 single, originally recorded as a bonus track on the band’s latest release, their 2022 album Digital Noise Alliance. The video was directed by Thomas Crane of killDevil Films and shows the group performing the track live. 

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In October 2022, Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton spoke to the Heavy Demons radio show about the band’s decision to cover the Billy Idol track. He explained, “With the record company, we have to have 10 or 11 songs [per album]; that’s what you’re contracted for. And then they like extra songs, bonus tracks or whatever. So this time instead of giving a bonus track that’s a live recording of one of our songs, we said, ‘Let’s do something different.’

So we came up with the idea of doing a cover. Originally we were gonna do a Cult song, ‘She Sells Sanctuary’, but Todd [La Torre, Queensrÿche frontman] didn’t feel comfortable singing that. So he brought up the idea of doing the Billy Idol song. And it was really cool. We put a little spin of Queensrÿche in the song, but it’s very reminiscent of the original. And Todd killed it on the vocals; it’s awesome. So who knows? Maybe we might play that live; I don’t know. But it’s something that I think people are gonna be very surprised. They’re gonna go, ‘What?’ They’re gonna scratch their heads and then as they listen to it, they’re gonna go, ‘This is badass!’”

In other Billy Idol news, the legendary rocker recently released the newly-expanded edition of his self-titled debut album. The reissue includes the original ten-track album along with a previously unreleased recording of Idol’s complete August 12, 1982 concert at The Roxy in West Hollywood, CA, and the recently unearthed 12-minute Clubland Extended Remix of his classic song “White Wedding.”