Check out this surf rock version of Faith No More's Woodpecker From Mars by Guns of Utopia.
Over the years many artists have covered FNM songs - some to great effect, others not so much. As fans we appreciate these attempts, however it is those acts who put their own spin on a FNM tune that are most effective and enjoyable.
This is exactly what German project Guns of Utopia has done. Musician Jan-Henning Kock from Cologne has recorded a version of Woodpecker From Mars that wouldn't be out of place on a Tarantino soundtrack.
Jan explained, "I’m a hobby musician and recorded all the instruments, drums, guitars and bass guitar myself in my rehearsal room, in Cologne, Germany. The mixing was done by a professional studio, 79 Sound, also in Cologne."
Jan has been a FNM fan since the age of 12, "Some day I was listening to 'Woodpecker from Mars' and it struck me that this could be a surf rock song. It has this vibe which I guess you could call oriental or mediterranean. That vibe is pretty common in surf rock. See for example the probably most famous surf rock song 'Miserlou' by Dick Dale, it’s actually based on a traditional greek melody. So once I had the idea for the cover I played the main theme of 'Woodpecker from Mars' to a surf rock beat and it sounded quite nice."
There are not many covers that turn the heads of FNM themselves but the band have given the thumbs up to this version. "I got a positive response from the band's management. Who told me that the guys liked my song. I still can't believe that one of my favorite bands listened to a song of mine."
The song features on the album Wolpertinger released on August 6th. Check it out below.