For reasons we can't explain, one of the most popular videos of 2021 has been a TikTok performance of The Wellerman, a popular 19th century sea shanty.
The video from 26-year-old Nathan Evans quickly went viral, amassing a whopping seven million views after only three weeks, prompting Evans to quit his full-time job as a mail carrier, sign a record deal, and begin working on his first album.
Since it was released, the catchy tune has been the focus of numerous spoofs, spin-offs, and many musical collaborations, with musicians throwing their hat in the ring to offer their own take on the 19th century sea shanty. Vocals, violins and even electronic dance beats have all been added to the viral video.
None, though, can compare to what we're about to show you.
Social media shredhead Andre Antunes – of COVID-19 exorcism fame – has offered up a metal reimagining of The Wellerman, jam-packed with big bass, dirty distortion and a tasteful solo that starts at 1:10 in the video above.
Wielding an Ernie Ball Music Man Axis, Antunes dials up the gain to layer on some potent powerchords to accompany Evans' vocals before diving into a series of melodic slides and chromatic lines to round off the metal shanty in style.
Antunes, of course, is no stranger to giving viral clips a heavy metal makeover, having curated an impressive portfolio of metal meme videos on his YouTube channel.
Who knew sea shanty-metal fusion would work so well?
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