If a song exists, I can all but guarantee there is a metal version of it on YouTube somewhere. Everything from Drake to Disney has had this treatment at some point in time. Take X and make it heavy. Yet much as I love a bit of metal, nine times out of ten these experiments don’t work for me. Most of the time it feels like a superficial veneer that just doesn’t fit the tone of the song; the two constituent parts just too far disconnected to truly work together in harmony. Up and coming trio FangSlinger aren’t the first to try and fuse the disparate worlds of country and heavy metal, but they just might be one of the best. After all, what better common ground to explore between the two styles than a story about a deal with the devil? An inspired choice! The way ‘Blood Curse’ commits to the theatricality of its tale of an undead outlaw, weaving the same gothic western splendour into both of its converging musical bloodlines, is one of its greatest strengths. From its dark country twang and menacing riffs, to its vivid storytelling and gritty Chris Cornell-esque vocals, this is just the song you never knew you needed.