Squeak and Destroy? Watch Toyah and Robert Fripp cover Metallica classic

(Image credit: Toyah's Sunday Lunch YouTube)

When the teenage James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich got together in Los Angeles-area garages in 1981 and began to channel their shared love of Motorhead, Diamond Head and a host of long-forgotten New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands into original compositions, did they ever wonder what their nascent thrash metal tunes might sound like when performed by King Crimson legend Robert Fripp and New Wave firebrand Toyah? It's a mystery, as Toyah sang in 1981.

Some 41 years on, however, thanks to the magical institution that is Toyah and Robert's Sunday Lunch, we now know how Seek and Destroy sounds in the hands of Britain's most loved-up musical couple.

If you're familiar with the life-affirming joys that the duo have been cooking up in their kitchen in Worcestershire over the past two years you'll know exactly what to expect here: although, to be fair, Toyah's addition of two squeaky toys on the chorus is inspired. And for those who're new to TARSL... oh boy, your life will never be the same again.

An admin error here has the Metallica standard incorrectly labelled as Search and Destroy, Iggy and The Stooges' Raw Power anthem, but the hand-drawn poster behind the duo is proof that Ms Willcox and Mr Fripp know exactly which rock classic they're covering.

Ready? In we go then...

In regular King Crimson news, the band have announced that their 1972 live album Earthbound is to be reissued on 200g vinyl next month.

The album, a famously lo-fidelity affair, was recorded on the band's US tour the same year and featured the Islands era line-up of Fripp, Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace.

The 50th anniversary vinyl edition of Earthbound is available to pre-order now from Burning Shed and Inner Knot.

Artists

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.