Bad Wolves have released their cover of the Dolly Parton classic “Jolene,” a track which was steeped in controversy before it even dropped.
Bad Wolves had been intending to feature Dolly Parton on the cover before her universally mourned passing on August 25th. On Friday, the band announced the impending release of the song, which prompted the guitarist AJ Rebollo to exit the group , accusing the record label of capitalizing on Parton’s passing.
Despite the guitarist’s objections, Parton’s management has given the song its blessing, with the late country superstar’s longtime manager Danny Nozell stating, “Dolly was a champion of artists pushing musical boundaries. She listened to the Bad Wolves arrangement of ‘Jolene’ weeks ago, gave it her full blessing, and was incredibly excited to collaborate on it. Releasing this track on Monday as a tribute – with proceeds directly supporting her beloved Imagination Library – is exactly what Dolly and her team wanted.”
The cover adds a metal edge to Parton’s country classic, with new Bad Wolves singer Sara “Killboy” Skinner delivering mostly clean vocals over some heavy riffing, with a few guttural screams thrown in. It would have been interesting to hear what Parton’s vocals would have added to the track.
Stream Bad Wolves’ cover of “Jolene” below.
