"Ramones perfectly represent and encapsulate the essence of the underground." Napalm Death, Thurston Moore, Wayne Kramer, Ihsahn and members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rammstein, Gogol Bordello and more to appear on two forthcoming Ramones tribute albums

(Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Napalm Death, Voiviod, former Sonic Youth bandleader Thurston Moore and late MC5 guitar hero Wayne Kramer are among the artists paying their respects to the Ramones on two new tribute albums saluting the much-missed punk rock pioneers.

The albums, being compiled and curated by Magnetic Eye Records, will also feature members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rammstein, Gogol Bordello, High On Fire, Battles, Entombed, Mr. Bungle and many more.

A statement from the record label reads:

"The Ramones perfectly represent and encapsulate the essence of the underground, having held true to their sound and style for decades, inspiring multiple generations and establishing huge cultural significance despite never achieving commercial success themselves. Magnetic Eye's Redux Series was created to pay homage to classic albums from across music history, and we've charged ourselves as chroniclers and archivists to keep the memory of outstanding artists and records alive and transfer their music to the sound of new generations.

Ramones Redux re-imagines and celebrates the punk legends' debut LP from start to finish, and is accompanied by Best of Ramones Redux, which includes new renditions of deep cuts and classics from across their catalog. As a first for a Redux release, this homage to the Ramones has been masterminded and curated by NYC and London-based Italian-Swiss audio engineer, sound designer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy winner Marc Urselli."

The album tracklistings are as follows:

Marc Urselli’s Best Of Ramones (Redux)

1. Voivod – Zero Zero Ufo (feat. JG Thirlwell)
2. Destructo Disk – I Don’t Wanna Be Learned/I Don’t Wanna Be Tamed (feat. Timo Ellis of Netherlands)
3. Impostor Cult – Pet Sematary (feat. Amy Tung Barrysmith of Year Of The Cobra)
4. Oscar Dunbar & The Heat Inc. – You’re Gonna Kill That Girl
5. Daniele Brusaschetto & Chvad Sb – I Can’t Be
6. So Hideous – The KKK Took My Baby Away (feat. Gary Lucas)
7. King Potenaz & Nefariant – Time Has Come Today
8. Venamoris – I Want You Around (feat. Eicca Toppinen of Apocalyptica)
9. Kayo Dot & Ihsahn - Teenage Lobotomy
10. Duel – Chinese Rock
11. Raw Power – I Don’t Care (feat. Sergio Milani
12. Zeni Geva & Besvärjelsen - You Should Never Have Opened That Door
13. Restless Spirit – Poison Heart (feat. Jeff Matz of High On Fire)
14. David J & Paul Wallfisch – I Wanna Be Sedated

Marc Urselli’s Ramones (Redux)

1. Mondo Generator – Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Daníel Hjálmtýsson & Mortiis – Beat On The Brat
3. Deathchant – Judy Is A Punk
4. Boots Electric – I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (feat. Wayne Kramer of MC5)
5. Ufomammut – Chain Saw (feat. Bent Sæther)
6. Napalm Death & Thurston Moore – Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
7. GlerAkur – I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement (feat. Andromeda Anarchia)
8. Imperial Triumphant & Kilter – Loudmouth
9. Zapato 3 – Havana Affair (feat. Toxic Tito & Rudy La Scala)
10. Volume – Listen to My Heart
11. Altareth – 53rd and Third (feat. Vanderwolf
12. Desert Roamers – Let’s Dance (feat. Alain Johannes, Dave Catching & John Stanier)
13. Arthur Brown & The Berserker BlóthaR – I Don’t Wanna Walk Around with You
14. Domkraft – Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World (feat. Ulf Cederlund, Justin Goins & Tommy Southard)
15. Delrei – Listen To My Heart (feat. Brian Chase & Kid Congo Powers) (CD bonus track)
16. Gezan – Blitzkrieg Bop (feat. Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello) (CD bonus track)
17. Bonaparte & Flake – Judy Is A Punk (CD bonus track)

Both albums will be released on June 6, and can be pre-ordered here.

You can hear the Voivod/ JG Thirlwell (Foetus) cover below.

Voivod drummer Away says: “One of the proudest moments of my life was when Joey Ramone gave a shout-out to Voivod on stage in Montreal in 1994. I’ve been a fan of the Ramones since their first LP, so you can imagine my excitement when Marc Urselli approached us to cover a song for this album. When he mentioned that collaborations were part of the concept, I immediately thought of JG Thirlwell who has been a good friend since the ’80s.

"While we could have recorded any of their songs, I’ve always dreamed of playing Zero Zero UFO. I was so excited about the opportunity that I might have played it a bit fast, making it challenging for Snake and Jim to fit every word in. Fortunately, Marc‘s production really makes the track shine, and we’re thrilled with the final result. Enjoy!”

Voivod with JG Thirlwell - Zero Zero UFO [Official Visualizer] - YouTube

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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.