So apparently American Idol contestant James Durbin fancies himself as a metal fan. He first showed off his love for metal by performing the Judas Priest classic “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” on the show. And last night, he got further help from Black Label Society mainman Zakk Wylde. The former Ozzy Osbourne shredder joined Durbin for a rendition of Sammy Hagar’s “Heavy Metal” (ah, see what they did there?) during last night’s broadcast.
We thought Durbin’s performance was alright (for a Sammy Hagar cover, it was pretty good). However, we wouldn’t go as far as to say that he’s worthy enough to perform side by side with Ozzy at Ozzfest, which judge Randy Jackson reportedly suggested after the performance. It’s up to you, though, to determine whether performing on American Idol or appearing alongside Ludacris on a song dedicated to porn stars is Zakk Wylde’s biggest sell-out moment (don’t worry, I’d agree that recording “Iron Man” with William Shatner is cooler than both). Between this and Iggy Pop performing on the show last week, either Idol is getting cooler, or it’s just becoming the premier place for rock gods to completely sell out.
You can watch James Durbin and Zakk Wylde’s performance of “Heavy Metal” on American Idol above.
