01) Mastodon, “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin cover)
Mastodon were hit with a massive loss in September 2018 when their longtime manager, Nick John, passed away. Earlier this year, the group paid an ultimate tribute to John with the release of Stairway to Nick John, which includes the single of their Led Zeppelin cover of “Stairway to Heaven.” The track is heartwarming and compelling as the band left the following explanation behind the release:
“In early September 2018, we lost one of our closest friends and our biggest fan, our manager Nick John. He was essentially the band’s Dad. From our highest highs to our lowest lows he was always there. Every single move we made went through him first as our trust in him was marrow deep. His favorite band besides us and Gojira, was Led Zeppelin. We were asked to perform “Stairway to Heaven” at his funeral. Afterward, finding out that someone had recorded it, we figured we should record a studio version and release it on Record Store Day as a tribute to Nick with all proceeds to be donated to pancreatic cancer research. We would not be the band we are today without the help of Nick John. We miss him dearly and think of him always. We love you buddy.”
