Monthly Archives: September 2026

Sep 28 2026

My Top 20 Best Cover Songs

Most of the time, a great song should not be touched. Like a great movie, they just shouldn’t be remade. Saying that, every so often a cover song comes out that is just as good (and sometimes even better) than the original. I’m also keeping it to one song per artist (some bands I like are known for all their covers), so I’m choosing the best one. I’m also keeping it to one cover a certain song. So here are my top 20 best cover songs.

20 – Without Me by Flight Paths
Original by Halsey (2018)

I didn’t even know this was a cover when I first heard it. But having listened to the original, I can easily say that this is the superior version.

Released as a single in 2018.

19 – Another Brick in the Wall by Korn
Original by Pink Floyd (1979)

I’m generally not a fan of prog rock, so it’s no surprise that I prefer this version to the original.

Released in 2004, from the album Greatest Hits Vol 1.

18 – Headhunter by Icon of Coil
Original by Front 242 (1988)

I like these two equally, and they’re different enough that it’s not repetitive.

Released in 2003, from the album Android.

17 – Umbrella by Vanilla Sky
Original by Rihanna (2007)

The video for this song is absolutely hilarious, but the song is actually surprisingly great.

Released in 2007, from the album Changes.

16 – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Marilyn Manson
Original by Eurythmics (1983)

I like the original, but this cover really is so much better. Manson also did a great cover of Depeche mode’s Personal Jesus.

Released in 1995, from the album Smells Like Children.

15 – Careless Whisper by Seether
Original by George Michael (1984)

This cover just takes all the longing and regret of the original and dials it up to 11.

Released in 2007, from the album Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces.

14 – The Sound of Silence by Disturbed
Original by Simon and Garfunkel (1964)

It’s kind of not fair to compare these two, they’re on different levels. Disturbed also did a great cover of Genesis’ Land of Confusion.

Released in 2015, from the album Immortalized.

13 – Stripped by Rammstein
Original by Depeche Mode (1986)

The original is a classic, but I do prefer this hard rock cover of it. Palaye Royale also did a good cover of this song.

Released in 1998, from the Depeche Mode tribute album For the Masses.

12 – Shape of You by Fame on Fire
Original by Ed Sheeran (2017)

I’m actually not a fan of the original, but this rock version is awesome.

Released as a single in 2017.

11 – Running Up That Hill by Placebo
Original by Kate Bush (1985)

Not a huge fan of the original, but then I do always prefer male voices.

Released in 2003, from the album Covers.

10 – Every Breath You Take by Chase Holfelder
Original by The Police (1983)

Finally, a version of this song that matches the lyrics. And people think this is a love song. Pfft…

Released in 2015, from the album Major to Minor Vol 1.

9 – The Man Who Sold the World by Nirvana
Original by David Bowie (1970)

I love David Bowie, but Nirvana’s version of this song kind of blows the original out of the water.

Released in 1994, from the album MTV Unplugged in New York.

8 – Radioactive by Bullet for My Valentine
Original by Imagine Dragons (2012)

These two songs are similar, but I prefer the singer from Bullet for My Valentine’s voice a lot more. It’s also harder than the original.

Released in 2018, from the album Gravity.

7 – Zombie by Bad Wolves
Original by The Cranberries (1994)

Definitely not better than the original, but this version still rocks hard.

Released in 2018, from the album Disobey.

6 – The Hills by Solence
Original by The Weeknd (2015)

The original is fine, but this hard rock cover is so much better.

Released as a single in 2016.

5 – Blue Monday by Orgy
Original by New Order (1983)

Not a huge fan of the original, but Orgy really made it theirs.

Released in 1998, from the album Candyass.

4 – Wicked Game by HIM
Original by Chris Isaak (1989)

The original of this song is smooth and sultry, and the cover is harder and louder. Which one is better? No idea.

Released in 1997, from the album Greatest Lovesongs Vol 666.

3 – Set Fire to the Rain by No Resolve
Original by Adele (2011)

I do love me some rock covers, don’t I? Adele’s version is good, but I much prefer the cover.

Released in 2021, from the album A New Beginning.

2 – Someone You Loved by Our Last Night, with I See Stars, The Word Alive, and Ashland
Original by Lewis Capaldi (2018)

The original is good, but, for me, this cover is much better. I love all the different voices together. Our Last Night also did an amazing cover of Billie Eilish’s When the Party’s Over.

Released as a single in 2019.

1 – Closer by Palaye Royale
Original by Nine Inch Nails (1994)

I’m just gonna say it: this cover is way better than the original. Also, singer Remington Leith is one of the most beautiful men on the planet, and this video does things to me…

Released in 2023, from the album Sextape.

And that’s it! Are your favourite covers on the list? If not, what are they? Let me know!

M.

Sep 20 2026

Mel’s 5 Second Review: Good Boy

Good Boy (2025)
Indy the Dog, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, Stuart Rudin
Directed by: Ben Leonberg

I’ve been meaning to watch this film since it came out last year, but due to my weird moods, I hadn’t gotten around to it til now. I need to watch EXACTLY the right thing when I want to watch tv, otherwise I just won’t like it. It’s very weird, and annoying, cause that means I can flip endlessly through the streaming services to find something. But last night I just opened Shudder to see the new releases and decided, in record time, to watch Good Boy. And now I wish I’d seen it sooner.

A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.

First, let me say that Indy the dog is a good boy. A real good boy. In fact, he was such a good boy that he won the Astra Award for Best Actor in a Horror or Thriller Movie. He arrived at the ceremony in his little tie, and I almost lost it. Most of the time in films that use animals, more than one animal is used to play the same character because they’re trained in different things. But Indy did everything in this film. No, he didn’t do any circus tricks, but it was still impressive.

The story was almost excessively simple and bare bones, but that’s not a bad thing. The film is told in perspective of the dog, so it’s normal that we don’t get the whole view of things. The camera-work is slow and methodical, following our furry hero around the scary house. The sense of dread is heavy throughout, and focusing on Indy’s fear instead of his owner’s makes the film feel emotionally raw. I knew exactly what was happening throughout the film, having guessed it at the very beginning, but that didn’t dull the pain of what inevitably happened at the end of the film, and I’m not afraid to say that the tears flowed freely. I haven’t cried for a movie in 8 years, but this one got me.

So, do I recommend it? Yes, absolutely. Even if horror movies aren’t your bag, I think you’ll enjoy this movie. It gets an absolutely wonderful 9/10 from me. It might have gotten a 10, but it did drag a bit once or twice, but really, I’m nit-picking.

M.

This movie is currently streaming on Shudder and Crave in Canada, and on Shudder, AMC+, and Hulu in the States, and is available for rent or purchase on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

Sep 16 2026

Mel’s 5 Second Review: The First Omen vs Immaculate

Two years ago, in 2024, two movies came out that were so similar in plot that many people wondered what the point was. I wonder how that happens. Cause they had to be in production at the same time, so it’s not like one came out and the other copied it. It’s not the first time something like this has happened. A Quiet Place and The Silence came out a year apart. I didn’t even bother seeing The Silence since the plot was so similar. But after I saw The First Omen, I’d heard some good things about Immaculate and that it was doing its own thing, so I decided to watch it.

The First Omen (2024)
Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga, Tawfeek Barhom, Maria Caballero, Charles Dance, Bill Nighy, Andrea Arcangeli
Directed by: Arkasha Stevenson

A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.

First, to get it out of the way, Nell Tiger Free is a total babe. Like, whoa nelly! Her newest IMDb picture makes me sad, though, she went blonde. Not sure if that’s her natural hair colour, but she looks stunning with dark hair. Besides her looks, she’s got some serious talent. She did an amazing job in the role of a sweet but naïve nun in training. The rest of the cast also do a great job. The film also looks beautiful, the cinematography is on pointe. Filmed mostly in Italy, the locations are stunning. There are also some quite striking visuals that have now been seared into my brain (vagina hand, anyone?) The story was great. I was actually surprised at how much I liked this, seeing as I hated The Omen. Both the original and the sad 2006 remake. I’m glad that they did mostly their own thing, though, so they weren’t overly constrained with what they could do. Die hard fans were a little scandalized at that, though.

Immaculate (2024)
Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Simona Tabasco, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli, Dora Romano, Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi
Directed by: Michael Mohan

Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets when she becomes pregnant, seemingly by immaculate conception.

I had no intention of seeing this one after The First Omen. But I’d heard good things, so I put it on thinking, how similar could it really be? Very. The stories are basically the same. They’re even both set in Italy. Sydney Sweeney did a good job as the young nun in training. I didn’t know her before seeing this film, she’s in the kind of stuff that doesn’t interest me. But I had heard that people were sure that she’d be crap, mostly because she often plays a certain type of character and she dares show some skin, so people were thinking that that’s all she was. And while she wasn’t amazing, she did a perfectly serviceable job that hopefully shut people up. It was filmed in the same areas as The First Omen, so the locations were also gorgeous. It was a little slow in the first half but picked up nicely in the second. And the end went places I really wasn’t expecting, which is almost all there was from making it a carbon copy of The First Omen.

So, which one do I prefer? The First Omen, hands down. Immaculate had its moments, but The First Omen was engaging the whole way through. And of the two, it’ll be the only one I’m likely to revisit.

The First Omen gets a 9/10. Simply wonderful.
Immaculate gets a 7/10. A good time.

M.

The First Omen is streaming on Disney+ and Crave (in Canada) and on Hulu (in the States), and is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and YouTube.
Immaculate is streaming on Netflix (in the States only), and is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and YouTube.

Sep 12 2026

Mel’s Dreams: The Party

Another vivid dream. There was a lot more to the dream than this, but I picked out what seemed to be the most important beats.

Preparing for a party. I’m making a dessert that requires a ton of melted chocolate, and I’m making a huge mess. We go to Costco to get more ingredients. Getting ready for the party, I try on a lot of dresses. I’m with Chris but need to choose another date, so I chose an Asian man who looks cute, but when I get closer, he’s not. Then I hide in the basement until it’s time to leave.

Dreaming of making a dessert with melted chocolate generally symbolizes transforming your inner desires, creativity, or suppressed emotions into something satisfying and sweet. Making a huge mess while preparing your dessert signifies a feeling of overwhelm, loss of control, or chaos as you try to process your emotions or create something good in your waking life. While your ultimate goal is positive (making something sweet), the process feels chaotic and unmanageable. Since melted chocolate represents deep emotions or desires, the mess suggests these feelings are overflowing or becoming too difficult to contain.
Running out of ingredients and needing to go to Costco shifts the dream from a purely emotional space into one about your real-world resources, preparation, and how you handle unexpected setbacks. Running out of ingredients suggests that a project, relationship, or emotional situation in your waking life is requiring far more energy, time, or resources than you initially anticipated. In dreams, a warehouse club like Costco represents abundance, over-preparation, and bulk solutions. Going there means your subconscious is looking for a massive influx of support, stability, or tools to fix the mess. You don’t just want a quick fix; you want a wholesale solution to regain control. Having to stop mid-creation to run an errand reflects a waking-life feeling of being blocked or interrupted just as you were trying to get things done.
(This feels about right. I’ve been trying to get my life on track for a while now, but I seem to keep hitting a health barrier, be that either my physical or mental health. I had a big crisis of mental health last summer that had me off work for 6 months. I worked hard at overcoming that but lately I can feel myself slipping again. The loss of control over my own emotions is maddening.)

Trying on a lot of dresses right before the party symbolizes anxiety about self-image, identity shifts, and how you want to be perceived by others. Now that a party has entered the narrative, the entire dream sequence connects: you are trying to create something wonderful (the chocolate dessert) but ran out of resources (the Costco trip) and are now struggling to find the right “identity” or presentation (trying on dresses) for a major social event. The upcoming party represents a social arena where you feel you will be observed or judged. Trying on dress after dress reflects a fear of not fitting in or not being “ready” for a new phase or event. Just like making a mess with the dessert, trying on too many clothes shows a state of overwhelm. You might be feeling immense pressure to look perfect or have everything together for others.
(I always worry about what my loved ones think when they see me struggling. I feel very judged and try hard to keep myself together, which makes it all the harder on me when I fail.)

Needing to choose a second date while attending a party with your current boyfriend represents internal conflict, divided attention, or a feeling that you are trying to balance multiple major commitments or paths in your life. In dream psychology, a “date” doesn’t always represent a romantic interest—it often symbolizes options, paths, or significant choices you are trying to schedule or prioritize. Combined with the rest of your dream (the messy baking, the Costco run, the dress changes), this final piece highlights a theme of decision fatigue. You are trying to do it all, please everyone, and manage multiple complex situations at the same time.
Choosing an Asian man who looks cute from afar but loses his appeal up close represents illusion versus reality, disappointment upon closer inspection, or a waking-life situation that looks perfect from a distance but reveals its flaws under scrutiny. This ties directly into the themes of your entire dream—the messy dessert that looked good in theory, the dresses that didn’t quite fit, and the need for a second option. From a distance, this new path or choice looked ideal, fresh, or exciting (the “cute” stranger). This mirrors how we often romanticize new opportunities, jobs, or relationships before we know the details. Getting closer and realizing he isn’t what you thought represents a sudden reality check. Your subconscious is warning you that a choice you are considering right now might look good on paper, but it won’t satisfy you once you actually get involved. While it feels like a disappointment in the dream, waking up to the reality of the situation is actually a positive psychological shift. It means you are developing the discernment to look past surface appearances.
(Every time I start a new job, I always think that “this time will be different” and am pulled back into reality when I fail. Maybe I’m starting to think that a new approach is needed.)

Hiding in the basement until it is time to leave represents withdrawing, escaping from overwhelm, and seeking comfort in isolation when the social pressure, chaos, and decision fatigue of life become too much to handle. The basement represents the deepest parts of your subconscious, privacy, or your “inner fortress.” Retreating there means you have hit your limit. You are choosing to emotionally disconnect and hide away from the judgment of others (the party, the dresses, the choices) to protect your energy. After a dream filled with chaotic baking, frantic shopping, outfit changes, and confusing relationship dynamics, hiding is your mind’s way of saying: “I need a break from trying to perfect everything for everyone else.”
(This might be what I’m doing, but I still get the feeling that it shouldn’t be what I’m doing. I keep trying and trying but it’s like just repeatedly bashing my head on the wall.)

In conclusion: Your subconscious has taken you on a journey through decision fatigue and expectations vs. reality. You started with a sweet idea (chocolate), hit chaos and lack of resources (the mess and Costco), struggled with your identity and how to present yourself (the dresses), tried to double-book your future options (the two dates), and finally realized that the “alternative” option isn’t actually what you want. This dream is a strong nudge to appreciate what you already have (like the boyfriend you arrived with) and to be cautious about chasing new “shiny” options that might just add more mess to your plate. Your subconscious is giving you permission to step back and rest in your waking life. You don’t have to perfectly manage every chaotic situation or please everyone at the party.
(I guess I don’t…)

Not exactly the light, fluffy dream it seemed to be on the surface. Just be yourself, and keep on swimming!

M.