In 1992, American heavy metal band Metallica released their third single from their fifth studio album.
The song “Nothing Else Matters” peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart while getting to number 6 on the UK Singles Chart.
It also went to number 1 in Denmark, and reached the top ten on many other European charts cementing this song’s status as a power rock ballad.
The signature intro is unmistakably Metallica.
Lots of artists and bands have covered this song, and while they’ve put their own unique spin on the track, it’s hard to pinpoint one that truly stands out.
Until Gamazda came along.
Just wait until you hear her amazing piano version of the ballad.
She is a Russian pianist with fantastic skills.
Her real name is Alexandra Kuznetsova and she was born in Moscow into a musical family.
Gamazda likes to cover rock songs on the piano.
Go to her channel and witness this lady’s amazing take on rock hits.
Her cover of Linkin Park’s “In the End” is one of her biggest hits.
Oh, but you have to listen to her rendition of Metallica’s power ballad.
She sets the mood by playing in a dark room, lit only by the fireplace and surrounded by lots of wood.
Would a room full of metal be too much?
That iconic intro came about when James Hetfield was on the phone with his girlfriend.
This was 1990 mind you, so he had to hold the phone with one hand, while holding a guitar with the other.
James began plucking on the four open strings of a standard E-minor chord, giving birth to that somber intro.
The lyrics “so close no matter how far” was also written for his girlfriend.
It is by no means a romantic song.
What it is is rock and roll.
Gamazda hits those keys with force, the piano producing heavy sounding notes perfectly matching the very essence of the song.
She doesn’t sing, instead using the piano to play out the entire ballad.
A viewer named Bamboo commented,
“How she expresses all her emotions on that piano is just [expletive] brilliant. Probably the fourth time I’ve viewed this video just because it’s so beautifully arranged and executed.”
We can’t get enough of it either.
You can almost hear Hetfield’s iconic growling style of singing matched by Lars Ulrich’s heavy hitting drum skills.
The way Gamazda’s fingers fly all over those keys gets you staring in awe, and the piano’s exposed anatomy lets you focus on each note and each key that she hits.
Go ahead and rock out with this Russian pianist.
Her cover has even racked up more than 14M views.
More praises from a viewer,
“Speechless… she understands the soul of the song and is so spot on with the nuances of the melody and feeling, a tear or two were shed as my unexpecting ears surrendered. I’m curious to hear some original melodies from you. Bravo!”
Gamazda plays the entire song too. All five minutes and thirty seconds of it!
This is crazy talent and you know it.
So go ahead and subscribe to her channel. Follow this woman on social media. Listening to her is addicting.
Enjoy her gripping version of “Nothing Else Matters” below!
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