Check out some of the most surprising metal tribute bands below.

1. Okilly Dokilly (Ned Flanders-themed band)

Deemed a “Nedal band,” Okilly Dokilly are a pure laugh with their metal songs dedicated to The Simpsons character Ned Flanders. All of the band members dress up in his classic green sweater and pink dress shirt with that iconic moustache while shredding through some tunes.

2. Mac Sabbath (McDonald’s-themed Black Sabbath tribute band)

If you like Black Sabbath and a greasy burger, Mac Sabbath have everything you’re looking for. The McDonald’s and Black Sabbath tribute band have some awesome costumes of the company’s iconic kids’ meal characters, and their burger-worshipping twist on metal’s original band is a riot to see live.

3. Heisenberg (Breaking Bad-themed band)

Breaking Bad was a pretty dark show, so it’s fitting that a slam death-metal band were created in tribute to it. Heisenberg bring the blue-meth slinging stories of Walter White to life through crushing breakdowns, blast beats and swamp-monster vocals in a tightly written way.

4. Powerglove (Nintendo tribute band)

Power metal is easily the corniest subgenre in metal, and Powerglove do a great job of bringing that energy to video game-themed music. The band tear through thrashing versions of classic video game soundtracks, and their live show has been known to see the band busting out various props and tossing candy into the crowd.

5. Misfats (Fat guy Misfits tribute band)

The premise for this band is pretty simple but incredibly fun for any old-school punk fan. Misfats are a big-bodied Misfits tribute band who bring a fattening food take to the iconic horror-punk act with such songs as “Hungry Moments” and “Don’t Open That Mayonnaise.”

6. Hevisaurus (Dinosaur-themed band)

Hevisaurus are like a Finnish kids’ version of GWAR. The dinosaur-themed band built a world of lore around the various characters in the band and have sold thousands of records while introducing heavy metal to a legion of youth in a way that’s more relatable to children than serious metal bands.

7. Galactic Empire (Star Wars-themed band)

If you’ve ever watched Star Wars and thought it needed some metal mixed in, Galactic Empire are the band for you. They bring the dark side of the force and music together with heavy covers of classic songs from the film franchise and sport incredibly detailed costumes to boot.

8. Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine (Lounge)

Technically, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine aren’t a metal band, but many of their covers are of metal songs. The band create lounge music versions of classic songs, including ones from System Of A Down, Slipknot, Disturbed and more.

9. Tragedy (Bee Gees metal)

Bee Gees are about as far away from metal as you can get, but Tragedy challenge that idea by giving the band’s music a heavy retouch. Bringing together metal, disco and glitter, Tragedy are a novelty who take themselves seriously with impressive musicianship that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

10. Beatallica (Metallica and the Beatles mashup)

Taking two of the world’s biggest bands, Metallica and the Beatles, and mashing them sounds like a recipe for disaster. But Beatallica balance them fantastically. They even got Lars Ulrich’s seal of approval. Despite a cease-and-desist order from Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Ulrich helped the band get back to creating music through his industry connections.

Watch new music videos from Galactic Empire—plus, don’t miss Hot Mulligan's live studio session. Check out the news you might have missed today below!

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1. 5 Seconds Of Summer shared an acoustic video for “Youngblood”

5 Seconds Of Summer shared an acoustic video for their song “Youngblood.” The song is taken from the band's forthcoming album, Youngblood, out June 22. You can get your copy of it here. The band will be hitting the road for a summer tour. For a full list of dates and to purchase tickets, you can go here.

2. Thrice announced UK and Europe tour support

Excited to have @wearebrutus on our upcoming club shows in the UK and Europe! Get your tickets at https://t.co/3nryFgVzTH pic.twitter.com/kNgwHQ8vRg

— THRICE (@Thrice) May 4, 2018

Thrice announced Brutus as tour support for their upcoming club shows in the UK and Europe. Check out the dates below and purchase your tickets here.

Dates:

06/09 London, UK @ The Electric Ballroom

06/10 Donington Park, UK @ Download Festival

06/12 Koln, GER @ Live Music Hall

06/13 Aarau, SWI @ Kiff

06/14 Nickelsdorg, AUT @ Nova Rock

06/16 Paris, FRA @ Download Festival France

06/17 Amsterdam, NET @ Melkweg

06/19 Brussels, BEL @ Ancienne Belgique

06/20 Wiesbaden, GER @ Schlachthof 06/21 Berlin, GER – Huxley’s

06/22 Scheessel, GER @ Hurricane Festival

06/24 Neuhausen Ob Eck, GER @ Southside Festival

06/26 Munchen, GER @ Backstage Werk

06/27 Bologna, ITA @ Zona Roveri 06/29 Madrid, SPA – Download Festival

3. Galactic Empire dropped a music video

Galactic Empire shared a music video for their song “March Of The Resistance.” The song is taken from the latest band's album, Episode II, out now. You can get your copy of it here.

4. Hot Mulligan performed a live studio session

Had the pleasure of returning to @tnjstudio for another live session when we were in Atlanta with Boston Manor.

Check it out!https://t.co/pgSPeIR8sy

— Hot Mulligan (@HotMulligan) May 3, 2018

Hot Mulligan shared a live studio session with Toast and Jam Studio. The songs performed was taken from the band's latest album, Pilot, out now. You can snag your copy of it here.

5. Comeback Kid shared their cover of “Beds Are Burning”

Comeback Kid shared a cover of Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning.” You can purchase your copy of the cover here.

6. Bussieres dropped a live music video for “Prestige Worldwide”

Montreal punks Bussieres shared a live music video for their new song “Prestige Worldwide.” The track is taken from the band's forthcoming EP, Sunny Side Up, out May 15. You can preorder your copy of it here.

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Music genres of all kinds have reaped their fair share of inspiration from Star Wars—and metal is no exception. In fact, there’s a strong argument to be made that the saga and metal belong together like Darth Maul and his kick-ass, double-sided lightsaber. Here are seven times metal was inspired by Star Wars.

Read more: 12 theories about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, from the bonkers to the brilliant

1. Galactic Empire not only cover Star Wars, they dress up like the characters, too

Let’s start with the obvious here: If you’re a Star Wars nerd and a metalhead and you haven’t heard of Galactic Empire, then your mind’s about to be blown like the destruction of the Death Star. Galactic Empire is an instrumental tech metal band that covers songs from Star Wars’ timeless soundtrack. If that’s not awesome enough, they perform dressed like various characters from Star Wars. Let’s just say these guys definitely give Jabba The Hutt’s cantina band a run for their money.

2. Vader take their namesake from Darth Vader himself

Poland’s prodigal death metal sons, Vader, take their namesake from none other than Darth Vader himself. It’s only fitting, considering any one of their songs makes the perfect background music to Darth Vader going full Sith Lord all over the Rebel scum.

3. Bloodbath pays tribute to “Imperial March” on every single album

Bloodbath’s Anders “Blakkheim” Nyström, also of Katatonia, is a self-professed Star Wars superfan; and being the musical mastermind he is, he’s dropped a tribute to the ever-famous “Imperial March” on every Bloodbath album to date. That onslaught of evil riffs on “Cancer Of The Soul” is one of them. Can you find the rest?

4. Hoth is named after the planet Hoth

Blackened death act Hoth from Seattle borrow their namesake from the icy planet of the same name that appears in The Empire Strikes Back. Not only does the artwork that adorns the cover of their 2014 Oathbreaker record look strikingly similar to Hoth, but the album itself was also recorded during the cold winter months of 2013. It’s also important to note that no tauntauns were disemboweled during the making of the album; that’s more than Luke Skywalker can say…

5. Metallica occasionally covers Star Wars live

Both James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett have been known to occasionally bust out a cover of the “Imperial March” during live sets. Apparently, they covered it with the San Francisco Symphony in 1999 for the album that would become S&M.

6. Epica’s “Imperial March” cover on their Classical Conspiracy album

The Netherlands’ chief symphonic metal export Epica has become known for their rather epic (no pun intended) rendition of the “Imperial March” that first appeared on their 2009 Classical Conspiracy live album. The band also performed it on their 2013 Retrospect live album, a performance of which can be viewed above. This cover, in particular, really shows just how seamlessly metal and the epic score of Star Wars can be fused together.

7. Protest The Hero’s “Clarity” video pits Star Wars fans against Trekkies

Last but certainly not least, the technical Canucks in Protest The Hero paid tribute to Star Wars in their music video for “Clarity,” which provides a rather interesting outcome to the age-old conflict between Star Wars fans and Trekkies.

Check out who's supporting and dates below!

Read more: ‘Star Wars’ metal band releasing galactic first album

In case you've never heard of Galactic Empire, they're a Star Wars cosplay band that released their debut self-titled album on Feb. 3 through Rise Records. Galactic Empire featured metal tributes to your favorite Star Wars songs such as “Duel of the Fates” and “The Imperial March.”

“These instruments are crude but should be adequate to shred some faces as we journey across the galaxy,” said guitarist Dark Vader when talking about their debut album.

For about the last week, Galactic Empire was doing a countdown in anticipation of this tour before finally announcing the big news on June 2. They'll be joined by dangerkids on this amazing tour.

“Loyal Citizens of the Galactic Empire, in our continuing efforts to eradicate the rebellion we are embarking on a US tour with our allies in dangerkids.
Garrisons will be set up in each city to ensure no rebel scum undermine our plans.”

Tickets are avaliable now, along with VIP packages which you can purchase here. The VIP package includes a general admission ticket, a meet and greet with the band, a photo opportunity with Galactic Empire, a limited edition poster, a Galactic Empire fidget spinner and a VIP laminate with a lanyard.

Check out the dates below and tell us which show we'll see you at!

Tour dates:

7/12 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
7/13 Virginia Beach, VA @ Shaka's
7/14 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
7/15 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Hall
7/17 Louisville, KY @ Trixie's Entertainment Complex
7/18 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
7/19 St Louis, MO @ Fubar
7/21 Oklahoma City, OK @ Center of the Galaxy Fest
7/22 Oklahoma City, OK @ Center of the Galaxy Fest
7/23 Dallas, TX @ RBC
7/24 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
7/26 Jacksonville, FL @ 1904 Music Hall
7/27 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheus
7/28 Lake Park, FL @ Kelsey Theatre
7/29 Orlando, FL @ The Social
7/31 Greensboro, NC @ Blind Tiger
8/1 Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse at the International
8/2 Columbus, OH @ Skully's Music Diner
8/3 Cleveland, OH @ The Agora – Ballroom
8/4 Buffalo, NY @ Studio at Waiting Room
8/5 Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East – Downstairs
8/6 New York, NY @ Webster Hall – Marlin Room

The Star Wars cosplay band Galactic Empire will be releasing their debut self-titled album on Feb. 3. The album will feature some of the most iconic Star Wars songs such as “Imperial March” and “Battle of the Heroes”

“The puny humans at Velocity and Rise Records have succumbed to the crushing power of the Dark Side and will release our debut full-length album on which we pay tribute to Supreme Sith Overlord John Williams with 11 tracks of pure sonic devastation” said the band in a statement.

Read More: Hilarious Twitter account reimagines Star Wars villain as emo kid

The band began a KickStarter in May where they asked for $60,000 to “acquire the proper equipment we will need to put on an explosive live show, including amps, speaker cabinets, in-ear monitors, lighting rig, cases, transportation, trailer, merchandise, costume modifications and everything else needed to lay waste to your local system with pure sonic annihilation.”

That campaign raised over $61,000 and they will be embarking on a UK tour in February to support the new album.

Have you acquired tickets for our UK tour yet? https://t.co/1CqVO7tOd4 #galacticempire pic.twitter.com/tCiOmW23LB

— Galactic Empire (@GalacticEmpire8) July 7, 2016

Two singles from the album are already available — “Main Theme” and “Imperial March.”

Check out a video for “Imperial March” below:

“These instruments are crude but should be adequate to shred some faces as we journey across the galaxy. We have been doubling our efforts to complete our debut full-length album in time for the Emperor's arrival,” said guitarist Dark Vader.

The album is currently available for preorder here, featuring several different bundles. Some of the bundles include everything from sweatshirts to posters. You can also get a beautiful orange pressing of the album on vinyl, along with preordering a CD copy or a digital copy. Digital copies are also avaliable here on iTunes.

“If you are not part of the Rebel Alliance or a traitor, buy our singles on iTunes and prepare to succumb to the Dark Side upon our album’s release.”