Watch Members Of Protest The Hero, Testament, Shearwater, More Play Metal Cover Of Toto’s “Hold The Line”

Toto have songs other than “Africa.” They even have songs other than “Africa” and “Rosanna.” In 1978, when the group of LA session musicians known as Toto got together as a band, their debut single was “Hold The Line.” The song fit comfortably into the smoother end of the late-’70s arena-rock landscape. “Hold The Line” reached #5 on the Hot 100, and it’s been in radio rotation ever since. Now, a month after the truly great hardcore take on the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind,” Jordan Olds’ recurring video series Two Minutes To Late Night has assembled a crew of metal all-stars to translate “Hold The Line” into a form that’s a whole lot less smooth.

In the latest Two Minutes To Midnight video, Rody Walker, lead wailer for the Canadian prog-metal band Protest The Hero sings lead. The guitarists are Alex Skolnick, of thrash legends Testament, and Devin Shidaker, of deathcore giants the Acacia Strain. Samantha Mobley, of the great and ascendent Texan death metal band Frozen Soul, plays bass, and Tanner Wayne, the American drummer who currently plays for the Swedish band In Flames, also sits in. The song’s piano part comes from Emily Lee, who’s been in indie rock bands like Shearwater, Loma, and Droneflower and who’s taken part in at least one of these Two Minutes To Late Night videos. Once again, Olds puts on his Gwarsenio Hall facepaint and joins in.

Two Minutes To Late Covers often make big changes to the original songs, but you don’t have to do too much to “Hold The Line” to make it work as a metal song. The Two Minutes To Late Night version is a pretty direct tribute, with a bit more crunch in the guitars and a nice little double-time break near the end. Below, watch the “Hold The Line” cover and the video for Toto’s original.

Check out the Two Minutes To Late Night Patreon here.