Imagine the worlds of death metal and pop colliding in an epic, musical showdown! That’s exactly what you get with Chuck Schuldiner’s previously unreleased cover of Madonna’s ‘Frozen’ from 1998 – and it’s just as mind-blowing as it sounds.
Back in the late '90s, while Madonna was enchanting fans on VH1, Chuck Schuldiner, the legendary frontman of the death-metal band Death, was putting his own twist on the pop queen’s hit. But here’s the twist – instead of releasing it then, Chuck's instrumental version has been a hidden treasure until now!
Picture Schuldiner in his room, shredding his guitar to a drum machine, capturing the mystical Middle Eastern vibes of ‘Frozen’. It’s a sound that’s both haunting and soothing, yet totally different from the intense tracks Schuldiner is known for. The song recently unearthed by Chuck's nephew, Chris Steele, had fans buzzing as he shared a clip on Instagram. “Found this today… It’s all yours: Chuck’s version of Madonna’s 1998 single ‘Frozen.’ 🤘🏻,” Steele posted, revealing the early stages of Schuldiner’s battle with cancer.
Schuldiner was no stranger to breaking musical ground. Starting his first band back in 1983, he pioneered a new era of metal with his bandmates, drawing inspiration from the same New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands that inspired Metallica. When Death released Scream Bloody Gore in 1987, metal fans knew they were hearing something revolutionary. By 1991, with Human, they’d hit a high point that landed them on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.
Sadly, the metal legend was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1999 and passed away at just 34 in 2001. But fans can now celebrate his legacy with even more depth, thanks to the upcoming authorized biography, Born Human: The Life and Music of Death’s Chuck Schuldiner, coming out this month.
So get ready to experience this rare and electrifying musical crossover that pays tribute to Chuck Schuldiner’s genius and Madonna’s iconic sound!