SCOTT IAN Recalls Playing EDDIE’s Parts During VAN HALEN’s ‘Most Metal’ Song: “I Was Really Nervous”

Scott Ian is well-known for his formidable rhythm skills in Anthrax, yet he felt intimidated when Mr. Bungle covered Van Halen‘s “Loss of Control”. The band, led by the charismatic Mike Patton and featuring former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, performed the track during their 2020 live-streamed concert, later released as The Night They Came Home.

Reflecting on the experience in a conversation with Don Jamieson, Ian shared his thoughts on the unique energy Patton brought to their rendition (as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar): “I don’t need to blow Mike Patton‘s horn. Everybody is aware of his talent, I would assume. But, God damn it… I mean, he is channeling something when we do that song. You close your eyes, and it’s rough. It’s crazy.”

Ian, who calls himself a “caveman rhythm guitar” style, admitted feeling the pressure of playing Eddie Van Halen‘s parts. “When we were doing that live-stream, I was really nervous,” he confessed. “Look, I’m a bit of a caveman rhythm guitar player. And now, all of a sudden, I’m challenged with, ‘I gotta play some Eddie parts.'”

Despite the nerves, Ian found comfort in the metal essence of “Loss of Control.” “But that song is probably the most metal song in Van Halen‘s catalog. That’s kind of right in my wheelhouse, and it’s up-tempo and all that. And Lombardo just crushes it. I still can’t believe it. I listen to it all the time. I can’t believe I’m a part of that. It’s so good. [Laughs]”

During the interview, Scott also touched on his side project, Motor Sister, a band formed in 2014 that pays homage to classic rock. Featuring his wife Pearl Aday, Motor Sister allows Ian to explore his roots in 1970s rock music. “We are all ’70s rock, all of us. I started playing guitar in ’73. All of my formative years playing guitar are ’70s rock bands,” Ian explained. “So to get playing in Motor Sister… Because, essentially, we’re a ’70s band that doesn’t necessarily exactly sound like any ’70s band. We’re not one of these bands that’s like, ‘Oh well, yeah, they just sound like a shitty Led Zeppelin cover band, or ‘They sound like a lesser version of AC/DC.’ We sound like a ’70s band without sounding like anything specific. And that’s the magic of Jim Wilson.”

For Ian, Motor Sister is a tribute to the music that shaped his early years. “But all my formative years, I’m playing AC/DC and Thin Lizzy and the Ramones and Kiss and Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin and Free and Bad Company. And that’s what Motor Sister is. It’s all of that.”