Massachusetts boy band plays unique cover of ‘House of the Rising Sun’
They turned the familiar rock song into a folk one, and the results were impressive!
Johndel Callora
02.16.21

In an era when the charts are mainly dominated by pop music, it’s a rare sight to see rock songs stand out and be heard.

It is because pop music is mainstream nowadays. It is the incumbent generation’s cup of tea. That is why a budding rock band from Massachusetts made a pact to reinvent the genre that has been loved for so long by so many people. They vowed to bring rock and roll back into the spotlight.

The House On Cliff is a ’70s inspired, high-energy rock band hailing all the way from Boston, Massachusetts.

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The band is composed of powerhouse lead vocalist Chad Michael Jervis, guitarist and master shredder Charles Coleman, animalistic drummer Marc Polit and last but definitely not least, bassist William Santana.

They all met while studying at Berklee College of Music.

Shortly afterward, they all decided to leave school and focus all their time on creating music, touring and inspiring their audience to keep rock alive.

In a video they uploaded on their YouTube channel, they chose to make a rock cover of “The House of the Rising Sun.”

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As he sings, Chad’s deep baritone voice echoes and his voice is rough like sandpaper.

When they reached the second stanza, his vocals blast through the instrumentals. Charles performs occasional guitar riffs that will surely perk listeners’ ears!

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“The House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song, sometimes called “Rising Sun Blues.”

It talks about the life of a person that went wrong in the city of New Orleans.

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At the same time, it gives a warning to mothers to keep their children from suffering the same fate—and to not spend their lives in sin and misery.

And the band conveyed the message of the song.

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The way Chad makes the song his own is definitely commendable—the integrity of the original is still intact, but the band gives it their own flare.

The whole time, Chad showcases his wide vocal range in this cover. His voice is solid and whole, but at the same time, his falsetto is flawless! The way he modulates his voice also gives the song a whole new flavor.

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The Animals were an English rhythm and blues and rock band, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1960s.

The band moved to London upon finding fame in 1964.

The Animals were known for their gritty, bluesy sound and deep-voiced frontman Eric Burdon, as exemplified by their signature song “The House of the Rising Sun.”

As the song draws near to its end, Charles stuns with his guitar solo and the spotlight focuses on him.

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The build-up was low and smooth before going all out accompanied by drums and bass guitars.

His shredding riffs were clean and slick. Marc and William were also amazing with their performance, but the vocals and guitarwork definitely steal the show!

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They totally transformed the traditional folk song into a rock song mixed with their own style.

They definitely did justice to the original song—and more than that, their mission to bring rock music back in a new way definitely pays off as well. Once you hear it, you’re sure to listen again and again!

Watch the full performance by clicking on the link below:

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