The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” has been covered more times than we can count, but Chicago’s Electric 5 takes the song somewhere new—into the charged air of an all-string rock ritual. Their new release strips away the safety net of studio layering and gives us something raw, alive, and muscular, entirely powered by violins and cellos.
From the opening bars, the weight of the cellos sets the stage, thick and ominous, while violins slice through like sharpened wires. This is no polite crossover attempt—it’s an electrified punch. You can hear the tension between precision and abandon, the kind of performance that makes you forget you’re listening to strings at all.
It’s a continuation of what they started with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” That cover announced their intent—to prove that live strings can hit with the same ferocity as amps and distortion pedals. “Paint It Black” raises the stakes. They’re not just translating rock anthems; they’re making them feel newly dangerous.
The fact that this is done with zero backing tracks is more than a technical detail—it’s the heart of their aesthetic. Every note you hear is played live, in real time, and that choice demands both mastery and nerve. It’s a challenge most crossover acts shy away from. Electric 5 leans into it.
With “Paint It Black,” Electric 5 doesn’t just honor one of rock’s darkest classics—they reinvent its menace for a new audience. And in doing so, they remind us that reinvention is the lifeblood of music itself.
