“We connected to ‘Zombie’ because we were born from violence. RIP Dolores.”
Many tributes have been paid to Dolores O’Riordan on the week that marks the one-year anniversary of the Limerick singer’s death.
The remaining members of The Cranberries are preparing to release their final album – which features O’Riordan’s signature vocals – with In The End expected later this year before the band officially call it a day.
“It was a very emotional process for us,” the group noted in a joint statement, reflecting on assembling in the studio in the wake of their leader’s passing.
“There were many difficult moments during the recording sessions, particularly the first and last days. After the first day we all seemed to be thinking the same thing although we didn’t speak about it; if we didn’t try to put our emotions to one side and focus on the work then we were going to do an injustice to Dolores.
“Knowing that we would never get to play these songs live made it even more difficult. There was also an overwhelming sense of finality knowing that this was the last time that we would be in the same studio together working on a Cranberries album.”
A one-year anniversary mass for O’Riordan was held on Sunday in her hometown of Ballybricken, with hundreds of people turning out to pay their respects.
Among those in the entertainment world entering in their own unique tribute is American rapper Vic Mensa, who has covered ‘Zombie’ in surprisingly cathartic fashion.
Mensa’s new project 93PUNX is due for a more official long-form unveiling in the spring with guest appearances from legendary punks Bad Brains and the decidedly less legendary punk that is Joel Madden of Good Charlotte fame.
First up, however, is a notably emo-inflected take on the beloved Cranberries hit.
“93PUNX is a band I created to express things outside of rap,” Mensa said in a statement.
“We connected to ‘Zombie’ because we were born from violence. RIP Dolores.”
Check out his reworking of the song below.
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