Matt Heafy + Richard Marx Give '80s Ballad a Metal Makeover

Have you ever listened to a tear-jerking heart song and thought, "This could really use some blast beats"? If so, then you should probably check out the new collaboration between Trivium's Matt Heafy and '80s and '90s pop-rock vocalist Richard Marx. The pair have reworked Marx's "Right Here Waiting" and given it the heavy update you never knew you needed to hear.

Heafy started to tease the collaboration in February, revealing via Twitch that he was in the midst of a rework of the intimate love ballad (as seen below in his tweet). He later explained on the Bringing It Backwards podcast that the initial connection was made when Heafy learned Marx's son was a fan: "I saw his son was wearing a Trivium shirt, so I hit him up on social media. [He's a] super-amazing guy. We stayed in touch. One day, I [wrote to him], 'Hey, let's do a song together.' And then he texted me, 'Let's do it.' So I did a metal version of 'Right Here Waiting'. He did the vocals on it already. It's sick. Will Putney from Fit for an Autopsy is mixing the song."

As stated, it's a definite heavier version of the song with the tender ivory-tinkling piano replaced by chugging and soaring guitars, pulse-racing crushing drums and some backing gutturals from Heafy to go along with Marx's clean vocal.

"The crazy talented Matthew K Heafy of Trivium came up with an amazing metal version of my song," tweeted Marx earlier today, noting that they shared vocals on the track.

The original version of "Right Here Waiting" was the second single off Marx's second album, 1989's Repeat Offender. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks and was certified as a platinum single by the RIAA.