Electric 5 Shreds Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” in a Genre-bending Debut

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a conservatory string ensemble went full throttle into the world of hard rock, Electric 5 just answered.

The Chicago-based all-female electric string quintet has exploded onto the scene with a face-melting debut: a fully live, no-backing-track cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” It’s bold. It’s blistering. And it’s unlike anything in the classical crossover space right now.

With a formation of two cellos and three violins, Electric 5 throws tradition out the window, rebuilding the iconic metal track from the ground up using only electric string instruments. 

Every layer of “Enter Sandman” was meticulously arranged by hand—from the grinding cello lines that anchor the track to the harmonically rich overlays that take it into symphonic-metal territory.

The accompanying music video matches the track’s power, putting the quintet front and center in a visual spectacle that’s more arena rock than chamber music. And honestly? That’s exactly the point.

New to Electric 5’s world? Think Apocalyptica meets Evanescence, but with five string players and zero fear. They’re carving out their lane in the electric string universe—and based on this debut, they’re coming in hot.