Metallica's landmark 1991 self-titled album aka the Black Album turns 35 Wednesday. The RIAA-certified double Diamond record is credited with bringing metal to the masses with the singles "Enter Sandman," "Nothing Else Matters," "The Unforgiven," "Sad but True" and "Wherever I May Roam," and influencing countless heavy bands to come.
The Warning is very much one of those bands. The sister trio of lead vocalist and guitarist Daniela "Dany" Villarreal, drummer Paulina "Pau" Villarreal and bassist Alejandra "Ale" Villarreal put themselves on the map with a 2014 viral cover of "Enter Sandman," which was recorded when the members were 14, 12 and 9 years old.
"It's such an integral part of our journey," Pau tells ABC Audio of "Enter Sandman." "It was one of the first songs we ever played together as a band."
Over a decade later, The Warning is preparing to release their fifth album, Everything's Falling, on Aug. 28. As The Warning continues on with their own career, including earning a top-five hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with lead Everything's Falling single "Kerosene," the band members feel that they've contributed to the ever-growing legacy of the Black Album.
"When we started playing 'Enter Sandman,' the album wasn't exactly new, but it gave life to a new band and new generation of ... rock," Pau says. "It's very special to see how that album will keep inspiring other people to do what they do."
The Warning's interpretation of "Enter Sandman" has continued to evolve, too. They teamed up with singer Alessia Cara for a joint cover on the 2021 Metallica Blacklist compilation, and performed it with a string arrangement for a 2023 concert in Mexico City.
Dany points to the version with Cara as an example of how "music can connect us all in such different ways."
"We just came together for this song to celebrate it, and it became something different and beautiful at the same time," Dany says.