Sershen&Zaritskaya – Barracuda (Heart cover) live from Kaska Records

A Classic Recharged in a Live Studio Take

In this live-in-studio rendition of Heart’s Barracuda, Sershen&Zaritskaya step into one of hard rock’s most iconic frameworks and deliver a performance built on precision, muscle and respect for the source. Captured at Kaska Records and fronted by vocalist Daria Zaritskaya with guitarist and producer Sergey Sershen, the quartet leans into the original’s battle-ready riff and soaring vocal lines, letting the song’s core mechanics and message do the heavy lifting.

Why Barracuda Still Bites

First released in 1977 as the lead single from Heart’s second album, Little Queen, Barracuda spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 11. It has since embedded itself in rock culture, from its inclusion in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in 2007 to being ranked among VH1’s all-time hard rock staples in 2009. Lyrically, the song zeroes in on anger and defiance. Ann Wilson has described how a crude, sensationalized publicity stunt around the band provoked the lyrics, which crystalize her fury into a pointed narrative about exploitation and industry misogyny. That undercurrent of confrontation has always fueled the song’s voltage, and it remains the emotional center that modern performers must meet head-on.

The Kaska Records Performance

Recorded live at Kaska Records, this version favors the immediacy of a band in a room. There is no crowd noise and no theatrical excess, just four musicians locking to a brisk tempo and the taut gallop that defines the track. The arrangement stays true to the original structure: the clipped, palm-muted main riff, verses that coil with tension, a rising pre-chorus and a chorus release that clears space for the lead vocal. The breakdown and solo section arrive as a flash of agility rather than a detour, keeping momentum high and the focus on interplay.

Vocal Power with Poise

Daria Zaritskaya approaches Ann Wilson’s towering lines with a blend of grit and control. Her phrasing is direct, her vibrato measured, and she anchors high-register belts with clean intonation instead of showy embellishment. The choruses hit with a practiced surge, but it is in the song’s dynamic transitions—where she eases back to let the riff breathe, then lifts into the refrain—that her command is most apparent. She channels the original’s fury without overplaying it, letting timbre and emphasis put the point across.

Guitars, Bass and Drums in Lockstep

Sergey Sershen keeps the guitar work lean and punchy. The tone is tight, with crisp palm-muting through the verses and a slightly opened throat for the choruses. Harmonic squeals and quick slides add movement without crowding the vocal. In the solo, Sershen tracks close to the spirit of the original’s pentatonic lines and bending articulation, opting for clarity and contour over gratuitous flash.

Alex Shturmak’s bass provides the essential spine. His lines ride the pedal tone of the riff, pushing the gallop forward and reinforcing the changes with firm articulation. The result is a low end that is both supportive and percussive, a necessary partner to the guitar’s clipped attack.

On drums, Dmitry Kim delivers the engine. The kick pattern is insistent, cymbal work is sharp and well-placed, and the fills arrive with purpose at transitions. Rather than reworking the groove, he polishes it, sharpening the edges so that each chorus lands with a clean punch.

Sound and Studio Detail

Tracked at Kaska Records and finished at Sershen Music Studio, the mix emphasizes separation and impact. Vocals sit forward without stridency, guitars are centered with just enough spread to create width, and the rhythm section is rendered with punchy transients and a controlled ambience. The mastering preserves headroom, allowing the natural dynamics of a live take to come through while still feeling contemporary and assertive. It is an update in fidelity, not a rewrite in character.

Respecting the Legacy

The strength of this cover lies in the balance between fidelity and personality. Barracuda’s architecture is intact, from the percussive riff that claws forward to the taut verses and cathartic chorus. Within that frame, Sershen&Zaritskaya bring an unforced, modern precision that suits the live-room environment. The band acknowledges the song’s history and the anger driving its lyric, and they meet it with performance choices that foreground clarity, energy and cohesion.

Personnel

Vocals: Daria Zaritskaya
Guitars, mixing and mastering: Sergey Sershen
Bass: Alex Shturmak
Drums: Dmitry Kim
Recorded at: Kaska Records
Mixed and mastered at: Sershen Music Studio