B.R.’s hardest rockers and their golden harps

The band may never know it, but chances are somewhere Harptallica has united forever the disparate souls of a classical music aficionado and a metalhead. If Run DMC can cover Aerosmith, why not mash up metal with classical?

Graduates of New York’s Eastman School of Music make for the unlikeliest of Metallica tribute bands, but that’s just what Ashley Toman and Patricia Kline have done since 2006. Now living in Baton Rouge, the duo recorded 10 classic tracks by the ferrous L.A. band at LSU’s School of Music studio, and is touring extensively in support of the album.

Toman says their mutual appreciation for the music sparked the idea, but then soon realized some of Metallica’s electric guitar parts were tough to replicate on an acoustic harp.

“Quick chromatic notes are difficult for the harps because of the way that the pedaling system on a harp works,” she says. “It helps having the two harps on stage to do it.”

For the record, Harptallica does not head bang, but its audience is predominantly Metallica fans and guitar players eager to see the experiment. Harptallica often performs at hardcore festivals between the likes of Papa Roach and Hinder, and leaves the crowd in awe of the intensity they were able to draw from their traditionally mild instruments.

Toman and Kline balance Harptallica gigs with freelance work, playing with symphonies and teaching.

“This CD has gone way beyond our expectations,” Toman says. “We never dreamed that we would ever tour with it. We have already started to cover some Megadeth.”

Harptallica performs live at North Gate Tavern on May 22. 10:30 p.m. $8. harptallica.com