I only really followed Tori during the Eric years. Which was Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, and Boys for Pele. She's had many LP's since then.
(Here's the part you can skip because you won't really care.)
Tori had a boyfriend named Eric who was also her producer. He produced the "sound" on those LP's and chose most of the tracks that would appear, and not appear on them. The production values are interesting (Scottish War Drums in Father, Speaking Voices in Girl, etc), and the material is approachable.
But after Little Earthquakes, things got a little bit wonky in their relationship, and Tori stopped being approachable. For instance, in Little Earthquakes there's a song called Crucify that is just about guilt. It's cut and dry. Everyone can relate to guilt.
But on Under the Pink, you may known the song, "Cornflake Girl". This song was popular because Tori goes to town on the piano like a maniac. But what the fuck is the song about? Here's the wiki on it...
"The inspiration for "Cornflake Girl" came from
Alice Walker's
novel Possessing the Secret of Joy, about a young
African woman going through the ritual of
female genital cutting.
Amos was angered by the idea that a mother could subject her daughter
to such a brutal act, and the song arose as an exploration of the idea
of betrayal between women. In the song two factions of women are
referred to: the "Raisin Girls" are "multicultural" and open-minded,
while the "Cornflake Girls" of the title are "narrowminded and full of
prejudice"."
Ok... Uh... Huh... Sure. Luckily not all the songs were like that and Eric still held court over most of the selections. And she did a song with Trent Reznor.
By Boys for Pele, she had left Eric, but wrote songs about the various men in her life. They were all named after Gods. So "Hey Jupiter" was about Eric. And she had a mild hit with Tulala which was in that Twister movie. Most of the material here was unapproachable, but the Dakota mix of Hey Jupiter was so fucking good, it was worth buying the LP and the EP for it.
After that it went downhill. Tori moved to England, got married, and started a phase of writing more and more complicated material that didn't have any rational meaning. She's still a talented artist, but she chooses to write stuff that is impersonal and more narrative and I think music is a personal thing. Without the personality in it, it becomes lifeless and dull. And I think that has happened to her music.
So Tori doing a Slayer cover, or an Eminem cover doesn't surprise me. She's just doing it to be "interesting" but not really personal or approachable. And she lost me as a fan because of that.
If you've never listened, and have any interest at all in it. I suggest you get a copy of Little Earthquakes. Her debut is still her best work. But make sure you like gifted female piano playing singers before you check it out. If you're a guy that likes Buckethead, there is nothing here for you.
Peace
K