Blog Entry #5: Metalocalypse: The Ultimate Metal Experience

(Dethklok, from left to right: William Murderface, Sqwisgaar Sqwigelf, Nathan Explosion, Pickles the drummer, and Toki Wartooth)

Metalocalypse is an animated television show created by Brendon Small on Adult Swim that focuses around the larger than life band, Dethklok. Dethklok is a death metal band, the seventh largest economy on the planet, and a parody of heavy metal culture. Metalocalypse is a largely exaggerated portrayal of heavy metal and its subculture, a perfect example of Manowar’s notion of “Die for Metal.” Dethklok is made up of vocalist Nathan Explosion, the Swedish guitar god Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Norwegian rhythm guitarist Toki Wartooth, Pickles the drummer, and bassist William Murderface.

In the show, Dethklok is more than just a death metal band. Their album sales, music, and actions control world economies and often have devastating effects on the world. Fans travel across the world just to witness their performances, each of which reach a magnitude of metal that can only be dreamed of, and are often killed or brutally mutilated in the process, which in this metal world merely adds to the experience of Dethklok’s performances and gives fans “souvenirs” to show off to other fans. In one episode, fans travel to a dormant volcano in Sumatra just to see Dethklok perform a coffee jingle while the world’s largest cup of coffee is brewed inside the mouth of the volcano. Of course this all goes terribly wrong and the “dormant” volcano erupts, killing most of the fans and leaving others horribly disfigured.

Metalocalypse also emphasizes the grotesque, gory themes of metal. Almost every episode shows gruesome scenes of people being killed, tortured, decapitated, shot, you name it. In another episode, Dethklok decide to create their own clothing line to make clothes metal, “both literally and figuratively.” At the end of the episode, they walk in on their designer skinning humans to make the leather for their clothes. Brendon Small certainly doesn’t ignore the side of metal obsessed with death and gore.

Metalocalypse frequently calls into question what it means to be “metal.” Dethklok has to keep up their appearance as the ultimate death metal band, and they do it in many ways. They perform epic live performances to millions of fans (and even fish in one episode) on a massive scale. They hate money and capitalism and at one show, they shoot giant balls filled with millions of dollars into the air and blow them up for spectacle. They hate authority and have problems listening to even their agent, Charles Foster Offdensen, who pulls them out of countless fixes. In one episode, Murderface has a near-death experience and decides he wants to find religion, only to come to the conclusion that they are all the same and that he cannot handle the structure of organized religion, even in the Church of Satan. As I mentioned before, death is a constant theme in Metalocalypse. At another show, Dethklok is given the opportunity to decide how a bunch of death row inmates will be executed. Again this show goes wrong, and Dethklok accidentally breaks down a prison wall, freeing all the prisoners who then go on a murderous rampage. They attach the inmates to rockets and detonate them in midair as visual effects for their performance. Metalocalypse also references metal’s precursor, the Blues, in an episode where Dethklok turns to the blues to cure a severe depression that the band members fall into. There is even a mystical committee, called the Tribunal, who monitors Dethklok and discussed their activities and some of the threats that they may pose to the world. Members of the Tribunal include a military general, a priest, and a few other members. The head of the Tribunal is Mr. Selatcia, a mysterious old man with telekinetic powers and a murky past.

While Metalocalypse reinforces a lot of the themes of metal, they parody many of them as well. In one episode, Dethklok does a commercial for a European gum manufacturer and after being accused of selling out decide they need to get back to their roots. They poke fun at the heavy use of drugs by musicians as well with a character called Dr. Rockzo, the rock and roll clown. He always introduces himself the same way: “I’m Dr. Rockzo, the rock and roll clown. I do cocaine!” He used to be a member of a band and requested that he be paid in cocaine. Eventually things turned sour as his drug use caught up with him. He was fired from his band and eventually broke into a military facility and stole a large quantity of cocaine to satisfy his addiction. Metalocalypse also references the role of masculinity in metal in many episodes by portraying characters as warriors and soldiers. Charles Offdensen not only saves Dethklok financially many times, but this suit-and-tie-clad businessman also defends Dethklok in battle many times as well.

Metalocalypse is both a tribute to and a parody of heavy metal. They draw attention to many of the themes of heavy metal and exaggerate them to emphasize their prevalence in the genre and add comedy to it. It is an animated comedy by a fan of metal that is designed to honor the genre, but also point out its many faces.

Blog Entry #4: Metal vs. Punk – Why Can’t We Be Friends?

The debate has raged for decades: which is better, heavy metal or punk? Metal fans will tell you that metal is better because of the superior level of musicianship, longer, more epic songs, and more elaborate shows and criticize punk for its talentless musicians and elitist attitude, while punk fans will tell you that punk is faster music without all the bullshit and that bands are more driven by their fans than by money and fame. They would criticize metal’s arena-sized shows, unsophisticated messages, and its longer, more drawn out songs. A punk watching a live performance of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” would probably be thinking “Get on with it!” as Jimmy Page strums his guitar with a violin bow for four bloody minutes before the song finally picks up. Similarly, a metalhead at a Sex Pistols concert would probably yell at Steve Jones to “learn to play your fucking guitar! There’s more than three bloody chords you talentless punk.”

Metal fans and punk fans for the most part hate each other’s guts. In many instances the debate between the two has gotten very heated and even violent, especially in the late ‘70s when punk was in its heyday and metal was being revived by the new wave of British heavy metal. While there are a lot of differences between these two genres, they do share some important similarities. Both genres are characterized by highly energetic music, both pander to the rebellious nature of their fans, and both developed in response to the naïve, peace-loving counterculture. Ironically, the new wave of British heavy metal actually got its roots from punk. It started out as a transition from punk music to a new breed of heavy metal with some of the musical qualities that were present in punk. New bands, like Iron Maiden, ignored the labels’ encouragement to turn punk and developed this new style. If you listen to Iron Maiden’s first studio album, “Iron Maiden,” you can hear the similarities between the two.

I am one of a rare group who looks past this disagreement between genres and listens to both heavy metal and punk music. So, as a fan of both genres, what is it that I like about each genre and what differences are there between them that I like? First off, I will admit that I am a bit more partial to heavy metal than punk. I love heavy metal’s dark themes, sick musicians, grand presentation, its heavy reinforcement of masculine stereotypes, and long, epic stories, but I also like the fast, quick songs and sarcastic, satirical nature of punk. Bands like Iron Maiden make me want to walk circles around my room as I beat the air with my fists and scream along with the vocals, but bands like the Ramones can occasionally make me laugh while I am screaming and beating the air. Metal is much more serious, and I like that. Except for bands like Gwar, metal is almost always dark, demonic, and packed with adrenaline. Punk on the other hand has a bit more of a sense of humor. Its themes are still very serious, but it presents them in a very sarcastic manner. The Ramones’ song, “We’re A Happy Family,” is all about a dysfunctional family and is full of comical references: “We ain’t got no friends / Our troubles never end / No Christmas cards to send / Daddy likes men.” Metal puts a smile on my face with the energy it gives off and punk puts a smile on my face with its sarcastic messages.

Blog Entry #3: Paschendale: A Review of One of Iron Maiden’s War-Based Epics

Paschendale was written by Adrian Smith and Steve Harris and was released on Iron Maiden’s 13^th album, “Dance of Death” in 2003. It tells the story of a young, British soldier in World War I fighting in the Battle of Passchendaele, a brutal example of the ineffectiveness and deadly nature of trench warfare.

Paschendale begins with Nicko McBrain, the drummer, rhythmically tapping on the hi-hat, reminiscent of the sounds of Morse Code that were used to communicate on the battlefields in World War I.  Next, Bruce Dickinson comes in with some softly sung vocals introducing the soldier, now on his deathbed, that the song follows before it enters into a series of heavy riffs by Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers with Bruce belting out vocals detailing the grim nature of trench warfare: “Laying low in a blood-filled trench / Killing time ‘til my very own death / On my face I can feel the falling rain / Never see my friends again / In the smoke, in the mud and lead / The smell of fear and the feeling of dread / Soon be time to go over the wall / Rapid fire and the end of us all.” After a second verse furthers this imagery, Paschendale moves into its chorus: a series of two lines, backed by scores from a symphonic orchestra, reproducing the combatting thoughts of a soldier in war praying to survive, but knowing that death is almost a certainty: “Home, far away, from the war, a chance to live again / Home, far away, but the war, no chance to live again.” By changing only two words, Smith and Harris are able to show the contrast between these two opposing thoughts. After, Bruce continues to detail the horrors that the soldier has witnessed, all the while building up to the guitar solo, or rather solos. An eagle screeches overhead, and the music softens. Nicko’s code-like tapping on the hi-hat resumes, and a quick riff chimes in. Then Dave Murray’s guitar screeches into the song with a fast and frantic guitar solo before he turns it over to Adrian Smith to continue the epic solo. Bruce cuts in with another verse, backed again by the epic scores of a symphonic orchestra, before Janick Gers takes over for a third part to the solo. Dave, Adrian, and Janick each play with their own style, but all three of their solos are played fast, furiously, and up and down the lower part of the fret board, throwing their listeners into the mindset of the soldier right as he goes over the wall and charges his enemy. This energy continues as Bruce returns now telling of the soldier’s death in this daring, but futile charge and then erupts back into the chorus, this time repeating it twice to further remind us of a soldier’s often unanswered desire to return home and “live” once more. The music cuts out, and Nicko’s hi-hat returns once more before Bruce softly sings the final verse about the soldier’s soul rejoining those of his fallen comrades and enemies to finally rest in peace.

This song is not Iron Maiden’s first war-based epic. The Trooper and Aces High also tell stories of soldiers in battle, the first of the valiant charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava that was recounted in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” and the second of British RAF pilots fighting against the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Paschendale brings an augmented sense of epicness to their war-based theme. Iron Maiden are masters at using their music and lyrics to portray the feeling of war and the thoughts of soldiers as they fight for their lives in horrific circumstances, and Paschendale is their best effort at it yet.

Link to Paschendale on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c20-fm_WNew
Paschendale lyrics: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Paschendale-lyrics-Iron-Maiden/91512C01863BE9D048256D3C000DCFF3

Blog Entry #2: “Sanctuary”: Eddie the Head’s First Appearance with Iron Maiden

The single album, “Sanctuary,” was released by Iron Maiden on the 23^rd of March in 1980. Sanctuary was one of the band’s earliest hits and was featured on Iron Maiden’s first album, the self-titled “Iron Maiden,” the following month. The release of this single album not only introduced a new song by this up-and-coming band but also introduced a new member to the band who has been with them ever since: Eddie the Head.

The album artwork for “Sanctuary” was the first ever representation of the band’s now famous mascot, Eddie. Eddie was created by Derek Riggs as a representation of the ultimate headbanger. He usually appears in the form of a murderous, corpse-like figure. Iron Maiden came across Derek Riggs’ work and commissioned him to create the cover for “Sanctuary” in 1980 (Waksman 196-7). His creation became recognized as controversial due to the grave image it portrayed. The album portrays Eddie the Head with a blood-soaked knife standing crouched in battle stance over the dead body of a woman, caught in the act of tearing down a poster advertising a live show by the band, Iron Maiden (Waksman 195). The woman was none other than Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister of Britain at the time. With the opening line of the title track, “I’ve never killed a woman before, but I know how it feels,” in mind, Riggs originally drew Eddie’s victim as another woman, but Iron Maiden wanted it to be changed to the image of Margaret Thatcher as a play on her nickname, the “iron maiden.” This sparked quite a controversy and early copies were distributed with a black box over the eyes of Margaret Thatcher due to the offensive nature of the graphic. Thus was the introduction of Eddie, the psychopathic, murderous, corpse-like, mascot of Iron Maiden.

Since Eddie’s first appearance on “Sanctuary,” Eddie has become a huge player in Iron Maiden. Eddie has appeared on every Iron Maiden album released since this single album in some shape or form, each more terrifying than the last. Eddie’s most recent appearance was as a battle-wounded alien in Iron Maiden’s newest album, “The Final Frontier.” Near the end of every live show, Iron Maiden rallies their audience to summon up Eddie, and Eddie takes to the stage to cause chaos and rock out with the band and audience.

Blog Entry #1

                I was introduced to metal when I was young. To be honest I don’t remember when that exactly was, but it was not until about a year ago that my interests in metal truly started to mature.

I am an avid fan of Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, and one of my favorite shows is Metalocalypse, an animated show about a metal band that dominates the world through their immense level of popularity. Because of this show, I started to listen to metal more frequently, and for Christmas last year, I got an Iron Maiden CD (which I picked out over a Metalocalypse CD), consisting of live recordings of songs from their Flight 666 Tour, and immediately took to it. For the next six months I listened to almost nothing else. The summer after, I saw them in concert, bought a couple more CD’s of theirs, and before I knew it, I had all of their material, with the exception of some of the songs they did with Blaze Bayley after Bruce Dickinson left to start a solo career.

I loved the larger than life aspect of the band. In Metalocalypse, people travel across the earth just to see the band and most fans die gruesome deaths doing so. They were willing to die for metal, and even though I knew that this was a cartoon and nothing in real life was actually like that, I saw similar aspects in the presentation of Iron Maiden through videos of concerts on YouTube. Iron Maiden was all about playing ill music and putting on an awesome, and I mean awesome, show for its fans. I absolutely loved it!

                Later I became interested in other metal bands, like Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Motorhead, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and many others. My newly revived interest in metal also revived my interest in punk. I have recently become a fan of the Ramones, and beforehand, I liked music by Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the Sex Pistols, and a cousin of mine got me into the Clash, which may seem odd given my interest in metal.

I never gave it much thought that metal and punk music were all that different; I just knew that I liked both of them. I saw both as adrenaline-driven, fast, heavy music that you could not help but head-bang to. However, recently, I have noticed many differences in the styles of these two genres of music.

One of the things I love about metal is the sheer epicness of songs, specifically in the case of Iron Maiden. Songs like The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Paschendale, and Dance of Death all tell awesome stories in long, epic formats filled with awesome imagery, sick riffs, and gnarly guitar solos. Punk music doesn’t do that. It’s pretty rare to find a punk song that is longer than four minutes if you can even find one that long. The longest song of the 23 Ramones songs that I have is 3 minutes and 20 seconds, which pales in comparison to the 13 minutes of song that is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Another major difference is the role of instruments in the two genres. In metal, there is a much higher level of skill involved in the instrumentals. Iron Maiden has three guitarists, all of whom are excellent guitarists. The Ramones on the other hand are fast, loud, and less talented, but that works for them. They sound sick and put on a great show. They don’t need as high a level of artistic ability to please their fans.

Regardless, I am excited to be a part of this class and cannot wait to learn more about the evolutions of metal and punk music and the subcultures that surround them and develop my critical understanding of these genres.