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.