Reader Requested Post: Dethklok

I recently requested reader recommendations for posts. I got a decent-sized response and I will try to get to most of them. Just bear with me. I will start off with one that I have considered for a little while. This is a request from Kelly from Full Metal Attorney

Ah yes, Dethklok. For the uninitiated, Dethklok is the cartoon band in the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse. God, I hope I spelled that correctly. I am by no means a fan of the show, but I have seen it on several occasions. I am also well aware of the backlash against the show and, in particular, the fact that Dethklok has released two actual albums. The show was created by Brendon Small, who was also the creator of the show Home Movies, also on Adult Swim.

The show is meant as a parody of heavy metal. I think that's where a lot of metalheads get upset. It's lampooning their genre and then has the gall to release albums that people actually buy. But the fact is, Small is very clearly a fan of heavy metal. He also plays most of the instruments and sings on the albums. Gene Hoglan of Forbidden and several other bands does supply the drums. While the humor is obviously silly and violent, there are several metal in-jokes. From the fictional members vaguely resembling actual metal musicians, cameo appearances from the likes of Kirk Hammett, King Diamond, Ihsahn, and others, to the use of names like Crystal Mountain Records and Dimmu Burger, it's clear Small knows what he's doing.

The show is a lot like This is Spinal Tap, in that it is poking fun at metal and the stereotypes of metalheads. There really is nothing wrong with this if it is done well. I guess that's the issue though. A lot of people believe This is Spinal Tap was done well. Metalocalypse has not reached that level of acceptance.

As for the music, I am only vaguely familiar with a couple of songs. It seems to be mostly bland, but competent melodic death metal. The riffs are not mind-blowing, or really all that memorable, but Small does a decent enough job. The vocals are typically delivered in a deep, guttural grunt and are sometimes difficult to make out. It's inoffensive and safe music. The lyrics aren't obviously. Maybe if the music were better, metalheads would like it more. I don't know.

Dethklok doesn't really have all that much affect on me. I can see some of the humor, but I don't watch the show often enough to be interested in it all that much. Some people are offended because they believe that the show will cause people to look down on metalheads. Time to wake up, they already do. They don't need a cartoon to have a bad impression of us. Ultimately, if the show brings in some younger people into the world of real metal, then Brendon Small has done his job.