Centered on a quasi-fictitious death metal band Dethklok, the animated series Metalocalypse provided a sense of community for many young metalheads when it appeared as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming from 2006 to 2013. Set in a futuristic world where death metal rules the world and Dethklok reigns supreme, Metalocalypse was one of their only exposures to the broader metal world for many young metalheads — at least for those who didn't start their own bands — until they grew up and moved out of their mom's basement.
The mastermind behind Metalocalypse is Brendon Small, who has turned the project into an entertainment triumvirate: part cartoon, part recording project and part live band. As part of the "real" Dethklok, Small sings and plays guitar live, as he'll be doing when Dethklok's "Murder on a Spring Night" tour stops at the Podium on April 28. We caught up with Small to discuss the ongoing importance of Metalocalypse, the origins of some of its beloved characters, and finding salvation in heavy metal.
INLANDER: As someone who grew up on the show and metal, I've noticed just how massively important Metalocalypse and Dethklok have been to my peers. Both my partner and my bass player had beloved pets named after Toki Wartooth. Why do you think Metalocalypse has made such a lasting connection with millennials?
SMALL: You were probably like 13 to 15 or something like that [when the show came out]. And I know when I was around 13, 14, that's when I met a friend who taught me everything I needed to know about guitar and heavy metal. If I hadn't made that friend, I don't know if I would be where I am today.
We were probably four or five years out of 9/11. That really brought this country down and made us confused afterward, with the retaliation [in the Middle East] and stuff. I started noticing that metal was getting heavier and heavier. I don't know if that was a reaction to the world's confusion, fury, anger or fear. I think there needed to be some kind of controlled rage of fury, and that's what heavy metal gives us: the illusion of control through this crazy, technical, dark, evil, fast, ferocious music. It's important to have that kind of outlet.
I don't think everyone has a cool friend down the street to show them what heavy metal is or pass down Metallica and Slayer and Cannibal Corpse. If you hear [metal] at the right age, it will hit you in your pineal gland and you'll never, ever forget it.
You also truly captured the metal community with these characters. I've had times talking to a band when I realize, I'm basically talking to Dethklok, if they were real people. Were these characters, in a way, people you met at some point?
Not necessarily. Writing 101 is if you can take anything from your experience that actually happened and put it into a character or a storyline or whatever, all of a sudden, it has a pulse because you're basing it on something that is truthful in the world.
So there are some characters like Skwisgaar — I knew some Europeans from music school. They were smart artists who were just kind of just dismissive and cocky. There are a lot of musicians like that who are really good at their instruments, but not really good at being social. That's the way that celebrities work — and this is a show about celebrity-ism.
But, when I started, I realized I had to start writing music, and that would help me understand how many band members there were. After I had some music, I thought, "OK, I need guitar harmonies, because I love Iron Maiden." So there are two guitar players and obviously a drummer. And then I thought, "OK, here's the bass player, let's talk about him," So I thought about the metal I grew up on — you can't even hear the bass.
But, you can feel it, right? You said that in the Metalocalypse movie, Army of the Doomstar.
Exactly. You couldn't hear Jason Newsted on ...And Justice for All. What does it do to a person who thinks that they don't have a purpose? You start acting out and becoming a loudmouthed middle management-type trying to prove that you're important all the time. And that was just a fact: If you feel small, you act big. So that makes a lot of sense with Murderface.
For Pickles, I like guys that can play drums and sing. I like guys that are composers and drummers like Phil Collins. Toki came out of improv between my show partner Tony and I. Nathan is the quarterback of the band. We thought about Cannibal Corpse — Corpsegrinder is such a quintessential death metal frontman.
Pivoting from the TV to live music world — what can people expect if they haven't seen Dethklok live before?
I think of this as a trifecta of entertainment. One is the TV show, two is the music, and three is the live music. And I think each one of them needs to stand on their own — that's what I'm hoping for.
So if you don't know anything about TV show and you don't know anything about the records, you'll still enjoy this show. The other idea is that I want this to feel like an immersive ride, like the Terminator 2 experience at Universal Studios. You're kind of participating with a group of people watching a little bit of a story unfold, but you're ultimately going on a roller coaster ride.
There's a high-value production, and it feels like you're being entertained within an inch of your life the entire evening. That's why we have this tour with Nekrogoblikon and Dragonforce because they're both somewhat theatrical. I thought, "Let's bring some theater and some fun into this crazy, f—— up world" because I know you guys all like it.
We're kind of like the [orchestra] pit with the ballet, you know? We're performing and making contact with the audience even though we're meant to be in the shadows. You shouldn't really be seeing me physically associated with this project because I'm just a regular person. I'm not exciting. There's nothing wrong with me, but I don't want to break the spell. ♦
Dethklok, Dragonforce, Nekrogoblikon • Sun, April 28 at 7 pm • $40-$245 • All ages • The Podium • 511 W. Joe Albi Way • thepodiumusa.com
