Metalocalypse
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Added by ImNathanExplosionFromDethklokAt San Diego Comic Con 2008 Tommy Blacha confirmed that the show would be renewed for a third season.[2].
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Overview
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Metalocalypse parodies other "band" and supernatural programs, combining dark comedy and Apocalyptic intrigue in following the exploits of the part-American/part-Scandinavian death metal band Dethklok. The band enjoys a popularity level unheard of in reality, ranking as the seventh largest economy on Earth. They are so popular that impressionable fans will often do anything their songs tell them, even if it means death, which is usually the case. If Dethklok endorses a product or service, it quickly drives every competitor out of business. Part of the show's appeal is also high-quality metal music written by guitarist/creator Brendon Small and others, which is accredited to the band, and is featured in most episodes including actual guitar-fingerings and other band-movements of the characters.
Employed by Dethklok are the "Klokateers," a devoted army of black-hooded employees willing to die or commit heinous acts for the sake of the band. The band's monumental wealth and popularity allows them to get away with and avoid responsibility for just about anything. The band members reside together in a vast mansion called Mordhaus, German for murder house, upon an expansive, privately-owned property known as Mordland.
The term "Metalocalypse" refers to a mystical prophecy relating to a worldwide Apocalyptic event, which the band is predicted to usher in via their Metal music and reckless and frivolous association of evil Underworld forces in their music and lifestyle; however the band is, naturally, utterly clueless to the Metalocalypse (along with most other things, other than their own shallow greed and comfort); however this mystical underworld influence also apparently relates to their uncanny ability to command worldwide attention and effortlessly influence masses of people.
In accordance with this prophecy, the band members indirectly cause death and bad luck to those near them, severe weather phenomena, and paranormal anomalies through the live performance of their music. As a result of this, the band's concerts are notoriously violent, often resulting in the physical injury and death of most or all of the crowd. Even their attempts at charity result in tens of thousands of deaths, such as when a laser light show, which was actually a Soviet laser-based weapon, butchered the entire London Philharmonic Orchestra during a benefit concert, and an attack on an entire island population by "wayward kitties."
The premiere episode gives an example of this: a giant metal box that serves as the band's stage, is airlifted and parachuted onto location, but misses the landing area and crushes much of the audience, both by virtue of its landing and by its subsequent opening. Several searing hot coffee and cream pitchers are also deliberately poured on the crowd by the band's special-effects team, burning the crowd's skin off (to fit with the "face-melting" guitar solo in the death metal-styled coffee jingle being played by the band). Despite the obvious danger, people love Dethklok's concerts so much that they will sign "pain waivers" at the entrance, signing their lives away and releasing the band from legal liability in the very likely case they are killed or maimed.
The band's unnatural popularity and trail of destruction has attracted the attention of an Illuminati-style group, known as The Tribunal, which is dedicated to monitoring Dethklok's activity and preventing them from becoming too powerful; typically, episodes involve the Tribunal attempting to maintain and perpetuate public ignorance and rampant consumerism whenever Dethklok's antics inadvertently threaten to upset it. The Tribunal is led by a demonic supernatural character of human-like appearance named "Mr. Selatcia," and works off the premise that Dethklok's unusual powers are the result of the "Metalocalypse" prophecy; one of the Tribunal leaders, General Crozier, wants to kill the band immediately to stop the evil, but is constantly held back by Selatcia from doing so-- and Tribunal-members later incur his unholy wrath by disobeying. Most episodes show the Tribunal group attempting to covertly thwart the band by calling in various "specialists," such as "military pharmaceutical psychotropic drug manufacturers," "celebrity depression experts," or various legally compromised characters who attempt to infiltrate the group.
The members of Dethklok are portrayed as generally sociopathic and inept in all things non-musical except for negotiating their own contracts. They have an unconcerned, apathetic and often oblivious attitude toward the violence that occurs around them-- and are even approving or artistically pleased whenever death or mayhem occurs, in that the band members share an obsession with the dark and morbid, often choosing whether or not to do something based on how "brutal" or "metal" they believe it to be. The band also show a great love of money and are wasteful and unappreciative with material possessions. The episode "Fatklok" shows the band performing a variety of charitable acts in order to avoid paying taxes. Similarly, in the episode "Murdering Outside the Box," the band is shown to care very little about how they spend the money just as long as they have it, with Nathan Explosion emptying a bag of expensive watches onto a table and smashing them, yet subsequently screaming when he discovers someone is embezzling from the band. All members of the group suffer from extreme alcoholism, and references to drug use are not uncommon; Pickles is the most notorious of these, being revealed as immune to even the most heinous psychotropic drugs from his perpetual drug abuse.
Despite the band's immense success and talent, all of the members have self-esteem issues which manifest through various behaviors and surface to varying degrees during the show. All members are also shown to have repressed issues with their families which greatly affect their emotional state and psychological health, and which drives their underlying "creative rage" which they express through their Metal music. They all display a discomfort with emotional intimacy and maintain a repressed loathing for each other through the use of insulting comments and demeaning jokes. Despite their difficulty in admitting they are even friends, the members of Dethklok do care for one another in their own disturbed way, and are shown to have an insular and notably codependent relationship with each other, rarely spending time apart or making decisions on their own, and feeling jealous and threatened by other people in each other's lives. Scandinavian guitarists Toki and Skwisgaar share an incredibly dysfunctional brotherly rivalry, and have a distinctively sarcastic manner of bickering with each other throughout the series, although they appear to have a particular friendship amongst the band members.
The utterly clueless band functions only because it is managed by an apparently clean-cut, ordinary-looking businessman named Charles Foster Ofdensen, who lives with the band in Mordhaus. Apart from operating as Dethklok's manager, Ofdensen also serves as their sole business and legal counsel, and as the Chief Financial Officer of their organization. As the "brains" behind the band, Ofdensen operates in an understated, business-like manner, being a small, slight man dressed in an unassuming business suit, red tie and steel-framed glasses; he is remarkably patient and professional when dealing with Dethklok despite their ignorance and frequent rudeness toward him, apparently tolerating their "artistic eccentricity"-- as well as in deference to their immense wealth and market-value. The band thinks that he only handles their business, legal matters, and public relations; however, he is also seemingly a ruthlessly pragmatic "big business" character who unfailingly protects the band from the Tribunal and others-- often giving specific orders to assault, torture, and kill those who threaten Dethklok with no hesitation or remorse; he is revealed as being absolutely ruthless in protecting the band, achieving seemingly-impossible feats (such as obtaining a nuclear submarine to fulfill the band's "eccentric" artistic recording-demands), or ordering espionage, paramilitary engagements, torture, murder, and even personally engaging in brutal combat-- seemingly using any means necessary to protect his "investment" without a second thought. However while Ofdensen appears simply to be acting only out of a pragmatic business interest, the show hints that he also may have some supernatural nature tied in with ensuring the onset of the "Metalocalypse".
It is unknown how Ofdensen spends the band's income, in addition to operating-costs and legal-expenses; he is stated to give them each $100,000/week as "spending money," which equates to $25 million/year for all of the band-members; however the band's income is likewise stated to be above the GNP of Belgium, indicating that the band annually earns over $350 billion/year-- well over 10,000 times their yearly "spending-allowance." It is hinted that Ofdensen may have some "secret plans" for this immense wealth, which he carefully hides and protects in a safe in his office; the Tribunal likewise apparently obtains these in "DethClown," where Gen. Krozier is seen looking them over in the final second of footage (though these may be falsified by Ofdensen, since he deliberately allows Dr. Rockzo to escape with the secret files in order to lead him to the Tribunal).
Series developmentEdit
As Home Movies had ended its run in 2004, Brendon Small started hanging out with writer friend Tommy Blacha. They went to metal shows around the same time they were both trying to pitch shows to different networks. This was how they came up with the idea of doing a show about a metal band that was 100 times more popular than The Beatles. They came up with the storyline, wrote a theme song and had friend Jon Schnepp design the characters. The series was originally called Deathclock, but the name could not be used due to an existing trademark. The show and the main characters' band were then renamed Dethklok. The show's title was then extended to Dethklok Metalocalypse, although the starring band still retained the name Dethklok. The title was finally shortened to Metalocalypse because the extended show title was too complicated. They pitched the show to Adult Swim, which was greenlighted in 2005 with a 20-episode contract.[3] [4][5]
CharactersEdit
Voice castEdit
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Brendon Small | Nathan Explosion Skwisgaar Skwigelf Pickles the Drummer Charles Foster Ofdensen Various characters |
| Tommy Blacha | Toki Wartooth William Murderface Dr. Rockso Various characters |
| Mark Hamill | Senator Stampingston Mr. Selatcia Jean-Pierre News Anchor Various characters |
| Victor Brandt | General Crozier Cardinal Ravenwood News Anchor Various characters |
| Malcolm McDowell | Vater Orlaag News Anchor Various characters |
Guest starsEdit
- Laraine Newman ("The Curse of Dethklok") – "News Reporter," "Grandma," "GMILF," ("Dethfam") – "Rose Explosion", "Pickles' Mom," "Skwisgaar's Mom" ("Deth Wedding") - "Pickles' Mom" ("P.R. Klok") - "Liz Bane" ("Dethcarraldo") - "Nathan's Grandma" ("Klokblocked") - "Celebrity Gossip Show Host"
- Jon Schnepp ("Birthdayface) - "Dr. Gibbits," ("Skwisklok") – "Video Director," ("Dethrace") - "Dr. Gibbits"
- Laura Silverman ("Girlfriendklok") – "Rebecca Nightrod," ("Dethstars")
- Andy Richter ("Dethstars") – "J.F. Amarth"
- Richard Christy ("Dethgov") - "Governor Kip Slaughter"
- Brian Posehn ("Dethsources") - "Melward Fjordslorn"
Musician cameosEdit
| Guest | of... | Episode | Character(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Amott | Arch Enemy Carcass | 109: Snakes 'n' Barrels 216/217: Snakes 'n' Barrrels II | Antonio Tony DiMarco Thunderbottom |
| Emilie Autumn | Emilie Autumn | 110: Fat Kid at the Dethharmonic | (Performed all violins) |
| Warrel Dane | Nevermore | 109: Snakes 'n' Barrels 216/217: Snakes n' Barrels II | Sammy Candynose Twinskins |
| King Diamond | King Diamond Mercyful Fate | 111: Skwisklok 112: Murdering Outside the Box 113: Go Forth and Die 114: Bluesklok | Ronald von Monoldburg Employee 421 Dimmu Burger manager The Devil |
| George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher | Cannibal Corpse Paths of Possession ex-Monstrosity | 113: Go Forth and Die 114: Bluesklok 115: Dethkids 120: The Metalocalypse Has Begun 203: Dethvengeance 212: The Revengencers 219/220: Black Fire Upon Us | Dimmu Burger customer Depressed Fool's Cap Hippie Football Player Metal-Masked Assassin |
| Marty Friedman | ex-Cacophony ex-Hawaii ex-Megadeth | 211: Dethrace | Mr. Gojira |
| Angela Gossow | Arch Enemy | 213: Klokblocked 219/220: Black Fire Upon Us | Lavona Succuboso |
| Kirk Hammett | Metallica ex-Exodus | 101: The Curse of Dethklok 103: Birthdayface/Happy Dethday 104: Dethtroll | Two-Fingered Fan The Queen of Denmark Barkeep |
| James Hetfield | Metallica | 101: The Curse of Dethklok 103: Birthdayface/Happy Dethday 104: Dethtroll 106: Dethkomedy 201: Dethecution | Goat Sniper Mustakrakish Lorkey the Sailor Inmate |
| Gene Hoglan | Death Dark Angel Strapping Young Lad Testament Dethklok | 214: Dethsources | Health Inspector |
| ICS Vortex | Dimmu Borgir Arcturus ex-Borknagar | 204: Dethdoubles 207: Dethwedding 209: Dethcarraldo | Nathan's Double Seth's other friend (unknown) |
| Ihsahn | Emperor | 205: Dethfashion | Eric von Weichlinghammer |
| Mike Keneally | Dethklok ex-Ulver ex-Steve Vai ex-Frank Zappa | 201: Dethecution | Comdemned Prisoners & Barbecue Dad |
| Jeff Loomis | Nevermore | 108: Performance Klok | Murderface's Dad |
| Mike Patton | Faith No More Mr. Bungle Tomahawk Lovage Fantômas The Dillinger Escape Plan Peeping Tom | 216/217 Snakes 'n' Barrels II | Rikki Kixx |
| Samoth | Emperor Zyklon | 205: Dethfashion | von Weichlinghammer's Assistant |
| Silenoz | Dimmu Borgir | 201: Dethecution 207: Dethwedding 209: Dethcarraldo | Aftermath Person with No Arms Seth's Friend (unknown) |
| Steve Smyth | Nevermore | 109: Snakes 'n' Barrels 216/217: Snakes n' Barrels II | Snizzy Snazz Bullets |
| Trym Torson | Emperor Zyklon | 205: Dethfashion | von Weichlinghammer's assistant |
| Devin Townsend | ex-Devin Townsend Band ex-Steve Vai ex-Strapping Young Lad ex-Wildhearts | 206: Cleanzo 207: Deathwedding 208: P.R. Klok | Bink Bonk Blammymatazz Dr. Mil-miniman Lanillim Swimwamly Zit-faced Fan |
| War of Apocalyptic Visions | Metalocalypse TV commercial | (Guest vocals) |
The DethalbumEdit
Template:Main The Dethalbum was released on September 25, 2007, in both standard and deluxe editions. The album is a combination of full length tracks from the series and completely new songs. The album debuted at #21 on the Billboard 200 chart with 33,741 copies sold in its first week.[6] The Dethalbum was also streamed 45,000 times when it went live on AOL Music during the week of its release.
EndorsementsEdit
Dethklok, the in-show band, also endorses several real-world music products, including Krank Amplification, Gibson guitars, EMG pickups, David Eden Amplification, Universal Audio, M-Audio, Dunlop Manufacturing/MXR, and Line 6 gear. On Dethklok's MySpace page, an entry attributed to Nathan Explosion announced that the band was making a real album, called The Dethalbum, featuring drummer Gene Hoglan; it was released on September 25th, 2007 in both standard and deluxe (two-disc) versions. The Dethalbum features songs from the show in full length, rather than the shortened versions released via the band's MySpace page. The Dethalbum also features never-before heard songs. One of these songs, titled "Hatredcopter", can be found on the European release of the Saw III soundtrack. According to the official Dethklok MySpace, the Gibson Guitar Corporation was also planning on making a Dethklok signature guitar. Shocker Toys made small inarticulated figures of the band, and will soon be releasing 5.5" articulated versions. The song "Thunderhorse" is featured in the game Guitar Hero II by Harmonix and Red Octane as a bonus song. During the 2008 Winter NAMM convention in the U.S., Epiphone displayed a custom signature Explorer guitar.
Touring historyEdit
Dethklok does have a touring band, although there are no actual human counterparts to the characters on the show. The band consists of show co-creator, vocalist & lead guitarist Brendon Small, who writes & sings most of the music for the show, alongside drummer Gene Hoglan, bassist Bryan Beller, and rhythm guitarist Mike Keneally. Dethklok toured with Chimaira and Soilent Green during June and early July 2008.
DVD releaseEdit
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | October 2 2007 | 20 |
Disc One
|
| Season 2 | December 2 2008[7] | 20 |
Disc One
Disc Two
|
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Metalocalypse on Adult Swim
- Metalocalypse Game - Deth Toll on Adult Swim UK
- IGN Interview with Dethklok
- Synthesis Radio interview with Brendon Small
- Metalist Israel Interview with Dethklok
- Synthesis Radio interview with Tommy Blacha
- MP3 audio interview with Brendon Small
- Brendon Small's website
- Gearwire interview with Brendon Small on creating Dethklok music
- Metalocalypse Central
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