Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

If you've never heard of Dethklok, don't worry they aren't actually a real band (even though there was a recent Dethklok tour). To describe Dethklok and Metalocalypse in the simplest terms possible; Metalocalyps is to heavy metal / speed metal / death metal what Spinal Tap was to hard rock. In short, Metalocalypse is a biting funny parody of the heavy metal scene. The show started out on the internet, and it has now found a home on the Cartoon Network under the Adult Swim section.

Who and what is Dethklok?

Dethklok is a very successful heavy metal band that is the 12 largest economy in the world. Revenues from tours, album sales and merchandising exceed that of most countries. The band lives with their lawyer/manager, Charles Ofdensen at Mordhaus, a giant castle. Most of the interior walls are lined with Krank Amps and Gibson guitars.

Nathan Explosion The band's lead singer is a huge man who never graduated high school, but he is able to write and sing songs about death and mayhem. He makes sure that the band is brutal.

Pickles the Drummer The former lead singer and guitarist for Snakes and Barrels Pickles is a drug using alcoholic who enjoys life. He is the drummer for Dethklok. His once luxurious red hair is now reduced to a few dreadlock strands which he arranges in a comb over.

William Murderface The foul mouthed self loathing bass player of the band, Murderface has very low self esteem despite being an excellent bass player. He enjoys destruction and bathroom humor.Murderface plays a Gibson Thunderbird.

Toki Wartooth Toki is from Norway and he is the second fastest guitar player in the world. He has a simple child like charm to him and is adored by children as well as death metal fans. Toki plays a Gibson Flying V.

Swisgaar Swigelf The fastest guitar player in the world plays lead guitar for Dethklok. He and Toki are best friends although he would never admit it. Swisgaar is from Sweden and he speaks in a thick Swedish accent. He carries his Gibson Explorer everywhere, even in the jacuzzi and to bed.

Charles Ofdensen Charles is a no nonsense attorney who manages the band. He is also my favorite character on the show. He is able to manage the band and keep their lifestyles from destroying their multi million dollar income stream. He looks unassuming with short hair glasses and a suit and tie, but he is not to be messed with. Since the residence of Dethklok is its own principality, Mordland, laws don't apply. If someone interferes with the band, Charles is not afraid to put the boots to them, medium style.

The Tribunal A group of men from religious, military and political power, they rule the world, but keep a close eye on Dethklok fearing that the band's immense popularity may threaten them.

Season One Episodes - Disc One Below is a list of the ten episodes on Disc One.

The Curse of Dethklok The debut of the band gives you all you need to know to see if you will like the show. The band is to perform a coffee jingle at a remote northern city in Norway. Hundreds of thousands of fans show up to hear them perform one song. The stage is dropped down from huge dethcopters for the show. it misses the mark, and crushes thousands of fans. The doors of the box then open revealing the stage, crushing thousands more fans.

Later, the band's chef gets into an accident, and Dethklok has to cook for themselves. They go the local grocery store Finntrolls to shop. (and yes, fans of the metal scene will recognize several of their favorite metal bands like Finn Troll thrown in as references). They finally realize they can't cook, and sew their chef back together. This results in Nathan writing a new song for the band Sewn Together.

As you can see the humor is frequently black, morbid and violent, but it is also usually very funny.

DethWater Nathan wants their new album to be the most brutal ever and decides to record in the Marianna Trench. The band hires a nuclear submarine to take them down miles below the ocean to record. A high strung producer Dick Knubbler is brought into help record. The show is hilarious.

Birthdayface The band celebrates Murderfaces' birthday even singing a song for him Dethday. The show begins with the band on stage and Murderface playing a bass solo without his hands. A fan from the audience tries to rush the stage, and Murderface brutally head butts him. Although his band mates first get William nothing for his birthday (the most brutal gift of all), they later give him his own new car, the one that JFK was assassinated in. Toki points out that it has big fat tires and everything

DethTroll One of my favorite episodes, the band does an endorsement deal for Dethphones, which are terrible. Night time minutes start at 11:00. (brutal!) Their lawyer explains they made the deal when they were drunk, despite his advice. The band must go to Finland to apologize for causing a bit of destruction and death on their last tour. In the middle of apologizing, Murderface gets a cell phone call and proceeds to take it, ignoring the Finnish crowd. Eventually, the band sings a song in the way of apology, an ancient Finnish song that awakens a Lake Troll that wreaks havoc on Finland. That's when the real fun begins! Will Dethklok send back the Lake Troll they summoned?

Murdering outside the Box The band has its annual employee recognition day. The show starts with the band returning from a shopping trip. Despite loving money, they don't really get materialism. Nathan Explosion buys thousands of dollars worth of expensive watches, not to wear, but to smash. Murderface is proud of his new codpiece which is totally diamond encrusted on a titanium base. The Tribunal sends an assassin to take out Dethklok by infiltrating Employee appreciation day.

DethKomedy This wasn't one of my favorite episodes, the band tries to do stand up comedy for a change of pace. The show begisn with the band being sued for millions of dollars for some damage done on a tour in Norway. The bands lawyer easily wins the case. It helps that the judge is a golfing buddy of the band.

Dethfam One of the funniest episodes on the set, an Interviewer reunites all the members of Dethklok with their dysfunctional families. The band takes them to dinner at Dimmu Burger. Murderface is guilted into buying a fully electric wheelchair for his grandfather from Gorgoroth's Medical Supplies (Murderface was raised by his grandparents because his parents died in a murder suicide). Pickles loser brother tries to do a deal with Pickles and the band.

Performanceklok The band must undergo therapy to get along with each other. The band is coached to get along with the reward of banana stickers until they figure out that they can just purchase their own and fire the therapist.

Snakes and Barrels The former band of Pickles the drummer this episode might make fun of a certain hard rock group famous in the eighties. Who could it be?

Mordland The band opens their home to Dethklok fans once a year and even sing a special song for them. You can just feel the love as Nathan Explosion sings You're living with your parents and you're 35 years old / You're a bunch of banks that I'd like to rob / You're my online cash transaction / you're my future stocks / Transfer you like money to a Swiss account / Spend you on an impulse and zero you all out The chorus shouts Die!. When two fan boys, the Jumfroo brothers try to blackmail the band and threaten to give a bad review to the band and release their song, Charles Ofdenson agrees to pay them both off. He makes small talk with them as he takes them down to the ground level of Mordhaus, and points out that their money is in the room down a long courtyard. Ofdenson advises them to Serpentine before closing the elevator door. It is worth noting that Dethklok guards are armed with 50 caliber semi automatic rifles, and are quite accurate with them regardless of whether the target is serpentining down the courtyard or not.

Disc Two

Ten more episodes are on Disc Two, Fatklok, Swisklok, Go Forth and Die, Bluesklok, Dethkids, Religionklok, Dethclown, Girlfriendklok, Dethstars and It has Begun.

Although I also loves almost every episode on disc two, a few bear further commentary.

Dethklown Dr. Rockso is an annoying rock star who loves cocaine and wears clown make up. He is friends with Toki, but he is hated by the rest of the band. When he wakes them all up in the morning after a joyride in Murderfaces' car, Charles has to take action to protect his band. He instructs Dethklok employees to give Dr. Rockso a ride home and to give him anything he wants. in an aside to one employee he instructs put the boots to him, medium style. In the next scene Dr. Rockso is on the ground in the fetal position being brutally kicked by three Dethklok employees who tell him to walk home.

DethStars The band decides to become movie stars and are in a film Blood Ocean. Only after the films debut on a remote oil rig, does the band realize that the film is absolutely awful and could destroy their careers. The producer who sank 500 million into the flop insists that it will be released whehter or not it destroys the bands image. Too bad the Dethcopter accidently sliced open one of the oil pipes on take off. A single spark could ignite the entire oil platform killing everyone who saw the film, the films producer and the film itself.

Girlfriendklok Nathan Explosions new girlfriend jeapardizes the bands chance to play at the Adult Film Awards. Although their lawyer explains that the Adult Film Awards is not paying them anything, the band all agrees that some things just have to be done for arts sake. Everyone except Nathan Explosion, whose new girlfriend will not let him attend the show.

Rating This show is aired on the Adult Swim usually with an M rating for Violence. Although the band frequently swears, swear words are always edited out with a guitar chord. It is censored the same way on the DVD. The show features death on almost every show, and the band doesn't set a positive role model for younger viewers. They are all narcissistic and self indulgent. They also lack sympathy for the havoc and mayhem that they inadvertently cause.

Further Thoughts / comments

The show frequently has guest voices by the likes of members of Metallica, King Diamond and other metal bands. Pop culture and heavy metal references abound for those paying attention. The show is funny, and the music is actually very good. I even purchased the album. Like Spinal Tap, the music by Dethklok is often as good and sometimes better than that which it parodies.

Summary

If you are a fan of heavy metal or black comedy, you will probably love Dethkok and Metalocalypse.

For a review of Dethklok's first album, check out The Dethalbum
To play like Dethklok check out Dethklok Guitar Tab

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older