Metalocalypse Rocks, and so does Dethklok

As far as I can tell, 'Metalocalypse' is one of the funniest things on TV right now. The 2-D metal band that has become the 12th-largest economy in the world (and rising) while being almost completely incompetent in any non-metal related realm (such as putting together simple sentences) is one of the sharpest TV shows in recent memory. As satiric as Spinal Tap, and as great a tribute to death metal as the Blues Brothers were to early rock n' roll, Dethklok also has something else in common with those bands--their music is pretty good.



Further proof of Dethklok's musical capacities comes with their first actual album (as opposed to the one they recorded underwater on the show), Dethalbum. Performed by show co-creator/voiceover talent Brendan Small (a genuine metalhead who went to Berklee for guitar) and former Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan (nuff said), under the guise of these merry men, Dethalbum is a catchy, entertaining, and pretty brutal record that's far better than half of the Main Stage bands on this year's Ozzfest. It's fair to say that Small and Hoglan could not have compiled a better record of Dethklok songs--rather than make a soundtrack to the show, the duo developed and re-recorded songs like 'Birthday Dethday,' 'Go Forth and Die,' 'Hatredcopter,' and many more which had appeared as snippets on the show. Here, they are muscular, full-length metal songs.

By playing like an album by a real metal band, Dethalbum omits some of the show's greatest moments, such as Pickles the Drummer's spectacular pre-Dethklok song with his old band, 'Snakes n' Barrels,' or the uproarious Dr. Rockso video, which is as great of a David Lee Roth parody as Roth himself. While it would be fun to have those on CD, they would serve as distractions on Dethalbum, and over all it's to the album's benefit that it plays like something actually created by Swisgaar Skwigelf, Toki Wartooth, Nathan Explosion, Pickles the Drumer, and William Murderface. Murderface. Murderface.

As expected with anything that Dethklok would release, the music is brutal enough for kids who'll be picking up the Arch Enemy CD that came out on the same day, yet accessible enough for anyone camping out for Ozzy/Rob Zombie tickets. It's far more concise than death metal bands usually are (perhaps too concise at just over 30 minutes), but that's far preferable to the filler that lesser metal bands drench their records with. Metal doesn't have to be long to be epic--just look at Reign in Blood--and in that sense, Dethklok pass with brutal flying colors. Also, the sound on Dethalbum is a little cleaner than most metal records nowadays, but perhaps that's because the guys are still 'mixing the bass out of pretty much every song.'

One couldn't review Dethklok without mentioning their lyrics, which are a riot. Opener 'Murmaider' depicts the homicide of fish people ("There are no fingerprints deep under water/Nothing to tie one to a crime"), and part of why it's such a blast to listen to is how metal it really is. As heavy and impressive as bands like Nile and Cradle of Filth are, they are also just as goofy as Dethklok, and classic bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motörhead all have songs that are just as funny as Dethklok's 'Briefcase Full of Guts.' Thankfully, Dethklok always comes across as a tribute and never a parody.



Before I get carried away, remember that as with the aforementioned fictitious bands, Dethklok are not quite in the league of the of the artists that they pay tribute to. No one would argue that Spinal Tap are better than Black Sabbath or AC/DC, and likewise you should be ashamed of yourself if you pick up Dethalbum before you own any Slayer. But for the serious metalhead, the die-hard cartoon network fan, or anyone with good taste in music who likes to laugh, Dethalbum is a good listen.