The Metalocalypse has Begun

Skwisgaar Skwigelf, taller than a tree.
Toki Wartooth, not a bumblebee.
William Murderface, Murderface, Murderface.
Pickles, the drummer, doodily doo. (Ding-dong, doodily, doodily, doo.)
Nathan Explosion!

My friends, let me introduce you to Metalocalypse. This adult cartoon follows a fictional death metal band, Dethklok, that has become exceedingly more popular than the Beatles ever were, to the point that they are now one of the world’s largest economies, and now a group of government officials has set out to destroy them. In every episode, the band is unknowingly thwarting this group of evil government leaders trying to destroy them, while they just keep trying to record new albums and go on more tours. Not to mention the show is filled with incredible original music, written and performed by the show’s creator, Brendon Small.

Look Mom, I’m on TV!

There are several reasons why I love this story. It caught my attention right away to see a subculture that is not often represented in cartoon form. As a metalhead myself (and wife of a death metal guitarist) it was incredibly cool to see our subculture so eloquently captured and only slightly satirized. It’s also jampacked with other metal culture references, right down to censoring swearing with guitar pinch harmonics. In any case, it makes this story relatable and engaging, at least to me!

Another stand out point that makes the story engaging and memorable is the sheer ridiculousness of the premise of the show. Even among metalheads and people who enjoy heavier music, death metal is pretty niche, so the idea that this band is more popular than Beatles ever were, or that the world’s economy revolves around them is outrageous. It’s definitely one way to engage and hold an audience, as Alison Macadam touches on in Beyond the 5 W’s: What should you ask before starting a story?.

Deconstructing “Dethtroll”

As if finding an episodic television show with a death metal band as protagonists wasn’t enough to draw me in as it is, solid storytelling structure comes in to hold it up. Like all good stories, each episode (and I have watched them all several times) follows Kenn Adams’ story spine. Let’s take a look at how episode 1.4, “Dethtroll,” fits this structure.

The band is doing day to day rock star stuff, such as drinking in a hot tub and realizing they have signed a terrible endorsement for horribly inconvenient to use dethphones, while drunk.

THEN their manager informs them that to go to Finland to apologize for behaving badly on their last tour. BECAUSE OF THAT they wrote a new song for them as an apology, but they wrote it from an ancient folklore text, reciting a spell that summons a lake troll who wreaks havoc on the nation of Finland.

BECAUSE OF THAT they need to learn how to play acoustically to put the troll back to sleep (which they don’t want to do, because “it’s totally lame and not metal.”) But they do, for the good of the nation of Finland. The troll is almost lulled to sleep when Murderface’s dethphone start’s ringing, breaking everyone’s concentration. BECAUSE OF THAT the troll is still awake, and screaming, and sets its sights on Dethklok. Murderface, enthralled in his phone call, is oblivious to the troll and is just annoyed at the racket it is making. BECAUSE OF THAT, he hurls the heavy, spiky phone that is inexplicably equipped with a grappling hook right down the troll’s throat. UNTIL FINALLY the troll is killed by swallowing the huge, unnecessarily weaponized phone, and EVER SINCE THEN peace is restored in Finland, and they accept Dethklok’s apology.

What Do You Take with You?

Yes, the events of these stories are ridiculous, like summoning a lake troll. But like Macadam says in Beyond the 5 W’s, we rarely remember the entire story. It’s particular quotes, scenes, and in the case of “Dethtroll,” personally, songs. Through the power of digital storytelling and the technology at our fingertips, we can easily add elements like visuals and music to our storytelling, making them more memorable. I know I will definitely have “Awaken” stuck in my head for the next few days now.