Metalocalypse

Metalocalypse
File:Dethklok2.jpg The characters of Metalocalypse in a promotional poster. From left to right: William Murderface, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Nathan Explosion, Pickles the Drummer, and Toki Wartooth.
Created by	Brendon Small Tommy Blacha
Starring	Brendon Small Mark Hamill Tommy Blacha Victor Brandt
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	9
Production
Running time	11 minutes approx.
Original release
Network	Cartoon Network
Release	August 6, 2006 – present

Metalocalypse, originally titled Death Clock Metalocalypse and promoted as DethKlok Metalocalypse, is an animated television series on Adult Swim created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The show's first season consists of twenty eleven-minute episodes, the first of which premiered on the Adult Swim Fix on August 4, 2006, and on Adult Swim proper the following Sunday. The show is described as "Spinal Tap meets Scooby-Doo meets Norway."

Summary

Metalocalypse follows the exploits of a half-American/half-Scandinavian death metal band Dethklok. They enjoy a popularity level unheard of in reality. People love their concerts so much that they will sign "pain waivers" at the entrance, releasing the band from legal liability in the (likely) event of an audience member being killed or dismembered in some manner, often by one of the deadly contraptions the band has set up beforehand. The band's concerts are notoriously violent, often resulting in harm to a good portion of the crowd. The members of Dethklok do not seem to care about this, and are portrayed as generally sociopathic and inept in all things non-musical. They're also ridiculously wealthy, so they can get away with just about anything, including murder. In fact, it seems as if they manage to kill several people just by driving from one place to another. The songs the band plays are essentially parodies of real thrash/death metal, ranging from a thrashing coffee jingle to a glass-shattering tune about mermaid murder.

The band's unnatural popularity has attracted the attention of an Illuminati-style group, which appears in each episode to comment on the band's latest escapades and deliberate the situation. The group consists of a senator (who briefs the rest of the group about the information about Dethklok), a general, a priest, and a creepy old man who seems to be the head of the group. However, there are four people in the group that never talk. They note that the members of Dethklok resemble figures in an ancient Sumerian prophecy. The fact that they manage to summon a troll in "Dethtroll" is a sign that their powers are increasing.

The Band

• Skwisgaar Skwigelf (Taller Than A Tree): He is the lead guitarist from Sweden, the world's tallest guitarist, and the fastest guitarist alive, though he can't read music. Skwisgaar, not having a father, was raised by his mother Serveta Skwigelf, a former Miss Sweden (1956). Skwisgaar's frustration at his mother's sexual promiscuity is expressed through extremely fast guitar fingering. He is seen practicing his guitar almost constantly everywhere he goes. It is a possibility that he is ambidextrous. He seems to dislike the Danish but confuses them with the Dutch. Skwisgaar seems to be the most sexually active member of the band and often brags about his many conquests to Toki, who seems to resent it. Skwisgaar also seems to hold little importance on the physical appearance of sexual partners, as he has been seen propositioning an elderly grandmother for sex as well as sleeping with a very obese woman. He has been in a large number of bands prior to joining Dethklok,including Agnostic Priest, Gangagar Eldeleel-aleelel, Gognog Mug Alugdug, Fuckface Academy, Sausage Assassin, Financially Raped, Smugly Dismissed as well as many others.

• Toki Wartooth (Not A Bumblebee): He is the rhythm guitarist and the second fastest guitarist alive, though he too can't read music. He hails from an abandoned village near Lillehammer, Norway, where his 1600s-esque parents Anya and Oslar Wartooth are extremely religious (the father Oslar is a reverend). Toki's personality tends to be more childish, innocent, and good-natured than the rest of the band, though he does appear to be chronically depressed. Toki is often the subject of cruel jokes and verbal abuse from his bandmates, but he doesn't seem to mind. Toki and Skwisgaar seem to have a somewhat brotherly relationship, with Toki sometimes being intimidated by the exploits of the more experienced Skwisgaar. Aside from playing guitar, he spends much of his free time building scale models of various aircraft. Toki is the only member to not have been in a band before Dethklok. He is possibly named after Harald Wartooth, 8th century king of Scandinavia.

• William Murderface (Murderface Murderface): He plays the bass guitar and happens to be the most hate-filled man on the planet, and is a nihilist. He hates no one more than himself. He was raised by his grandparents Thunderbolt and Stella after he lost his mother and father in a grim chainsaw murder/suicide. Murderface has a habit of urinating or referring to urination and even has a side project band called "Planet Piss". He is apparently capable of playing an electric bass guitar with his "hog" (penis) and, according to Pickles, likes to collect "morbid crap." Oddly enough, Murderface often seems to be the most sensitive member of the band, and on various occasions has: claimed to be depressed because he feels fat, tried to run away from Mordland, cried blood, engaged in self mutilation, wet himself when recalling traumatic childhood memories and uttered phrases like "I miss Pickles."

• Pickles the Drummer (Doodily-Doo-Ding-Dong-Doodily-Doodily-Doo): Plays the drums and was raised in Wisconsin. Pickles usually acts as the voice of reason and logic in Dethklok. Bears a strong hatred for his older brother Seth, whom his parents Calvert and Molly always brag about despite his being an ex-con, among other failings. Pickles joined Dethklok after fronting LA rock band "Snakes 'n' Barrels." He is the only member of Dethklok whose last name is unknown. He is also totally immune to the negative effects of all drugs he has ever taken, including government-developed Totally Awesome Sweet Alabama Liquid Snake, which destroyed the minds of every other band member in Snakes 'n Barrels. He claims to be immune to drugs because he "grew up smoking government weed every day" due to suffering from "kiddie glaucoma." Of all the Dethklok members, Pickles seems the most socially capable, and is usually the first to grasp concepts that the others have difficulty comprehending.

• Nathan Explosion: Born in Florida to Oscar and Rose Explosion, Nathan is the lead singer and the lyrical visionary of Dethklok. He carries a digital recording device in which he notes any interesting song material he may run across. He has exacting standards, and will delete entire finished Dethklok albums if they are not to his standards. He has trouble expressing himself emotionally to someone, unless he is intoxicated or that person is dead. At times, Nathan seems unaware of most things outside the scope of metal, often shown discovering things that would appear obvious, such as the fact that a band that has not broken up cannot reunite, or the fact that the band can fire people who work for them. Nathan also undergoes repeated liver replacement surgery due to his excessive drinking habits (such as ordering one hundred beers at a time), and has been known to vomit blood when he has not received the proper medical attention.

Dethklok endorses several real-world products, including Krank Amps, Gibson guitars, EMG pickups, and Line 6 gear.

Episodes

Main article: List of Metalocalypse episodes

Voice actors

• Brendon Small – Nathan Explosion, Pickles, Skwisgaar Skwigelf and various
• Tommy Blacha – William Murderface and Toki Wartooth
• Mark Hamill – Senator Stampingston and various
• Victor Brandt – General Krosier and various

Cameos

• Laraine Newman ("The Curse of Dethklok") – "News Reporter", ("Dethfam") – "Rose Explosion (Nathan's Mom)", "Pickles' Mom", "Serveta Skwigelf (Skwisgaar's Mom)"
• James Hetfield ("The Curse of Dethklok") – "Goat", ("Birthdayface" or "Happy Dethday") – "Sniper", ("Dethtroll") – "Mustakrakish", ("Dethkomedy") – "Lorkey" (the sailor)
• Kirk Hammett ("The Curse of Dethklok") – "Two-Fingered Fan", ("Birthdayface" or "Happy Dethday") – "Queen of Denmark", ("Dethtroll") – "Barkeep"
• Jeff Loomis ("Performance Klok") – "Murderface's Dad"
• Michael Amott ("Snakes 'n' Barrels") – "Antonio Tony DiMarco Thunderbottom"
• Steve Smyth ("Snakes 'n' Barrels") – "Snizzy Snazz Bullets"
• Warrel Dane ("Snakes 'n' Barrels") – "Sammy Candynose Twinskins"

Trivia

For episode-specific trivia, see Metalocalypse episode trivia.

• The series was originally pitched as 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 Death Clock Metalocalypse, although the starring band still retained the name Dethklok. The crew finally shortened the title to Metalocalypse because the extended show title was too complicated.
• Musicians that have guest voiced on the show include James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Jeff Loomis, Steve Smyth, and Warrel Dane of Nevermore, and Michael Amott of Arch Enemy. Also, King Diamond has recorded voices for four episodes. Doug Dever will also be doing a voice over. Cannibal Corpse frontman George Fisher will also be appearing in an upcoming episode.
• The Metalocalypse premiere was the #1 rated show in its timeslot among males aged 18-34, and earned the network's best premiere delivery and ratings to date in 2006. Among the top ad-supported basic cable programs of the week, Metalocalypse ranked #12 among men 18-34 and #6 among men 18-24. The series premiere ranked #30 for the week among adults 18-34.
• Until the episode "Mordland," not one episode had aired in which Murderface did not make a reference to urine.
• On Dethklok's MySpace, Nathan Explosion stated that the band is making a real album to be coming out soon.
• The show is made with Flash animation.

External links

• Metalocalypse at IMDb
• Official Metalocalypse webpage
• Official Adult Swim Dethklok MySpace
• IGN Interview with Dethklok
• MP3 audio interview with Brendon Small about Dethklok from the public radio show The Sound of Young America.