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	11
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 the half-American/half-Scandinavian death metal band Dethklok. They enjoy a popularity level unheard of in reality. There is not a word extreme enough in the English language to say how popular they are, and the band is ranked as the world's 12th largest economy. They are so popular that the fans will do anything their songs tell them. Dethklok is acquitted after making fun of the prosecutor. If Dethklok says a certain company is good, it instantly becomes the only source for the product it happens to sell, as every competitor is quickly driven out of business. 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 (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 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. Even their attempts at charity result in many deaths. They all live together in an unprecedently big house called "Mordhaus." They also own a mansion-sized helicopter which does function as a secondary home. They also own a similarly-sized car which serves the same purpose. Despite the band's immense success, all of the members have self esteem issues which surface to varying degrees during the show. 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 Senator Stampington (who briefs the rest of the group about the information about Dethklok), General Krosier, a priest, and a creepy old man who seems to be the head of the group. There are four other people in the group, but they never talk. The priest has noted that the members of Dethklok resemble figures in an ancient Sumerian prophecy.

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. He claims this is because he has 'music dyslexia.' He has a strong Swedish accent, putting "s"'s at the end of many words he says. Skwisgaar, not having a father, was raised by his mother Serveta Skwigelf, Miss Sweden of 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. This is possibly because his mother was extremely sexually permiscuous. 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, and Smugly Dismissed to name a few. Skwisgaar also refers to things he hate as dildos. His hands are apparently insured for ten billion dollars, one billion for each finger. He is also severely allergic to Cilantro, shown when he gets BBQ sauce with cilantro poured on him before a show.
• 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, the product of a seemingly unholy union between Anja and the Reverend Aslaug Wartooth. His mother appears to be a nun, and both his parents dress in a very old world style. Toki seems to be deathly afraid of his parents, as during their visit he did not say a single word, move a single muscle, or even so much as look anywhere but straight forward, possibly because that is what his parents do all the time. Toki's personality tends to be more child-like, innocent, and good-natured than the rest of the band, though he does appear to be chronically depressed. Despite this innocence, he can fit well into the band at some times, but sometimes his innocence can go too far (like singing a song with "underwater friends" or believing that permanent teeth grow back because baby teeth do). Toki is often the subject of cruel jokes and verbal abuse from his bandmates, but he doesn't seem to mind. Toki and Skwisgaar 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. 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 Murderface): He plays the bass guitar and happens to be the most hate-filled man on the planet. He is a nihilist and hates no one more than himself. He was raised by his grandparents Thunderbolt and Stella Murderface 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 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. He has claimed to be depressed because he feels fat, tried to run away from Mordland, cried blood, engages 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 as well as helping Toki and Skwisgaar with their loose understanding of English. 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." However, he does seem to have asthma, as he has been seen using an inhaler. Of all the Dethklok members, Pickles is the most socially capable, and is usually the first to grasp concepts that the others have difficulty comprehending. This is evidenced by the fact that he is the only band member who reads the newspaper and knows what a grocery store is.
• 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 (which is usually limited to murder). He has exacting standards, and will delete entire finished Dethklok albums if they do not ultimately meet his approval. 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 to most people, 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. He speaks fluent French. He often describes things in terms of whether or not they are brutal or metal.

The Council

In every episode, an Illuminati-style group of eight men are shown meeting together to discuss Dethklok's latest activities and the dangers they pose. They are immune to the extreme influence of Dethklok, possibly because they might know what they truly are. In their first meeting, they mention that Dethklok's lineup resembles an ancient Sumerian artifact, possibly meaning Dethklok is a prophecy. They meet in a room dominated by nine television sets stacked in a three-by-three square. It seems to be underground, as it has no windows. There are also no seen doors. On the walls is a symbol that resembles the presidential seal, possibly meaning the government is affiliated with the group. Their briefings are led by Senator Stampington, who usually has experts speak based on whatever Dethklok is doing in the episode. The group has both military and religious leaders in its rank, among others. At its head is an elderly man who sits in a throne in the center.

Of the group's eight members, only four speak. The main speaker is Senator Stampington, who reports on Dethklok's current activities. He doesn't seem to have a seat, instead standing in front of the television sets. He has a diplomatic standpoint for the issues againt Dethklok. General Krosier, one of the ones sitting down, usually recommends military action against Dethklok, often in the form of assassination, and has a military standpoint for the issues against Dethklok. Senator Stampington once noted that about half the military are fans of Dethklok to discourage such action. The priest often thinks God will deal with whatever Dethklok is doing, and has a religious standpoint for the issues against Dethklok. The elder is usually the last to speak, and always has the final word on what course of action the group will take. None of the other members have ever questioned him, indicating that he may be the leader of the group.

Recurring Characters

• Manager: Dethklok's unnamed manager is usually the voice of reason against Dethklok's constant disregard of law. He protects the band against everything from slowing record sales to themselves. However, it seems that he isn't entirely incapable of the band's tendencies of malice, as he had no problems leading two Dethklok fans (who, at the time, were trying to blackmail Dethklok) to their deaths in one episode.
• Roadies: Dethklok's roadies wear black masks and black uniforms. They resemble medieval executioners. They faithfully do Dethklok's bidding, beating and/or killing whomever Dethklok asks them to as well as performing more mundane tasks such as cleaning up after the band and general maintenance. They always refer to the members of Dethklok as 'My Lord(s)'.
• Jean-Pierre: Dethklok's faithful chef was once a normal stereotypical French chef, but was mangled when a stray missile shot through their helicopter during a live performance. After realizing that they couldn't feed themselves, they sewed him back together, albeit very poorly. The act gave them inspiration for a song, aptly titled "Sewn Back Together Wrong," and gave Jean-Pierre a hideous appearance. He is indirectly responsible for the Queen of Denmark's death; having been asked to bake a "metal" cake, he took the term literally and made a cake with mercury frosting. Though he told people not to sample the frosting, as it would kill them, the Queen took a taste before he could stop her and she died of mercury poisoning.

One-Time Characters

• Dick "Magic Ears" Knubbler (2 time character as he was seen in the crowd in the court case in "dethkomedy")
• Dr. Roxo, the Rock and Roll Clown
• Serveta Skwigelf (Skwisgaar's mother)
• Anja and Aslaug Wartooth (Toki's parents)
• Stella and Thunderbolt Murderface (William's grandparents)
• Calvert and Molly (Pickles's parents)
• Seth (Pickles's ex-con older brother)
• Rose and Oscar Explosion (Nathan's parents)
• Doctor Johnathan Twinkletits
• Antonio Tony DiMarco Thunderbottom
• Sammy Candynose Twinskins
• Snizzy Snazz Bullets
• Facebones
• Eric and Edgar Jomfrune (two nerds that blackmail Dethklok)
• Fat Kid/Fatty/Fatty Ding-Dong (fat kid Dethklok adopts)

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, Jean-Pierre 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"
• King Diamond ("Skwisklok") – "Ronald Von Monoldburg"

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.
• Dethklok endorses several real-world products, including Krank Amps, Gibson guitars, EMG pickups, and Line 6 gear.
• Dethklok has a extremely large internet following of so called "Dethfans" and even Dethklok "roadies" they say they are willing to do anything Dethklok commands them to do.

Episode-Specific Trivia

"The Curse Of Dethklok"

• The first Dethklok fan being interviewed is the character "Goat" from the series Megas XLR and Downtown. He was voiced in the first episode by Metallica guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield. Goat made a number of guest appearances in future episodes.
• When the stage is falling from the plane, in the group of people that is shown being over taken by the stage's shadow and looking at it you can see osama second right on the bottom of the screen.
• The band is seen in a grocery store named after the Finnish metal band Finntroll.
• When they are in the supermarket, Nathan Explosion makes references to several Cannibal Corpse songs, such as "Every Bone Broken", "Rotted Body Landslide", and "Hammer Smashed Face".
• Toki Wartooth talks about the previous restaurant helicopter chef's brain being blown out, and how it would make a good album cover. This is a reference to the suicide of Mayhem singer Per Yngve Ohlin, also known as Dead, who committed suicide with a shotgun blast to his head. A real photograph of the grisly scene was later used as the cover for the bootleg Dawn of the Black Hearts.
• The life support systems strewn about Dethklok's lair keeping the chef alive are a direct reference to the album cover of Voivod's "Killing Technology".
• In Toki's shopping cart there is, among other items (including tampons, thrown in by Skwisgaar), a box of cereal with Toki's likeness on it. The only word on the box is "metal."
• On the chef's coat, the body of the lobster is a pentagram.

"Dethwater"

• The music producer who joins the band underwater during their recording sessions is possibly based on infamous music producer Phil Spector.
• An Adult Swim bump, written in response to an email asking if the song 'Mermaider' was about mermaids that murdered or mermaids that were murdered, explained that 'Mermaider' "happens to be about homicidal mermaids that have murdered thousands of yellowtail tuna, and later tragically get murdered by a group of bi-polar octopi."

"Happy Dethday (a.k.a. Birthdayface)"

• On the Adult Swim Fix, this episode was billed as "Birthdayface".
• Goat makes a guest appearance as a member of the audience during the demolition derby.
• Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett provides the high-pitched voice of the Queen of Denmark.
• For a birthday present, Murderface receives a new car, complete with metal accessories. As the band is admiring it, Toki quotes, "Big fat tires and everything!", a reference to the Deep Purple song "Highway Star".
• When the Rock n' Roll clown is performing for Murderface, he makes a balloon replica of Bootsy Collins' famous space bass.

"Dethtroll"

• The Finnish troll could be seen as another reference to Finntroll.
• It is revealed that neither Toki nor Skwisgaar knows how to read music and that they usually resort to the "old music school trick" of playing random notes.
• There is also a reference made to the band Children of Bodom at the end of the episode when Espoo, Finland is seen on fire and in ruins. The lake from which said troll was summoned may also be a reference to Lake Bodom - the location of the murders from which the band derived its name.
• Nathan Explosion's quick speech before the band performs "Awaken Mustakrakish" as an apology to the Finnish people is a reference to the Finnish band Amorphis who took much of their lyrics from their albums 'Tales From The Thousand Lakes' and 'Elegy' from actual ancient Finnish texts.

"Dethkomedy"

• The hearing that opens the episode is a reference to the Judas Priest "Subliminal Suicide" trial of the 1980's in which alleged backwards-masked lyrics drove a youth to "try suicide," and to "do it, do it."
• During the sequence in which the band's comedic success is represented by a series of newspapers and magazine covers, a magazine called "Donkey Punch" is shown, referring to a sexual technique.
• The newspapers covering Dethklok were USA Mouth, Your Liberal Lip, and The New York Chronicle. These parodied USA Today, The New York Post, and The New York Times, respectively. In addition to those written about Dethklok, other articles included "Rich Idiot Still a Complete Moron at 57", "Is Rap Metal Finally Dead? Yes, It Is," and "Panda Power Twins Lose Big." Senator Stampingston could also be seen on the The New York Chronicle.
• Part of their comedy teacher's notes on the chalkboard read "Tragedy + Time = Funny", a reference to one of Alan Alda's lines in the Woody Allen film Crimes and Misdemeanors.
• The Brothers of Deception are a parody of the Smothers Brothers.
• Nathan's "twin" Kuato is a reference to the telepathic mutant rebel leader Kuato from the movie Total Recall.

"Dethfam"

• The titles of various stores shown throughout the episode reference several true black metal bands, including Burzum, Gorgoroth, and Marduk.
• Murderface says "I'd rather be sanded faceless than grow old and repugnant like that." This line is a reference to the Cannibal Corpse song, Sanded Faceless.
• During the closing credits, Murderface's grandfather says through his speech synthesizer "kill me", over and over again. This is a reference to a line from the film Johnny Got His Gun which was sampled in the video for the Metallica song "One".
• Toki doesn't speak in this episode.

"Performance Klok"

• The general concept of band therapy featured in this episode parodies Metallica and the film Some Kind of Monster.
• The beginning of this episode takes place in Machaerus, Jordan. Machaerus is a fortress fifteen miles southeast of the mouth of the Jordan river, in the wild and desolate hills that overlook the Dead Sea from the east. Known today as Mukawir, this dramatic hilltop is the traditional site of the execution of John the Baptist.
• In one scene, Toki gives himself a solid gold telephone. "Solid Gold Telephone" is a song by Head Automatica.

"Snakes 'n' Barrels"

• Goat has another guest appearance as an audience member at the Snakes 'n' Barrels reunion concert.
• At the end of the credits, the bassist for Snakes 'n' Barrels repeats "I'm a chicken" several times, in reference to an early health film distributed by the government on the dangers of LSD where a teenager believed he was a chicken after taking LSD.

"Mordland"

• Facebones is a reference to various metal mascots including Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead and Iron Maiden's Eddie the Head, and the shape and position of the large horns on either side of his head resemble Mickey Mouse ears.
• One of the model aircraft shown in Toki's room is of Dethklok's helicopter.
• Goat has yet another cameo in the audience during the showing of the "Secret Fan Song" video. * The Duncan Hills Coffee Man (Post Metalization) is also shown in the "Secret Fan Song" video.
• This is the first episode where Murderface does not make a reference to urine.
• For some reason, Pickles never gets dressed after waking up to the screaming fans, and subsequently spends the entire episode in his underpants.

"Fat Kid at the Detharmonic (a.k.a. FatKlok)"

• Dethklok playing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra is a take on various bands that have played with a symphony including Metallica when they played a concert with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra which became the subsequent album S&M, as well as KISS when they played a concert with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which became the subsequent album KISS Symphony: Alive IV.
• This is the first episode to feature blood at the ending credits.

"Skwisklok"

• Skwisgaar wears an outfit resembling the outfit on the leadsinger of Behemoth.
• Sergio Panperio is a parody of Estaban
• The Skwisgaar Skwigelf Advanced Fast Hand Finger Wizard Master Class is a reference to a short film by Brendon Small featured on the Home Movies first season DVD boxset, entitled The Thor Von Clemson Advanced Fast Hand Finger Wizard Master Class.
• Skwisgaar's style of sticking out his middle finger while playing his guitar is similar to the style of Metallica guitarist, Kirk Hammet.

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.
• [1]Dethklok Dethforum]