Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
Starring	Sam Dunn
Distributed by	Seville Pictures; Warner Home Video
Release date	2005
Running time	96 min.
Language	English

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey is a 2005 documentary directed by Sam Dunn, a 31-year-old anthropologist who has been a heavy metal fan since the age of 12. He sets out across the world to uncover the various opinions of heavy metal music, including its origins, the controversy surrounding the genre, and the reason it is loved by so many people, as well as exploring the culture of heavy metal. The film made its debut at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released as a two-disc special edition DVD in the US on September 19, 2006.

A follow-up to the film currently titled Global Metal is in production, and can be tracked on Sam Dunn's blog at the official website for the movie.

Tagline:

The film that will take you into the heart of the beast

The film kicks off at the beginning of metal's history, with a discussion of who was truly the first metal band. It then proceeds to discuss the traits and originators of some of metal's many subgenres, including black metal, thrash metal and glam metal. Dunn uses a family-tree-type flowchart to document different metal subgenres. The film then splinters off to explore various aspects of heavy metal culture. Notable segments include Dunn taking a trip to the Wacken Open Air festival, an interview with Dee Snider providing an analysis of the PMRC attack on heavy metal music, and an interview with several Norwegian black metal bands, many of which whom support Satanism and openly discuss the burning of Norwegian churches.

Interviews

The most insightful information given in the film comes from candid interviews with popular artists from metal's past and present. Notable interviews come from:

Artist	Band	Birthplace
Angela Gossow	Arch Enemy	Cologne, Germany
Tom Morello	Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine	New York City
Ronnie James Dio	Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio	Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Tony Iommi	Black Sabbath	Aston, England
Alice Cooper	Alice Cooper	Detroit, Michigan
George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher	Cannibal Corpse	Buffalo, New York
Alex Webster	Cannibal Corpse	Buffalo, New York
Ihsahn	Emperor	Notodden, Norway
Samoth	Emperor	Notodden, Norway
Kim McAuliffe	Girlschool	London, England
Gaahl	Gorgoroth	Espedal, Norway
Jørn Tunsberg	Hades Almighty	Norway
Bruce Dickinson	Iron Maiden	Worksop, England
Mercedes Lander	Kittie	London, Ontario
Morgan Lander	Kittie	London, Ontario
Munky	Korn	Rosedale, California
Randy Blythe	Lamb of God	Virginia
Mark Morton	Lamb of God	Virginia
Blasphemer	Mayhem	Norway
Necrobutcher	Mayhem	Norway
Vince Neil	Mötley Crüe	Los Angeles, California
Lemmy	Motörhead	Stoke-on-Trent, England
Geddy Lee	Rush	Toronto, Ontario
Tom Araya	Slayer	Valparaíso, Chile
Kerry King	Slayer	Los Angeles, California
Joey Jordison	Slipknot	Des Moines, Iowa
Corey Taylor	Slipknot, Stone Sour	Des Moines, Iowa
John Kay	Steppenwolf	Tilsit, East Prussia
Dee Snider	Twisted Sister	Massapequa, New York
Denis Bélanger 'Snake'	Voivod	Jonquière, Quebec
Doro Pesch	Warlock	Düsseldorf, Germany
Rob Zombie	White Zombie	Haverhill, Massachusetts

Soundtrack

Accept - Balls to the Wall
Arch Enemy - Silent Wars
Black Sabbath - Paranoid and Heaven and Hell
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues
Burn To Black - Winter Rancid Skies, Into Shadow, Microcosmic, and Hellspell
Cannibal Corpse - Decency Defied
Children of Bodom - Needled 24/7
David MacDonaldson - Partita In C Minor - Chorale
Diamond Head - Am I Evil?
Emperor - Inno A Satana (Live)
Enslaved - Havenless
Girlschool - C'Mon Let's Go
Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills (Live) and Number of the Beast
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls
Motörhead - Ace of Spades and Killed by Death
Rage Against The Machine - Killing in the Name
Richard Wagner - Faust Overture
Rush - Working Man
Slayer - Disciple
Slipknot - (sic)
Tim Renwick and Andy Caine - Ain't Got A Pot To...
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
Van Halen - Eruption
Venom - Bloodlust

"Definitive Metal Family Tree"

The chart from the film documents various subgenres of metal that have spawned over time, while also attempting to list the prime examples of bands that fall into each category. Below is a typed version of that chart, which can be found on the second disc of the film's special edition DVD package.