I know we’re a little late on this one, here. I only caught up with this show, Metalocalpyse, and this album recently. Give me a break, though, I don’t have cable. This record came out about 6 weeks ago, but, if I’m late to the Dethklok party, then there are probably quite a few other people unaware as well, especially those not normally inclined towards death metal. So let’s play some catch up.

In case you don’t know, Metalocalpyse is a series currently running on Cartoon Network’s late-night Adult Swim. It concerns the exploits of Dethklok, a fictional death metal band who is both “the world’s greatest cultural force” and the 12th largest economy in the world, “just above Belgium.” They’re so popular that fans will do anything they’re asked to do, up to and including killing themselves. As people, the band are pretty much clueless when it comes to anything not metal related, and wacky hijinks ensue. It’s turned out to be a wonderfully violent and hilarious show from Brendon Small (creator of Home Movies) and I’ve been enjoying the series greatly.

So how does all this translate to a CD? Most of the songs in the show were short at most, if not just small clips. Is this a comedy album or a metal album? Well, the virtual Dethklok (which is Brendon Small doing pretty much everything except the drums) has made what amounts to a surprisingly great death metal record that, if you listen closely enough, is extremely funny. It works equally well on both levels. If you played it for someone who didn’t know any better, they wouldn’t assume this is more or less a joke. But, once you point out lyrics like “Blood is an energy conductor / I am full of that / All I need is an outlet” (from “Bloodtrocuted,” natch), they’ll realize what’s really going on. (”I pilot the hatredcopter!”)

But the music is never sacrificed for the sake of a laugh. This is actually some really killer metal here, albeit slightly more grounded in pop music than your normal death group. Some songs are funniest if you’ve seen the show (imaging the lake monster ravaging Finland to the tune of “Awaken,” for example), but if you don’t have that history with the program, it’s totally fine. It’s some heavy stuff, and makes for a very difficult listen… if you’re trying not to headbang, that is. Brandon Small obviously has a deep knowledge and love of death metal, as he both creates it and parodies it extremely well.

I’m not a death metal expert, though I enjoy my fair share of it. But I can safely say this is a solid album start to finish and I recommend it to pretty much everyone, even if you’ve never cared for the genre before. Maybe even if you don’t like Metalocalpyse itself. I mean, come on, with a song as great as “Murmaider” (about mermaid murder, of course), how can you go wrong? Highly recommended.

Dethklok - Murmaider.mp3
Dethklok - Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle.mp3 (from the Deluxe Edition bonus disc)

Watch some full Metalocalpyse episodes at AdultSwim.com
Buy The Dethalbum from Williams Street