Dethklok.org

So we would like to welcome Stitch to the team of contributors here at Dethklok.org

An avid writer and reviewer Stitch will be chiming as another voice about Dethklok’s escapades over the rest of the season…..

Here is article number one:

The Dethklok Aesthetic:

As a writer and admitted Metalocalypse obsessee, I could not resist the temptation to pen a minor exploration into one of my favorite shows on television. The release of the new season has brought to light a few minor changes from its debut in 2006, as well as reinforcing the aspects of the show that have drawn viewers from around the globe in an affecting parallel to the fame of its iconic central characters.

I begin with an exploration of the animatics and the music of Seasons 1 and 2. It doesn’t take an artist to notice that the second season of metal misadventures has upped the proverbial bar of realism, visual effects (most notably the musical performances), and body language, including a broader range of facial expressions, gestures, and of course the band’s ever-entertaining drunken antics. This poor author resolved to view both Season 1 and the released episodes of Season 2 in order to explore this phenomenon in depth.

After all, what Metalocalypse fan doesn’t like a good vivisection once in a while?

Since its inception Metalocalypse has enjoyed the attention of fellow musicians, and not only due to frequent cameos and equipment props. Unmatched attention to the details of physically making music is a highlight of the show’s unequalled animation style (which shares its parent Flash curriculum with a number of other shows featured in Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup). A recurring example of this are the close-up shots of guitarists Skwisgaar and Toki during performances: we see the hands articulating fretwork and picking, as well as an impressively detailed inclusion of personal style (i.e. Skwisgaar’s occasional tendency to play high up on the neck of his Explorer; see Skwisklok). Another example: tremolo picking is a recurrent feature of Dethklok’s riffs, as it is with much of the metal music world, which lends a so-called realism to the band’s music. Superlative technique is certainly not lost upon the Metalocalypse universe.

Brendon Small, Dethklok’s real-world musical counterpart, is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is well-versed in numerous technical methods, which he generously demonstrates via the band’s individual musical footprint. A delightful addition to Dethklok’s musical talent includes veteran drummer Gene Hoglan, whose merits include Strapping Young Lad and Dark Angel, and an appearance by violinist Emilie Autumn (Dethharmonic). The added visual attention to these musical details serves to further - flesh out - the cartoon and make it even more appealing to its intended audience; it is likely not uncommon to behold aspiring musicians up close and personal with their television screens during a Dethklok performance, guitars in hand. Even the wildly popular Guitar Hero game for the Xbox 360 is indulging its patrons with Dethklok songs.

Metalocalypse’s musically-inclined viewers certainly do not go wanting.

So what, then, of the rest of us, who don’t know a fret from a freeway? Not a problem, as Adult Swim’s viewer tallies are concerned. The beauty of Metalocalypse is in its inclusion of all viewers, from the aforementioned musicians to the average fourteen-to-thirtysomething crowd just out for a good laugh and some rocking tunes. Unlike its central characters, the show is generous in its appeal: alternately light and dark comedy, originally styled animation, blistering dialogue, copious and gratuitous violence, and of course the oddly endearing qualities of the Dethklok lads themselves.

Something for everyone? DVD and album sales from 2007 to present, along with the ratings for the show’s Sunday night debuts, reflect a resounding yes.

Until next time, keep your eyeballs on the screen and your devil horns in the air. I know I am.

-Stitch

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