In a new interview with Rashid AlKamraikhi of Australia’s Sense Music Media, Brendon Small, co-creator of “Metalocalypse”, the hit animated series on Adult Swim featuring the fictitious metal band DETHKLOK, spoke about the various heavy metal musicians who did voiceover work for the show, a list which includes METALLICA‘s Kirk Hammett, ANTHRAX‘s Scott Ian, EVANESCENCE‘s Amy Lee and KING DIAMOND/MERCYFUL FATE frontman King Diamond. Asked if there was anyone who came in for a guest spot that really blew him away with how well they adapted to the voiceover work, Brendon said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Everyone rose to the occasion, everyone that we had on the show. Some would start out a little bit more shy, and then the advice I would offer is, ‘If you start feeling silly, you start feeling stupid, you’re doing it right. Let’s just break through that stupid, silly feeling and then get to the other side and have fun.’
“I remember Michael Amott from ARCH ENEMY came in, and his voice was nice and hoarse, ’cause he does a little bit of vocalization in ARCH ENEMY,” Small continued. “And he came in, and his accent is kind of Swedish and English and he had a gravitas about him and he understood how to speak… And I gave him a direction and he’d take it and work with it really well. He was just a natural. So I always remember him being really great. And then we had everybody from guitar heroes of mine — Billy Gibbons [of ZZ TOP] came and did a voice, and he just, of course, is a total showman and understands how to do all that stuff. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, they all kind of got it. Slash [of GUNS N’ ROSES] came in. Dave Grohl [of FOO FIGHTERS] came in. He was funny. He’s a natural. I mean, it makes sense with him. And then members from ENSLAVED, from EXODUS — all funny.”
Brendon added: “Everyone’s perception of heavy metal is so different than the reality because heavy metal is brutal, and it evokes a feeling and a mood that’s so dark and so awesome. But everyone’s got a sense of humor, everyone’s got levity, and I wanted everyone to participate and become part of the joke of the show. I didn’t wanna be a them-or-us thing, I wanted everyone to go, ‘This is your playground. Let’s give you an opportunity to be funny. What can we do? Let’s play.’
“It was so cool that those guys said yes. I was trying to be extra clever when we started the show. I thought, ‘If we can get METALLICA on the first episode, then I bet I can get other people, too, to come into our world of silly, weird absurdity and play with us.'”
“Metalocalypse” is a cartoon series about a fictional death metal band called DETHKLOK that’s bigger (and far more powerful) than THE BEATLES. The show ran for seven seasons, with the final episode being an hour-long rock opera, “The Doomstar Requiem”.
After “Metalocalypse”‘s rise in popularity, Small assembled DETHKLOK as an actual live band to play the music featured on the show, with Small himself handling vocals and guitar.
DETHKLOK‘s first three albums charted in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 and the third release, “Dethalbum III”, peaked at No. 10, making it the highest-charting death metal album of all time. In addition, “The Doomstar Requiem: A Klok Opera Soundtrack” made it to No. 7 on Billboard‘s soundtrack chart in 2013.
After several years of dormancy, DETHKLOK returned in 2023 with a new album, “Dethalbum IV” and an animated movie, “Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar”. It was hard fought since Adult Swim abruptly pulled the plug on “Metalocalypse” show more than a decade ago, despite its rabid following amongst the metal crowd, many of whom came to appreciate the show’s regular easter eggs and voice appearances from the likes of King Diamond, Hammett and CANNIBAL CORPSE‘s George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. Indeed, “Metalocalypse” may be the only quasi-mainstream show to be truly catered to a metal audience, which can explain its enduring popularity and the steady drumbeat of requests for its revival.
DETHKLOK‘s 2023 “Babyklok” co-headlining trek with BABYMETAL was the first DETHKLOK tour in over a decade.
Source: blabbermouth.net
