Dethklok – Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL – 06.30.08

Posted by Michael Melchor on 07.07.2008

Low-tech multimedia and the heaviest of heavy metal at their finest...



Of course I’m a fan of Adult Swim’s “Metalocalypse”. Most self-respecting and self-deprecating metal fans are because we can see the clichés and stereotypes and laugh at them. Not unlike Dave Chapelle’s views on racism, only much less serious and meaningful in the grand scheme of things.

Now that they’ve hit a certain height of popularity, the powers-that-be at Adult Swim/Cartoon Network/Time Warner, along with co-creator Brendon Small, have decided to take the act on the road. Almost a shame that Dethklok becomes the second animated act to play “live”, but they may be the first to take the act on the road for an extended period of time. The question was, to me, how would they do it? Would they go all-out on special effects and 3D animatronics like the Gorillaz do on the rare occasions they play live? Would it be that complex? Would it be that simple?

The answer would be even simpler, but we’ll have to touch on that in a minute. First, a quick word on the supporting acts...

I honestly can’t say much about Soilent Green. It’s not an “if-you-can’t-say-something-nice” sort of scenario at all; I can’t say much because I honestly didn’t see or hear much of them. We arrived about 66% of the way through their set and by the time I got settled in with the lay of the land (I’ve been to the city’s House of Blues venue much more than I have Hard Rock) and met up with a(n already schnockered) friend of mine and her fiancée there, they had already finished and I missed enough of it to barely be able to say I saw them at all.

I did, however, see Chimaira. I really liked their earlier stuff but had lost base with them in the last several years. The performance they gave was well-done. It was nothing over-the-top or awe-inspiring, mind you, but they work they put into it shows. Chimaira doesn’t need a lot of theatrics for their shows; their music does a lot of the talking for them. I’ve yet to hear their latest album, Resurrection, to hear how it translates, but the music itself was pounding and foreboding in a live setting. There may have even been a hardened metal snob or two banging their heads in spite of themselves during their set. Definitely a fine, down-to-earth performance; one that has me thinking I should give them more attention based on what I heard.

Once they left, the main event was set to begin and I’d soon have the answer to my question, already I’d already suspected I did. I’d read enough to know that there would be a live band involved, but I wasn’t sure of they’d be by themselves as they were, dressed up as members of Dethklok, or if there was more involved. The answer was, yes, no, and yes.

There is a quartet of human beings involved in playing, and all of them are adept at making the five-man animated band sound every bit as powerful minus one person. Gene Hoglan, Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller and Brendon Small all put forth an excellent musical effort in so far as the live experience. Small, the voice of Nathan Explosion on the show, brings that powerful growl to life without a trace of waver. More impressive is the fact that he plays guitar as well during the proceedings and treats it like Clint Eastwood would one of his trusted sidearms in one of his infamous older western films. Keneally, Beller, and Hoglan all join in on the fun, but, as with Small, all relegate themselves to the background; there is little lighting thrust directly on them at any given time so’s not to take away from the “stars” of the show. After all, Dethklok is an animated band...

If you take a good look at that top photo of Small, you may have seen the video screen behind him. While the audio portion of the show was handled by the four-man band listed in that same paragraph, the visual portion was taken up by the characters most fans of the show know and love. Here you may recognize a snapshot of the opening video to every episode of the show played during “Deththeme” (as it was live also). The four guys stayed out of the spotlight to allow the creations of Small and Tommy Blacha to take their rightful place in the spotlight.

In fact, the entire show played as its own episode of “Metalocalypse” with a storyline explained before the band played a single note by the generals, senators, and others in the “war room”. (No, I’m not giving a synopsis or any spoilers; you’ll have to go see them yourself to find out how all this plays out.) From there, every four or five songs, the band takes a break to let some more animation with either a comedic non-sequitur or an advancement of the “episode”’s plot.

However, the animation wasn’t just limited to in-between songs; it was present the entire time, giving attendees the ultimate aural experience – or, at least, one that certainly fit the definition of metal. Foreboding shots of Nathan Explosion and the rest of the crew, apocalyptic imagery, tits, awesome stage settings that most bands would kill to have the money to build for a video of their own, blood, big weapons, spikes...you name it, it was seen. At least twice.

The 411: Brendan Small and the rest of the “Metalocalypse” crew put together an excellent experience for fans of the show wanting to see the “band” perform “live” – and give them a stand-alone episode to boot! The musicians themselves play their quiet part (only revealing themselves to take their credit at the very end) in bringing the low-key multimedia show to life and the animation cements the experience as a must-see for metal and (mature audience) cartoon fans alike.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]