Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

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Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

Starring	Sam Dunn
Distributed by	Seville Pictures Warner Home Video
Release date(s)	2005
Running time	96 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

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 twelve. He sets out across the world to uncover the various facets of heavy metal music, including its origins, the controversy surrounding the genre, and the reason why 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.

Tagline:

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

1 Contents
- 1.1 Interviews
- 1.2 Soundtrack
2 Follow-up
3 "Definitive Metal Family Tree"
4 External Links

[edit] Contents

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film begins at the beginning of metal's history, and 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 used a family tree type flow chart 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 who support Satanism and openly discuss the burning of several Norwegian churches.

[edit] Interviews

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

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
Ronnie James Dio
Geddy Lee of Rush
Tom Araya and Kerry King of Slayer
Corey Taylor and Joey Jordison of Slipknot
Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead
Dee Snider of Twisted Sister
Alice Cooper
Rob Zombie
Necrobutcher and Blasphemer of Mayhem
Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy
Randy Blythe and Mark Morton of Lamb of God
Jorn Tunsberg of Hades Almighty
Gaahl of Gorgoroth

[edit] Soundtrack

Diamond Head - Am I Evil?
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Sepultura - Arise
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues
Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills
Richard Wagner - Faust Overture
Motörhead - Ace of Spades
Johann Sebastian Bach - Prelude and Fugue in A Minor
Van Halen - Eruption
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Enslaved - Havenless
Venom - Bloodlust

[edit] Follow-up

Because of the controversy generated with the focus on the anti-Christian black metal bands in Norway, particularly Burzum, Sam Dunn traveled back to Bergen for the premiere of the film to address criticisms and further explore the roots black metal has in Norway and its culture. An additional 20 minute mini-documentary further exploring the black metal culture was included on the second disc of the film's DVD release.

[edit] "Definitive Metal Family Tree"

The chart from the film documents the various sub-genres of metal that have spawned over time, while also listing the prime examples of bands that fall under each sub-genre. Below is a typed version of that chart, which can be found on the second disc of the film's special edition DVD package.