Dethklok's Brendon Small needs better head-banging hair. SAM KRIEG/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Cartoon band rocks at 'live show'

Date published: 7/3/2008

BY SAM KRIEG

Last Thursday, Baltimore's Ram's Head Live hosted the band Dethklok, which, according to "Metalocalypse"--the "Adult Swim" show based around their lives--is "the world's greatest cultural force."

"Metalocalypse" co-creator and principal musician Brendon Small brought a full live band and matching cartoon footage--along with opening bands Soilent Green and Chimaira--to the performance.

Unfortunately, Soilent Green had to begin before all the fans were able to enter the venue. But that didn't stop the group from playing an incredible set. Their music was unpredictable; they shifted between death-metal blast-beats, slower grooves and finger-dancing technicality. Vocalist Ben Falgoust was fun to watch, with his nearly waist-length hair flying about.

The six-man-strong Chimaira came out next to great applause. The group connected strongly with the audience; each time frontman Mark Hunter held out the mic, it was met with roaring response. Musically, Chimaira didn't stand out as much as Soilent Green. Their breakdown-laden, occasionally soloing style is currently super trendy (read: terribly overdone). However, songs like "Power Trip" got the crowd suitably warmed up for Dethklok.

While a cartoon showing a secret society (a staple of "Metalocalypse") plotting to mutate Dethklok fans played on a large screen behind them, the live version of Dethklok came onstage. Appropriately, the set began with the "Metalocalypse" theme song, while the show's title sequence ran behind the band.

Small was spot-on, both with his Nathan Explosion growl and Skwisgaar Skwigelf solo-playing. While the band was busy summoning lake trolls with "Awaken" and detailing the end of life on dry land with "Go Into the Water," footage of the cartoon band towered up behind them. The stage lights that swiveled around during "Dethharmonic" couldn't help but remind one of the laser beams that inadvertently slice up the London Philharmonic in a "Metalocalypse" episode.

In between tracks, the plot to mutate the fans unfolded--the assailant ended up getting electrocuted and mutating himself. Overall, a nice balance was struck between the cartoon and human elements. Fans could be content watching the real players or the footage of the cartoon band.

The only thing that seemed to be lacking was any headbang-worthy hair on the live band. There was none of the head-windmilling that characterizes the cartoon band's performances. That's a negligible complaint though.

Any fans of the show--or metal in general--that didn't attend should kick themselves for missing out on such an original spectacle.

Sam Krieg is a student at the University of Mary Washington.

Date published: 7/3/2008