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Dethklok: Equal Parts Laughs, Riffs

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By CURTIS ROSS The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

Some bands are known for animated performances. Some bands are, well, animated.

Dethklok falls into the latter category. The two-dimensional five-piece stars in "Metalocalypse" on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

On the show, Dethklok can have its custom-built stage helicoptered into even the most remote location.

In real life, a band of mere humans must play behind a screen while the larger-than-life Dethklok engages in its usual madness.

Brendon Small will be behind the screen, just as he's behind the scenes of Dethklok's "Metalocalypse" adventures.

"Metalocalypse" brings together Small's love of - and education in - metal and comedy.

Small graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music in 1997, an event that precipitated "a musical identity crisis."

"I didn't know what style I played anymore. I didn't know what I was going to do in music," Small says by telephone from backstage at San Francisco's Fillmore. "I was drawn toward comedy."

Small began taking courses in film and TV writing at Emerson College. Small also began performing stand-up in Boston-area clubs, which led to being hired for the animated series, "Home Movies."

Small wrote, provided voices and composed music for the series which began on UPN and moved to the Adult Swim lineup.

"Metalocalypse" may seem to be the obvious outgrowth of Small's twin passions but it took a friend to point out the obvious.

"He couldn't believe I hadn't come up with a show about metal," Small says, sounding a bit chastened even now. "He had to verbalize that. It was right in front of my face."

Small set about creating what became "Metalocalypse" and Dethklok, the band around which it is centered. The show takes all the cliches about intra-band turmoil and amps them up to cartoon metal proportions.

The animated members of Dethklok are: Nathan Explosion, the singer who is regularly described as the band's "lyrical visionary" on the show (sample song titles: "Bloodrocuted," "Briefcase Full of Guts"); Swedish lead guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf; Norwegian rhythm guitarist Toki Wartooth, bassist William Murderface; and drummer Pickles the Drummer.

Characters are voiced by Small and "Metalocalypse" co-creator Tommy Blacha, whose writing credits include "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Da Ali G Show."

Small provides all the music for the show, singing, playing guitar and bass and programming drums.

For the tour, Small recruited Hoglan, guitarist Mike Keneally and bassist Bryan Beller to join him in performing the music.

"We're basically the pit orchestra," Small says. "There's a gigantic movie screen playing the animation. Each song has a little story within it and there are comedy sketches between the songs."

Besides the band's dysfunctional relationships, "Metalocalypse" story lines often concern death, dismemberment and other forms of bloodletting.

"There's just enough story to hang your hat on," Small says of the concert presentation. "The show is like Disneyland, but with murder."

ON TOUR

Dethklok

WITH: Chimaira and Soilent Green

WHEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: Jannus Landing, 16 Second St. N., St. Petersburg; (727) 896-2276

COST: $21

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