Metal: A Headbanger's Journey Documentary

[waif]

There are definitely some bad documentaries.

The Anvil documentary is NOT good. Pretty much just about these two fuckheads and how they want to be rock stars, and them complaining about how they're not rock stars. It doesn't really seem like they have any particular dedication to the music. It's engaging enough that it feels pretty moving when they finally take the stage in Japan, but ultimately it's just fluff.

The recent Get Thrashed documentary was also not very good. There's really nothing very interesting, it just covers the same shit everyone already knows. Metallica vs. Megadeth, that crap.

On a side note, I've noticed that Scott Ian is in absolutely every documentary on metal. I feel like the man does nothing but interviews. He seems to be trying to become a spokesperson for metal. I really wish he wouldn't, because he's a moron from a shitty band.

 

[Allfader]

The idea of someone putting some effort on covering metal in a 'deeper' way than the MTV shitty past stuff it's great but it should be done right.

My biggest problem with Dunn is his 'own' categorization of not just metal bands, but metal subgenres, which is terribly wrong. Where is doom metal? for him it doesn't exist, there's 'stoner'. Check for his metal 'tree' to further damage.

About the bands he covered and the questions done: that could have been made way better. The 'prog' episode was extremely lacking; he dedicated time for shock rock, nu metal and grunge... I guess some metalheads will like it cause they settle for just anything, since there are so few good metal docus.

Metal from Hellas it's pretty good if you're interested on the early greek metal scene.

 

[Balls McHoolihan]

The idea of someone putting some effort on covering metal in a 'deeper' way than the MTV shitty past stuff it's great but it should be done right.

My biggest problem with Dunn is his 'own' categorization of not just metal bands, but metal subgenres, which is terribly wrong. Where is doom metal? for him it doesn't exist, there's 'stoner'. Check for his metal 'tree' to further damage.

About the bands he covered and the questions done: that could have been made way better. The 'prog' episode was extremely lacking; he dedicated time for shock rock, nu metal and grunge... I guess some metalheads will like it cause they settle for just anything, since there are so few good metal docus.

Metal from Hellas it's pretty good if you're interested on the early greek metal scene.

I see what your saying, but I think Dunn is basically putting out the most well known sub genres in this doc. I'd say he's trying to keep it simple and list sub genres new or even non-metal fans could acknowledge. I'm sure he's aware of doom or stoner metal, but like I said, he's trying to keep it somewhat simple. You don't see him going into slam or avant garde....there's no need in this kind of documentary. As far as his "metal tree", we all know it's hard to agree over who falls into what category. That is the ultimate disagreement between metalheads. I think it's almost impossible to find a "true" metal tree.

 

[Vamos]

Have seen it a couple of times, it is very good.

 

[Doomguy]

"Until the Light Takes Us". It focuses mostly on Frost, Fenriz, and Varg, but it's DAMN well done.

Loved it. This was my favourite bit:

 

[Allfader]

I see what your saying, but I think Dunn is basically putting out the most well known sub genres in this doc. I'd say he's trying to keep it simple and list sub genres new or even non-metal fans could acknowledge. I'm sure he's aware of doom or stoner metal, but like I said, he's trying to keep it somewhat simple. You don't see him going into slam or avant garde....there's no need in this kind of documentary. As far as his "metal tree", we all know it's hard to agree over who falls into what category. That is the ultimate disagreement between metalheads. I think it's almost impossible to find a "true" metal tree.

But it's unnecesarily misleading. Why don't get the facts just right from the beginning, so the 'noobs' might 'learn' something useful and at the same time don't make cringe the experimented metalheads? Doom is actually the 2nd older subgenre in the existence of metal, so why to simply 'replace' it with something else when it's not necessary and useful?

Regarding the tree, I think it's the opposite: most of metalheads know what's metal and what's not, besides to know how to discern the different subgenres. It's not like Dunn had to struggle to tag bands like Sigh or Portal, he commits mistakes with well known/stablished bands, where almost there's no discussion:

-How in hell Children of Bodom and Pantera can be thrash metal?

-How can CoF be norwegian black metal when the guys are british?/why black metal should be called 'just' norwegian? (it's more simple to say black metal alone and not forget the existence of the rest of the world)

-How can Scorpions be power metal? (the first album is actually heavy metal, but power metal?)

-Why Def Leppard and Dokken are pop metal and not glam/heavy metal, when he consider Glam and not pop stuff like Skid Row and Poison?

-Opeth = 'goth metal'?

-If, according to his tree, Dunn says that 'stoner' (Doom) started in 1982, where the fuck is Pentagram? He didn't know that Trouble released a demo in 1980 and Witchfinder General did it in 1981?

 

[kingcarcas]

I saw his movie about the Maiden world tour as well, own that one on DVD. I kinda wish he could redo the whole Gaahl part because it doesn't come across the right way, people will just roll their eyes and say "See they're devil worshipers!" (Non-metalheads)

Loved it. This was my favourite bit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbo0jFUzX6k

Ahh Varg, sometimes the dude seems really cool and misunderstood, other times you are reminded he might be a psychopath. :Smokedev: There's a really funny scene in that movie, with some wannabe black metal dickhead all dressed up dancing around IIRC

It's definitely just for Maiden diehards, and I think you kinda have to have seen them live to truly get it.

Went to that tour!