12.02.2008

YOU FAIL ME: DETHKLOK, DED ZEPPELIN



I am not a jaded prick but after months of deliberation, it's official: that Adult Swim show Dethklok Metalocalypse bugs me. Even though it raises the visibility of Metal in an offensively anti-Metal media climate, the show handily sacrifices its Metal credibility in exchange for goofy, thinly-sketched stereotypes masquerading as characters. Dethklok's creators hedge their bets by portraying the all-shades-of-silly members of Dethklok with considerable affection, but mostly it seems that the band's reign over Metal and Earth is the result of inspired idiocy, not sheer Metal awesomeness. Despite a few hearty chortles, I always feel dirtied by Dethklok's open appeals to people who think Metal is funny or perhaps even quote unquote like Metal but at arm's length. This is the wise move commercially speaking, fine; just don't try to tell me Dethklok is Metal when it's actually "Metal." Likewise, In Cold Blood is about murder, but the only thing Truman Capote kills is the pastry cart.

My distasteful, puckered expression during Dethklok's closing credits of must be quite similar to Robert Plant's when asked about the forthcoming Jimmy Page-John Paul Jones pseudo-Zep cashgrab tour. Via Blabbermouth:
Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant confirmed to the Birmingham Evening Mail that he would not be joining guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer Jason Bonham on the road for the proposed reunion tour. 

States Plant: "In January, I'm starting to record a new album with Alison Krauss and T Bone Burnett, but I understand that everyone's got to eat. They won't be calling it Led Zeppelin!"


2 comments:

gum said...

Coming from a metal fan, metal has no credibility. Why should it? Every time you let it sleep over you end up with a basement full of beer cans and broken glass, damn if you can remember what happened but it must have been fun. Will you list him as a reference on your next job app? Probably not, but that's not the point. Get it?

Anso said...

Hahaha totally! 100% agreed!