Death to Metal

Is the kind of film that tries to scream with guttural rage but barely manages a whisper outside of its loud, leather-clad aesthetics. Marketed as a brutal dive into the underworld of heavy metal, the movie ends up being a shallow, melodramatic slog-unless you're a die-hard metalhead with encyclopedic knowledge of the genre's subcultures. Then, and only then, does the film offer its single shred of depth: a steady stream of subgenre references embedded in the dialogue like Easter eggs. If a movie's all about the music, the mix better hit harder than the plot twists. If your movie's built on metal, the mix better crush-because no one's feeling the fury if the guitars sound like a lawnmower and the drums hit like wet cardboard. It's def saved by drum equipment based murders.

Following a rough day in his life, a teenaged metal fan gets a second shot at redemption when the bands' chosen replacement gets murdered at a concert by a vicious priest deformed by toxic waste and slaughtering people at the show, forcing him to find a way to stop his misguided rampage.

There was a lot to like with this one. Among the more engaging aspects here is the central storyline involving the film being likable and relatable despite focusing on the world of religious topics and extreme music. While the common perception here about the connection between religion and extreme metal will require the film to focus on rebellious, satanic youth blaspheming anything and everything related to the church, the fact that this one goes out of the way to introduce the group as just fans of the music and present the religious priest as the insane fanatic overly devoted to his cause. That the misguided notion of perceiving everyone around him as abandoning God's will and turning the rampage into a mission statement against the sinners and non-religious after the accident makes for a rather fun time here. That fun also leads into the films' nicely staged horror scenes which are rather fun in a cheesy low-budget manner. The opening rampages against the truck driver who picks him up and then going back to the friends' house where he massacres everyone there manages to start this off on a fun note and sets the stage for the big massacre at the concert. With the area obscured enough by people uncaring about the whole affair, too stuck into the music to notice or even drugged out to the point of not bothering to notice, this section of the film is quite enjoyable with all sorts of mayhem coming together with a fantastic escape to the club out into the church which also has the fun of the killer's appearance as well as some great gore to have a lot to like with it. The film does have a few minor issues with it. The main factor here is that it spends so much time on the build-up involving the break-up and the gig at the festival that it barely makes time for the killer's motivations and backstory. The whole idea of how he transforms into a murderous being just with the toxic waste warping his perspective on the religious debauchery comes off as highly underwhelming since very little time has been given to the rampage. A stock villainous attitude to the sin and debauchery in the town that is so overplayed and stock that it doesn't register as being that original or practical anyway so the whole thing is just never developed or given any time at all. Alongside the low-budget style appearance, there are some factors here that bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Nudity, a sex scene, and drug use.

This thrash slasher dark comedy about "American Black Metal" (not NSBM) band's show gone awry is as enjoyable for a rock fan, as the Green Room or "Bill & Ted" series, despite its lower budget. Haters can find many reasons starting with blasphemy, but I recommend it to you Metal brotherhood for many reasons starting with the protagonist's background, which I can relate to, and to Sisterhood as well, if you'd like to hang out with us ;)

So the flick is lacking 5 000 000 budget to make sound as realistic and captivating as "Green Room": most action happens during a Metal gig, but this is not used to the full. However, the original music is versatile and "true", and the Lyrics+Animation comic grindcore track during the credits is hilariously NON politically-correct in a very 90s way.

The mood is very metal instead, though I've deliberately not reviewed "Bill & Ted Face the Music" of respect to 80s hair metal and coming of age movies. And though there are some great vibes in this Bill & Ted sequel, but I'd rather see them watching or participating in this gig, instead of "Grandma's Incinerator", or the protagonists being their children ;)

Speaking of which, lead actors have played their roles OK: lady has appropriate character development (for a teenage flick), and the lad could be less placid in dialogue and overall more like "Hasher" movie, though he unleashes his passion "on stage" so this looks like deliberate behaviour.

Death'91 fans would appreciate the Nemesis' appearance and there are numerous homages and references to Metalhead culture.

I knew this was going to be ultra low budget, but I didn't expect it to be such fun. The acting is really mediocre at best (with the priest being the worst) and non existent gore, except for some blood flying around. The soundtrack is great (if you, like me, actually like this music) and there are a couple of good jokes. Just turn off your brain, and enjoy the ride!

Fun super-low budget hybrid of THE TOXIC AVENGER and DEATHGASM, full of terrible acting and gore FX, some homegrown metal music, and one seriously pissed off Catholic priest. Fine way to blow 80 minutes as you await the release of the next Deicide album.