It's a tough time for Metal fans as we find ourselves stuck at home with no live shows to look forward to any time soon. I'm guessing a mosh pit is probably not the best place to be in these crazy times. Fortunately, there have been plenty of music documentaries over the years on the subject of hard rock and Metal. So as you're gonna be stuck home for a while, we have compiled a list of 5 great Metal documentaries to keep you rocking.
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Although this video is relatively short, it is an entertaining history snap shot nonetheless. Heavy Metal Parking lot captures a bunch of youths in the mid 80's outside a Judas Priest concert when Metal music was at the height of it's popularity. Tons of young fans in garrish spandex and dirty denim profess their love for Metal and how other types of music “belong on Mars.” This is worth a watch alone just to witness the pure chessy awesomeness of a young fan known as “Zebra Man.”
Until the Light Takes Us
Black Metal may be the most notorious music genre on the entire planet. Murder, Satanic panic and the church burnings in Norway in the early 90s were enough to frighten the public and gain plenty of media attention. Until the Light Takes Us includes plenty of “Who’s Who” interviews with many prominent members of the “True Nrweigen Black Metal” scene. Members of Mayhem, Darkthrone and even Count Grishnackh himself, convicted murderer Varg Vikernes recount the early days of the Black Metal scene. Even if you are not a fan of extreme metal, this is a fascinating watch.
Heavy Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey
Sam Dunn has produced some of the greatest Heavy Metal documentaries of all time. His first effort, A Headbanger’s Journey is a great film to introduce to any friend of yours that may question your love for Heavy Metal Music. Dunn takes an anthropological look at the musical general as he interviews everyone from Bruce Dikinson to Ghaal of the Black Metal group Gorgoroth. This is a great introduction to the Metal's fanicating world of past, present and future.
The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years
Years before director Penelope Spheeris would fim the classic comedy Wayne's World, she introduced the world to the incredible Decline of Western Civilization documentaries. The first film focused on the punk and hard core scenes of the early 80's while the second was about the Glam Metal scene that was happening on LA's famous Sunset Strip. Debacuhery, drugs and sex are abountant in this film as Spheeris interviews members of KISS, Dokken, W.A.S.P and upcoming bands that hope to make it in an already over crowded scene. Surprisingly, Dave Mustaine, frontman of Megadeth seems to be one of the most put together, down to earth artists featured here. Chris Holme’s (of W.A.S.P) drunken pool interview is worth the price of admission alone.
Metal Evolution
Sam Dunn takes what he did with Headbanger's Journey and turns it up to 11, Literally. In this 11 part documentary series, Dunn expands on what he did with his first film and does an in depth examination for most subgenres of Heavy Metal. His interviews here help answer how Metal evolved from one genre to the next, how the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) gave birth to Thrash, how Thrash gave birth to Death Metal and so on. Almost every Heavy Metal hero makes an appearance in this series from members of Deep Purple, Metallica, Slayer, DIO and even Lemmy give their input and stories as Dunn travels the globe.
