Dethalbum III

Album review

Though Metalocalypse might focus on their ridiculous bombast of heavy metal, it's clear that it comes from a place of love, poking fun at the genre and its tropes in a way that only a true metal fan can. And while show creator Brendon Small might like to joke about metal, Dethalbum III, like the two installments before it, shows that heavy music is something he takes very seriously, delivering another album of the epic death metal that serves as the soundtrack for the animated series. Going along with the plot of the series, the album feels more sweeping and apocalyptic than the past two Dethklok albums, upping the stakes musically as the world of the show edges closer and closer to the series' titular end time with titanic riffs and sweeping keyboards. While it would be easy to write off Dethklok as a jokey throwaway, the truth is that the albums aren't any more cartoonish than a lot of "real" death metal bands, and even seasoned metal vets would be hard pressed to pick songs titles like "Impeach God" and "I Ejaculate Fire" out of a lineup of songs from the latest Cannibal Corpse album. While this might seem like an indictment of death metal, the care that Brendon Small takes in putting together such convincingly real albums shows his reverence for the genre, and though having an entertaining show backing it up will make Dethalbum III an easy purchase for fans of the program, it's an album good enough to stand all on its own.

© Gregory Heaney /TiVo