Dethklok - The Most Popular Fake Band Since Spinal Tap

Their album sold thirty-four thousand copies in its debut week, according to Billboard.com, (1) and the deluxe edition of their album has already sold out. On the official album site Dethalbum.com, the lead singer Nathan Explosion promised that they were printing more copies of the deluxe edition. (2) The success of their album has lead to a tour, and as Blabbermouth.net reports, they will open for ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Our Dead and "will include free shows at twelve U.S. colleges". (3)

Not bad for a band that doesn't technically exist.

Dethklok is an animated band that is the focus of the Adult Swim series Metalocalypse, the channel's most popular show since Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The band consists of five sadistic, stupid, metal musicians who deal with typical band situations (creating albums, dating, jealousy, product endorsements) and bizarre ones (raising ancient demonic trolls, replacing employees who have died violent deaths, being the most popular band of all time). The band's unusual popularity (fans willingly sign "pain waivers" releasing the band of any responsibility of any injuries they might get during a show; IGN.com has a copy of the "official waiver") (4) has led to a tribunal council to track their every move and attempt to destroy or at least undermine the band.

The band is made up of five strange characters; Nathan Explosion, the lead singer, Skwisgaar Skwisgelf, who plays lead guitar, Toki Wartooth, rhythm guitar, William Murderface, bass guitar, and Pickles the drummer. Their backgrounds are somewhat murky, but in the episode "Dethfam" it's revealed that their family history ranges from seemingly normal (Nathan), unsavory/neglectful (Pickles, Skwisgaar), to horrific (William Murderface) and bizarre (Toki). The band's dynamic is that of accepted abuse toward each other (after an onstage fight in "Performance Klok" Nathan states that he doesn't care if the band members hate each other, but that the fights cost too much). Still, they state that they care about each other whenever they give mini interventions; when Pickles reunited with former band Snakes and Barrels, Dethklok members drunkenly confessed their jealousy to him before the doomed show in "Snakes and Barrels". When Toki spends time with an obnoxious "rock and roll clown", the band tries to talk him out of his new friendship. Also, whenever a band member is threatened to be kicked out, at least one other member disagrees with the move (Skwisgaar objecting to ejecting/murdering Toki in "Dethkids"; Nathan, Pickles, and Murderface refusing to vote Toki out when Skwisgaar wants to kick him out in "Dethlessons").(5)

Dethklok is also incredibly stupid, but Nathan is the only one who openly admits to it ("Go Forth and Die"). The band members lack common sense or simply don't care about most things, such as the well-being of others (fans, employees, their family members). Their odd beliefs, such as Murderface believing he's a good speller when he's clearly not, and Toki being unaware that they can fire their employees, has made Metalocalypse a quotable hit with comedy fans. (5) (A search for "metalocalypse quotes" comes up with over seven hundred results on Google.)

Brendon Small is, according to his Wikipedia page, the co-producer and co-writer of Metalocalypse and also provides the voices for Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles the Drummer, and Nathan Explosion. (6) The Wikipedia Dethalbum page lists him as providing "vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards" for the album. (7)

Since Dethklok isn't a real band, the tour will be played by Brendon Small, Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller, and Gene Hoglan, listed on Bryan Beller's website, and according to fansite Dethklok.org, "We'll be playing along with a huge video screen, in an extended episode of the show." (8)(9)

With big sales in DVDs of the first season, CDs (regular and deluxe versions), and an anticipated tour, Dethklok is swiftly becoming one of the most significant shows on Adult Swim, garnering fans of animation, comedy, and metal music. It's doubtful that they'll become as utterly popular as they are on Metalocalypse, but they've become a legitimate music act...an accomplishment virtually unheard of for cartoons (the "Bartman" craze aside). Time will only tell how far Dethklok fans will go to see and hear their favorite cartoon metal band.

SOURCES:

1 - "Rascal Flatts Races To No. 1 In Debut-Heavy Week" By Katie Hasty, Billboard.com. October 03, 2007. (http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003650421)

2 - Official Dethalbum Page (http://www.dethalbum.com/)3 - "DETHKLOK Tour Dates Announced" Oct. 15, 2007 (http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=82821)

4 - "Interview: Dethklok" (DETHKLOK CONCERT "PAIN WAIVER") by IGN Staff, IGN.com (http://tv.ign.com/articles/718/718760p3.html)

5 - "List of Metalocalypse episodes" Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metalocalypse_episodes)

6 - "Brendon Small" Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendon_Small)

7 - "The Dethalbum" Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dethalbum)

8 - Bryan Beller website (http://www.bryanbeller.com)

9 - "Dethklok.org - Your #1 Site for Dethklok Info and News" (http://www.dethklok.org/wp/)