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The 28 Best Documentaries About Heavy Metal

Feb 3, 2024 | Best Of , Music

Imagine a world without heavy metal. No screaming guitars, no thunderous drums, no headbanging crowds. It’s a bleak picture indeed. But thanks to the magic of documentaries, we can experience this genre in its rawest form. Whether you’re a die-hard metalhead or a curious onlooker, these films will take you on a journey through the history, culture and impact of heavy metal. So buckle up and get ready to headbang your way through these 28 must-watch documentaries about heavy metal. From iconic bands to controversial controversies, we’ve got it all covered. So crank up the volume and let’s dive into the world of heavy metal! So get ready to experience the raw energy, passion, and grit of this genre like never before. Let’s unleash the power of heavy metal through these riveting documentaries.

1. BLACK METAL (1998) Documentary Belgium (with ENG subtitles)

Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that originated in Norway in the early 1990s. It is known for its dark and aggressive sound, often featuring fast tempos, shrieking vocals, and unconventional song structures. The lyrics often focus on anti-Christian and occult themes. The documentary BLACK METAL (1998) takes us on a journey through the history and evolution of this controversial music genre. Directed by Bill Zebub, a self-proclaimed “anti-christian” filmmaker, the documentary provides an in-depth look into the origins of black metal and its impact on society.

2. Metal Evolution – Extreme Metal

The documentary series “Metal Evolution” is a comprehensive look at the evolution of heavy metal music, exploring its various subgenres and their origins. One particular episode that stands out is “Extreme Metal”, which delves into the extreme and controversial side of metal. From the aggressive growls and blast beats of death metal to the dark themes and Satanic imagery of black metal, extreme metal has always pushed the boundaries of what is considered acceptable in music. The documentary features interviews with notable musicians such as Tom Araya of Slayer, Chuck Schuldiner of Death, and King Diamond of Mercyful Fate, who discuss the origins and influences behind extreme metal.

3. 90´s Thrash/Death Metal

In the 90s, a new wave of heavy metal emerged – thrash/death metal. This sub-genre of metal took the world by storm with its aggressive and fast-paced sound. It quickly gained a dedicated following and became one of the most influential movements in music history. At its core, thrash/death metal combines the raw intensity of thrash metal with the brutal aggression of death metal. This fusion creates a unique sound that is both powerful and chaotic.

4. METAL EVOLUTION ALBUMS — At the Gates’ Slaughter of the Soul documentary

The world of heavy metal has always been shrouded in mystery and controversy, with its loud sounds and eccentric musicians. But beyond the noise lies a genre that has captured the hearts of millions around the world for decades. And what better way to understand the evolution of this unique music culture than through documentaries? One film that stands out is “Metal Evolution: Albums – At the Gates’ Slaughter of the Soul”, which delves into the making of the iconic album by Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates. Released in 1995, “Slaughter of the Soul” became a pivotal album in shaping the sound and direction of heavy metal.

5. The History of Metal Blade Records on Its 35th Anniversary

Metal Blade Records is a legendary label that has been at the forefront of heavy metal music for over 35 years. Founded in 1982 by Brian Slagle, this record company played a significant role in shaping the genre and launching the careers of some of the biggest names in metal. From its humble beginnings as a one-man operation to becoming one of the most influential labels in the industry, Metal Blade Records has truly left a mark on the history of music.

6. Headbangers Ball Uncensored (documentary)

Metal music is more than just a genre, it’s a culture. With its high-energy guitar riffs, thunderous drum beats and piercing vocals, metal has captivated audiences since its inception in the late 1960s. But beyond the music itself, there are many fascinating stories to be told about this subculture. From the wild antics of rockstars to the political and social issues addressed in their lyrics, metal documentaries offer a glimpse into the world of this intense and often misunderstood genre. One standout documentary that delves into the history of metal is “Headbangers Ball Uncensored”.

 7. Meshuggah – Making of Koloss

Meshuggah is a Swedish extreme metal band known for their complex and heavy music, incorporating elements of death metal, thrash metal, and progressive metal. They have been credited as one of the pioneers of the Djent movement, characterized by heavily rhythmical guitar riffs and polyrhythms. In 2012, Meshuggah released their seventh studio album “Koloss” to critical and commercial success. The album’s sound and production were praised by fans and critics alike, but what many may not know is the creative process behind the making of this masterpiece.

8. AC/DC – FULL CONCERT (“Rock Or Bust”-Worldtour) – Berlin 2015 – Multicam-Mix

AC/DC is a legendary Australian rock band that has been rocking stages all over the world for over four decades. Known for their high-energy performances, electrifying guitar riffs, and iconic stage presence, AC/DC has become a household name in the world of heavy metal. One of their most iconic concerts to date was their “Rock Or Bust”-Worldtour in Berlin, Germany in 2015.

9. When Metal Ruled The World 80’s LA Sunset Strip Story

The 1980s was an iconic era for heavy metal music, and nowhere was it more evident than on the infamous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. From packed clubs to sold-out arenas, this documentary takes us back to a time when metal ruled the world. With bands like Mötley Crüe , Guns N’ Roses, and Poison at the forefront of the scene, the Sunset Strip was a hub for all things loud, wild, and rebellious.

10. Metallica – VH1 All Access Spotlight (2003

Metallica – VH1 All Access Spotlight (2003) takes a deep dive into the world of heavy metal music through the lens of one of its most iconic bands, Metallica. This documentary provides an up-close and personal look at the band’s rise to fame, their struggles and triumphs, and their impact on both the music industry and their legions of fans. Through exclusive interviews with band members past and present, as well as archival footage and behind-the-scenes footage, this documentary paints a comprehensive picture of Metallica’s journey.

11. Metallica – Band Interview on Fuse Uranium (2003)

Metallica – the name alone is enough to make any heavy metal fan’s heart race. This iconic band has been at the forefront of the metal scene for over three decades, and their influence shows no signs of slowing down. But what makes Metallica so special? How did they become one of the biggest names in metal? In 2003, Fuse Uranium released a documentary featuring an in-depth interview with the band.

12. Metallica – MTV Headbangers Ball / Milton Keynes (1993)

In the summer of 1993, Metallica took to the stage at Milton Keynes Bowl for a legendary performance that would go down in history. This was no ordinary concert, but rather a unique experience captured by MTV for their popular show, Headbangers Ball. With their larger-than-life presence and explosive energy, Metallica delivered an unforgettable setlist that left fans in awe.

13. Metallica – Complete TV News Reports & Interviews Collection (1986-1992)

Metallica is a household name in the world of heavy metal music. With their iconic songs and energetic performances, they have captured the hearts of fans worldwide. But what is even more fascinating than their music is the story behind it all. The documentary titled “Complete TV News Reports & Interviews Collection (1986-1992)” takes us on a journey through Metallica’s rise to fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

14. Metallica – MTV Rockumentary 2 (1996)

Metallica has been one of the most influential heavy metal bands since their formation in 1981. From their debut album “Kill ‘Em All” to their latest release “Hardwired…to Self-Destruct”, they have left an undeniable mark on the genre and music industry as a whole. In 1996, MTV released a documentary about Metallica titled “MTV Rockumentary 2”.

15. Death metal doc.

Death metal, the genre that has been often misunderstood and criticized for its aggressive sound and controversial lyrics. Yet, there is a whole world of culture and art behind this music style that many are not aware of. That’s where documentaries come in. Exploring the depths of this subculture, documentaries have shed light on death metal in a way that only true fans can truly appreciate.

16. Metal Mythos – IRON MAIDEN

Iron Maiden has become synonymous with heavy metal, captivating fans worldwide with their epic sound and larger-than-life stage presence. But how did they rise to fame and become one of the most iconic bands in the genre? The answer can be found in “Metal Mythos: Iron Maiden,” a documentary that delves into the band’s history and legacy. Narrated by music journalist Sam Dunn, “Metal Mythos: Iron Maiden” takes viewers on a journey through the band’s early days in London to their massive success in the 80s and beyond.

17. Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice In Chains – Clash Of The Titans MTV Special (1991)

For all metalheads out there, we have got a treat for you! The Clash of the Titans MTV Special from 1991 is a must-watch documentary that will take you on a journey through the world of heavy metal. Featuring some of the biggest names in the industry like Megadeth , Slayer, Anthrax and Alice In Chains, this documentary is packed with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and epic performances. The 90-minute special was filmed during the Clash of the Titans tour, which was a collaboration between Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.

18. Rock Icons Dave Mustaine

Rock music has always been known for its rebellious spirit, raw energy, and larger-than-life personalities. Among the many legends within this genre, one name stands out – Dave Mustaine. Mustaine is a living embodiment of heavy metal’s attitude – fierce, unapologetic, and always ready to push boundaries. His journey from a troubled childhood to becoming the front man of one of the greatest metal bands in history is nothing short of remarkable.

19. Top 10 Important Albums in Heavy Metal History

Heavy metal is a genre of music that has been evolving and gaining popularity over the past five decades. From its humble beginnings in the late 1960s to its current status as a global phenomenon, heavy metal has captured the hearts and minds of millions of fans worldwide. And with this popularity comes an abundance of documentaries that explore the history, culture, and impact of this genre on society.

20. Pantera  – Headbangers Ball Interview with Phil Anselmo & Rex Brown – London, UK (1991)

In 1991, Pantera, a heavy metal band from Texas , was at the peak of their career. Their groundbreaking album “Cowboys from Hell” had just been released and they were about to embark on a world tour. Little did they know that one stop on this tour would become the subject of an iconic documentary that would give fans a raw and unfiltered look into the world of heavy metal.

21. Pantera – Interview Dimebag & Vinnie on MTV`s Headbangers Ball in 1996

In the mid-90s, heavy metal was at its peak. And one band in particular was leading the charge – Pantera. With their aggressive sound and explosive live performances, they had become a force to be reckoned with. And in 1996, they sat down for an interview on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, giving fans a glimpse into the world of Pantera.

22. Pantera interview (Japanese TV 2000)

Pantera is one of the most influential heavy metal bands in history. Their unique blend of groove, aggression, and technical skill has spawned countless imitators and cemented their legacy as icons of the genre. In 2000, the band was invited to appear on a Japanese TV show for an exclusive interview. This rare footage captures Pantera at the height of their fame, as they discuss their music, influences, and the impact of heavy metal on society.

23. Pantera – “Headbangers Ball” Interview with Phil Anselmo & Vinnie Paul

In the world of heavy metal, few bands have had a lasting impact like Pantera. With their aggressive sound and uncompromising attitude, they dominated the scene in the 1990s and early 2000s. But what really set them apart from other bands was their authenticity and raw talent. One particular moment that captured this essence was their interview on “Headbangers Ball” with lead vocalist Phil Anselmo and drummer Vinnie Paul.

24. Metal Hammer 1986 Party feat Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Thin Lizzy etc.

The year was 1986, and the heavy metal scene was at its peak. The air was filled with electrifying energy as the biggest names in metal gathered for an epic party hosted by Metal Hammer magazine. This legendary event brought together icons like Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Thin Lizzy, and many more for an unforgettable night of headbanging and chaos. The venue was packed with die-hard fans, eagerly waiting to witness their favorite bands in action.

25. LEMMY 2005 Interview for Headbanger’s Journey

Lemmy Kilmister, the legendary frontman of Motörhead, was known for his gravelly voice and energetic stage presence. He was also a beloved figure in the heavy metal community, revered for his uncompromising attitude towards life and music. In 2005, Lemmy sat down for an interview with Sam Dunn, the director of the documentary “Headbanger’s Journey”. The film explores the history and culture of heavy metal music, and Lemmy was the perfect subject for it. In this interview, Lemmy shares his thoughts on what makes heavy metal so special.

26. BEST METAL OF 1984 as chosen by you –  Overkill Rewind

1984 was a pivotal year for heavy metal, with countless bands releasing groundbreaking albums that would shape the genre for years to come. From thrash to power metal, this was a time of innovation and creativity in the world of heavy metal. And who better to highlight the best releases of 1984 than the fans themselves? In Overkill Rewind’s latest documentary, we take a trip back in time to revisit the most unforgettable metal albums of 1984 as chosen by you, the dedicated metalheads.

27. Dave Mustaine – Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction

Dave Mustaine is a name that heavily resonates with the heavy metal community. From his time as the lead guitarist and co-founder of Metallica to his success with Megadeth, Mustaine has become an iconic figure in the world of heavy metal. But with such fame comes many stories – some true, some exaggerated, and others completely fabricated. That’s where the series “Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction” comes in, where Dave Mustaine has been a guest twice to debunk some of these myths and set the record straight.

28. Slayer – The early days of SLAYER

From the streets of Los Angeles emerged a band that would go on to become one of the biggest names in heavy metal – Slayer. Formed in 1981, this iconic group rose to fame with their aggressive sound and unapologetic lyrics. The early days of Slayer were marked by intense energy and a desire to push boundaries. Their first album, “Show No Mercy”, released in 1983, was a bold statement of their raw talent and gave fans a glimpse into what would become their signature sound.

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10 Essential Heavy Metal Documentaries You Need to Watch Now

The somewhat recent success of the N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, demonstrated that extreme music can be of extreme interest to audiences.

And so, we've opted to take a look at some great metal movies. Of course, there aren’t too many heavy metal biopics out there (other than maybe this one), so instead, here are 10 artist-specific documentaries that are definitely worth your precious time. Grab the popcorn.

10. Ozzy Osbourne: God Bless Ozzy Osbourne

Despite being co-produced by Ozzy’s son Jack, this film takes a surprisingly candid look at the Prince of Darkness. The stories recounted by former band mates like Bill Ward and former tour mates like Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee are, as would be expected, hilarious and often debased. But it’s the interactions between Ozzy and his family, and the examination of his decades-long battle with drugs and alcohol, that are the heart of the movie.

9. Anvil: Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Even people who aren’t into metal fell hard for this hard-luck story about an early Eighties Canadian act who became almost-famous, only to spend the next two decades slogging it out in virtual obscurity. Fittingly, since the release of the film Anvil have enjoyed more success than they ever did in their prime, releasing new albums, touring extensively and playing shows with the likes of AC/DC.

8. Motley Crue: Uncensored

A promo-video-plus-behind-the-scenes footage collection, ‘Uncensored’ stands as a gloriously decadent documentation of glam metal in its mid-Eighties heyday. Wanna know what the Sunset Strip scene was like? Look no further than one Vince Neil being interviewed half-naked…as he’s surrounded by well-endowed women…and having a drink…in a pool…that’s in the back of a limousine.

7. Lemmy Kilmister: Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch

Lemmy, as they say, was a God. This documentary shows you why.

6. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster

Metallica has been maligned and even ridiculed over the years for their employment of a “performance-enhancing coach” to work out issues between band mates—a situation that forms the crux of much of this movie. But the fact remains that ‘Some Kind of Monster’ is a brave pulling back of the curtain by the world’s biggest metal band, who expose all their messy insides for the whole world to see.

5. Alice Cooper: Super Duper Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper might not be metal, per se, but his musical offspring—everyone from Marilyn Manson to Rammstein to Rob Zombie—certainly are. What’s more, this excellent 2014 documentary, which features amazing archival footage of the ‘Coop in action, demonstrates that, in his prime, he just may have been the scariest of them all. Just ask the poor chicken who had the misfortune of encountering him onstage…

4. Cannibal Corpse: Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years

This three-hour-plus documentary of the seminal death metal act’s first two decades is shockingly inclusive, with home-video footage of seemingly every step in their long, trailblazing and often disgusting career. As Ice-T aptly puts it in one of the many talking-head appearances, “Yo! This is some crazy shit right here!”

3. Pantera: 3: Watch It Go

The Cowboys from Hell certainly raised plenty of it onstage. But as their home videos attest—and none more so than ’3′—the insanity continued basically everywhere else. Among other antics, witness the band members, along with crew and friends, destroy dressing rooms and cars, play of juvenile pranks on one another, and do plenty of drinking and puking—and in one case, even shitting in the woods.

2. Iron Maiden: Flight 666

Iron Maiden’s 1985 ‘Live After Death’ concert film stands among the greatest live metal videos of all time. So how to top it? By producing another onstage doc that not only includes incredible live performances, but also footage of your singer flying the entire band from massive show to massive show on their own private plane—cheekily dubbed Ed Force One.

1. Celtic Frost: A Dying God

This 2008 doc, directed by Swiss journalist Adrian Winkler, follows Celtic Frost on their 2006-2007 reunion tour in support of their final studio album, ‘Monotheist.’ In addition to capturing the rejuvenated band live onstage across Europe, Japan and the U.S., there’s also plenty of interview segments with Thomas Gabriel Fischer and Martin Ain about the history and then-present state of the influential group. But the real bonus is awesome archival footage of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost in their early days, including an entertaining interview/live performance segment from Swiss television in 1985.

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Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.

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See Trailer for New Documentary Focused on E Street Band’s Steven Van Zandt

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Steven Van Zandt will be in spotlight of a new documentary centered on the career of the E Street Band rocker and The Sopranos actor.

Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple will first premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival before heading to HBO on June 22. 

The first trailer for the Bill Teck-directed documentary showcases many of Van Zandt’s musical peers who praise the guitarist in the film, including Paul McCartney, Eddie Vedder, Bill Wyman, Bono, Darlene Love, Joan Jett, Peter Gabriel, and, of course, Bruce Springsteen .

“He was a great performer, great songwriter, great producer,” Springsteen says in the trailer. “We were so close, I just wanted him near me. He just became my rock n’ roll brother, instantly.”

“A portrait of a true renaissance man and passionate activist, Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple chronicles the artist throughout his remarkable career while illuminating the influential and enduring legacy he continues to have as a fervent champion of rock ‘n’ roll and social justice.”

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Disciple also digs into Van Zandt’s work as an activist, notably his role in protesting Sun City in apartheid-era South Africa. “There’s something unique in rock in the way that it communicates emotion, inspiration, and motivation,” Van Zandt says in the trailer.

Later this year, Van Zandt will also appear in the documentary  Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band , which goes behind-the-scenes of the E Street Band’s tour preparation process, premiering on Hulu and Disney+ this October.

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There was a time that when we wanted to see our favorite heavy metal band in concert, we had to wait for them to come to town. Thanks to technology however, we can now stream great shows and heavy metal concerts from the comfort of our own home whenever we feel like it. Here are some of the best heavy metal documentaries available on streaming services that are a must-watch!

“Black Sabbath: Up Close and Personal”

When most think about the beginnings of heavy metal, they usually think of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. The documentary is a mix of live concerts through the years with radio and television interviews with Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Glenn Hughes, Geezer Butler and some of their musical peers.

Some call Black Sabbath the Godfather of heavy metal, along with Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 and released their first album in 1970. The documentary chronicles how the band inspired heavy metal fans for over 30 years. It also discusses how the band got through drug and alcohol abuse, changing band members, and industry problems they encountered for so many years. "Black Sabbath: Up Close and Personal" is available on Amazon Prime and Vudu.

“Metal: A Headbanger's Journey”

“Metal: A Headbanger's Journey” is an in-depth look at the history of heavy metal. The documentary's producer, Sam Dunn, is a lifelong heavy metal fan and an anthropologist that has studied different cultures. The documentary examines the heavy metal music culture, explaining the popularity of the music and why its fans are ridiculed for their love of this music.

The documentary has numerous interviews with heavy metal artists like Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Tony Iommi, Tony Morello, James "Munky" Shaffer, and Dee Snider. There is also plenty of music detailing the history of metal, starting with the early metal bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. The documentary goes through the evolutions of the genre that include shock rock, punk rock, power metal, new wave, pop-metal and hard metal. "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" can be streamed on Apple iTunes.

“Metal Evolution”

Another Sam Dunn production presents 11 episodes of the evolution of heavy metal. Using his familiar family tree of heavy metal first shown in “A Headbanger’s Journey”, Dunn takes us from early metal through all phases of the musical genre. Season 1 can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Apple iTunes with the following episodes:

• Early Metal: US Division
• Early Metal: UK Division
• New Wave of British Heavy Metal

Season 2 can be streamed on Apple iTunes with the following episodes:

• Power Metal
• Progressive Metal

“Metallica: Through the Never

“Metallica: Through the Never” is a live concert by Metallica that takes place in 2013. It was originally a 3-D film that first came out for IMAX Theaters and there is a theme or a story that takes place throughout the live concert. The story begins with Trip, a roadie who has been sent on an urgent mission to meet a disabled truck and find an item of importance. The mission that Trip is sent on turns into a bizarre adventure.

The story can be confusing to follow, but the live concert is excellent. The film includes 15 songs performed live that include “For Whom the Bell Tolls," “Ride the Lightning," “The Memory Remains," “Wherever I May Roam," “And Justice For All," “Nothing Else Matters," and “Enter Sandman.” "Metallica: Through the Never" can be streamed on Netflix US, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

“Anvil! The Story Of Anvil”

Released in 2008, “Anvil! The Story Of Anvil," is a documentary about the Canadian heavy metal band ANVIL. The documentary begins in the 1970s when two Jewish teenagers, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner, meet at their Toronto high school and start the band ANVIL. During the 1980s, they did gain a loyal following of fans but never made it as big as other heavy metal bands.

Among their fans were Metallica and Guns ‘N’ Roses, who credited ANVIL as their inspiration. Even though they never made it as big as some of their peers, they never gave up. After the success of their 1982 album, “Metal on Metal," things went downhill. The documentary finds the two men as they work day jobs while continuing with the band. “Anvil! The Story Of Anvil” can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

“The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years”

The Decline of Western Civilization Part I” was filmed between late 1979 and early 1980 and focused on the Los Angeles punk rock scene. Part II focuses on the Heavy Metal scene of the mid to late 1980s, and how the music changed in Los Angeles when glam metal was popular.

Some of those interviewed include Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Lemmy and WASP. Watching both parts is an interesting documentary about how the decade of the 1980s began and ended. The documentary can be streamed on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

“Super Duper Alice Cooper”

Alice Cooper fans will enjoy this 2014 documentary that chronicles the history of what some call the father of shock rock. Alice Cooper and his high school friends started playing together around 1967. They got their first big break in 1969 when they opened for John Lennon at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival.

Shortly after, in 1971, they recorded their first big hit “I’m 18” followed in 1972 with “Schools Out.” The documentary features plenty of interviews along with still photos and vintage video clips. “Super Duper Alice Cooper” can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream’ on Paramount+, A Docuseries That Recalls The Heady Daze Of Hair Metal’s Moment In The Sun

Where to Stream:

• I Wanna Rock: The '80s Metal Dream
• music documentaries

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Fallen Idols: Nick And Aaron Carter’ on Max, A Docuseries Detailing Sexual Assault Allegations Against the Backstreet Boy

Bad vibrations: ‘the beach boys’ documentary is mike love propaganda, stream it or skip it: ‘lainey wilson: bell bottom country’ on hulu, a get-to-know-her special about the ‘yellowstone’ star and country singer, stream it or skip it: ‘camden’ on hulu, where music megastars talk about the decades-long influence of the north london neighborhood.

In the three-part docuseries I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream ( Paramount+ ), musicians whose different backgrounds and entry points into the music industry put them on a collision course with the MTV-addled hair metal universe of the early 1980s discuss what it was like to break into that scene, how it felt to be inside the maelstrom, and all of the feels that came after, once hair metal’s Aqua Net sheen completely wore off . The ‘80s Metal Dream features interviews with Janet Gardner of Vixen, Kip Winger, Skid Row co-founder and guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, and hard rock lifer John Corabi, and includes commentary from additional musicians and music journalists.  

I WANNA ROCK: THE ’80s METAL DREAM : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?  

Opening Shot: The roar of the crowd, and the stage lights’ hot white glare. “Open up and say ahhh ….” only this isn’t Poison’s platinum second album from 1988. It’s the orthodontic chair in the office of once rocker, now dentist Janet Gardner. “Most of my patients have no idea that I was ever in a band, or any of that.”  

The Gist: Intercut with shots of her work as a dentist and a contemporary interview is archival footage of Gardner as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Vixen, the all-female rockers whose 1988 single “Edge of a Broken Heart” remains a resonant slice of hooky hair metal euphoria. They take the stage at Spring Break ‘89 to cheers from a raucous crowd full of shirtless dudes in promotional Budweiser painter’s caps and women in mirrored shades, and Gardner’s immaculate Scorpions tour shirt would probably sell for thousands in today’s online vintage clothing shops. “We were all part of that hair metal scene,” Gardner says of the era. “It was like all of a sudden being in the major leagues.” 

With clubs like the Roxy and Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles as its epicenter, and tracked by the barometer of cool that MTV used to be, hair metal’s popularity went international in the early 1980s. Sunset was the magnet for Gardner and people like John Corabi, a singer and guitarist for a string of bands that eventually included Motley Crue. “Everybody was trying to get the most attention, trying to get that elusive record deal.” But for musicians like Snake Sabo, who formed Skid Row in his native New Jersey, or Kip Winger, who was based in New York City, hair metal was the biggest thing the music industry had going, and they wanted in, too. In Sabo’s case, it helped to be childhood friends with Jon Bon Jovi, whose band was already huge.

“MTV was a visual medium,” Dee Snider says in The ‘80s Metal Dream , “and they were quickly scurrying around to find bands that were visually interesting.” It was therefore ideal that heavy metal already valued visual representation as much as it did sonic power. Leather, chains, androgyny, and teased-out and sprayed-up hair became the norm on the network, along with screaming guitar solos and shouty choruses. And hair metal bands were securing record deals right and left. This was their shot, a chance to really make it, to stand out from every other band on the club circuit. And it was all happening. But as The ‘80s Metal Dream details, all of these rockers learned some hard truths about Music Television being the fickle master of their dreams. “We became the darlings of MTV,” Kip Winger says. “And then, you know, soon after that, everyone started hating us.”

What Shows Will It Remind You Of: Gunpowder & Sky, the production company behind I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream , also teamed up with MTV Studios for the three-part Paramount+ doc Sometimes When We Touch , which explored the mid-70s sound of what these days is often referred to as yacht rock. And Dee Snider and Riki Rachtman also appear in When Metal Ruled the 80s , a four-part Peacock docuseries that follows a similar arc to ‘80s Metal Dream . And of course, when it comes to the creme de la creme of hair metal docs, there’s nothing quite like The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years .

Our Take: The media landscape of the mid to late 1980s was overtaken by hair metal, whether it was in popular magazines like Hit Parader, metal-focused music video and interview shows like Heavy Metal Mania on MTV, hosted by Dee Snider, and its successor, Riki Rachtman’s Headbanger’s Ball , or the massive world tours that packaged heavy hitters like Bon Jovi and Motley Crue and The Scorpions with hair bands just on the come up. Penelope Spheeris’ groundbreaking documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years appeared in 1988. And yet, as the storyline of I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream makes clear, it was all over by 1991, when MTV and the music industry set their sights on Nirvana, grunge, and the alternative music explosion. Hair metal’s story, and how it was silenced by Kurt Cobain’s anguished scream, has been told before. But the route that ‘80s Metal Dream takes to do it, with profiles of the various personalities who made their way into the scene, is an effective one, because it personalizes their efforts to achieve what any musician of any genre wants. Like their peers, they just wanted to be heard. Everything else that came with it, from the hairspray to the increasingly absurd outfits and antics, was just part of being on that rocketship.

The contemporary interview segments in ‘80s Metal Dream really stand out, because of this perspective. But the docuseries also scrounges up some pretty incredible visuals that help set the scene. Kip Winger and friends pulling long hours in a New York recording studio. Tracking shots of the crowds outside the clubs on Sunset, preening for the camera in the familiar manner that would inform their Instagram reels or TikToks if it was happening today. And in one stretch of tape, the early moments of Snake Sabo and Skid Row rehearsing with their new lead singer, a nineteen-year-old tall drink of water in leather pants and wild hair named Sebastian Bach, whose audacity and unpredictability personified what it meant to be a rock star in that era.  

Sex and Skin: “Who didn’t wanna be there?” Janet Gardner recalls of the rock clubs on the Sunset Strip in LA, because if you could draw a crowd, you could get a record deal. And what John Corabi remembers was that crowd having all of the looks. “Wall to wall palm tree hair, long jackets, girls in lingerie, fishnet stockings, high heels, and dudes with as much makeup on as their chicks.” 

Parting Shot: Part two of The ‘80s Metal Dream will focus on what came next as musicians’ longing for rock stardom manifested. “Getting signed, we knew that was a huge step,” Gardner says. “But then when it really happened, it’s kind of like, well what does this actually mean?” And Snake Sabo describes it as a reality check. “You picture champagne being opened, and this atmosphere of celebration for your lifelong dream. And it was not that.” 

Sleeper Star: A notable nugget of comparison here is author Craig Williams’ breakdown of flyer culture in the 1980s. 8 ½ x 11 and pasted onto a pole, they were the one-stop social media promotional tools of the age. “You would try to find a color that nobody else was using. You had to have a really good photo – sort of sexy, or menacing – and then you’d have the name of the band, so you’d need some sort of interesting logo, and hopefully you’d have some dates scheduled if you weren’t a total poseur. And then a ticket hotline, where people could call and it’d be like ‘Hey this is Tommy from Paradise, and we’re gonna rock your ass.’” Shouldn’t hotlines to call and reach a promotional recording from a band make a big comeback? Is Cameo looking for a new revenue stream?  

Most Pilot-y Line: Van Halen were the influencers of their day. Music journalist Katherine Turman says getting established early and already having a full-fledged look and sound gave the Pasadena rockers a leg up. “Van Halen had the template,” Turman says over archival footage of Eddie Van Halen finger-tapping with a lit cigarette stuck in the tuning pegs of his signature red, white, and black Frankenstrat. “The shredding guitarist. The outrageous frontman with the hair. Never would I have called them metal, never would I call them hair metal. But an influence on every single band that was metal that came afterwards, for sure.” 

Our Call: STREAM IT. I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream focuses on the individual perspectives of a cross-section of musicians to tell its story, along the way revealing the look and feel of the hair metal scene, as well as its trajectory as it grew, went gonzo, and eventually got crushed by grunge.

Johnny Loftus is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift. Follow him on Twitter:  @glennganges  

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Hairspray. Spandex. Leather pants. Makeup. The ‘80s metal scene left a long and lasting legacy, and the stories of five of its top artists are told in “I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream.”

Paramount+ has announced that the new three-part docuseries will premiere exclusively on the service on Tuesday, July 18 in the U.S. and Canada and internationally on Wednesday, July 19 in the U.K. and Australia, with further international markets to follow later this summer.

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●    Ep 101 – “I Wanna Be Somebody”

As ’80s metal sweeps America, five rockers set out to make it in the world of hair spray and spandex.

●    Ep 102 – “Headed for Heartbreak”

Metal has been taken to new heights. As our rockers become stars, they battle personal demons, sexism – and even Congress.

●    Ep 103 – “Smells Like Change”

From country to grunge, the world’s taste in music is changing, and every metal musician is fighting for survival. Some will make it, some won’t … but all will be changed forever.

The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios in partnership with Gunpowder & Sky. Directed and executive produced by Tyler Measom. Produced by Van Toffler. Executive produced by David Kennedy, Nick Quested, Rick Krim, Matt Shay, Matt Weaver, Floris Bauer, Barry Barclay and Joanna Zwickel. Bruce Gillmer, Michael Maniaci and Vanessa WhiteWolf executive produce for MTV Entertainment Studios, with Jennifer Yandrisevits serving as Senior Director of Production.

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Behold! The greatest heavy metal documentary of all time!

Looking for something to watch? This classic 1989 BBC Arena documentary starring Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Metallica and more has it all

Since it began in 1975, the BBC's Arena programmes have prided themselves on producing "gold standard" documentaries on the arts. And in 1989, it turned its sights on the musical phenomenon that had arguably ruled the decade: heavy metal.

Originally shown on BBC Two as part of their Heavy Metal Heaven Night , presented by Elvira , the simply-titled Heavy Metal tried to get under the skin of metal music in all its guises, with amazing live Clips of Motorhead , Iron Maiden , Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath , Metallica , Deep Purple , Steppenwolf , Megadeth , Napalm Death and more.

But maybe best of all are the interviews, an all-star cast that includes Jimmy Page , Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler , Dave Lee Roth , Axl Rose , Bruce Dickinson , Lars Ulrich , Tom Araya , Napalm Death and the late Malcolm Dome , with talk about the roots of metal, the meaning of codpieces, deafness, the devil and everything in between.

Witness a slightly pickled Jimmy Page play Kashmir unplugged, go backstage at The Monsters of Rock festival of '88, and – for some reason – watch Bruce Dickinson sword fight and then demonstrate a crazy new invention: the exercise bike. 

As you would expect of Arena, it's well produced, funny and insightful, with great footage of metal clubs and the hordes of Castle Donington. Not forgetting a snarky Axl Rose.

Interviewer: "Have you got anything in common with Iron Maiden?"

Axl: "I hope not."

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Is it the greatest heavy metal documentary ever made? Well, that's still probably The Decline Of Western Civilization Pt 2 , or Sam Dunn's epic Metal Evolution series, but it's damn close. 

Tom Poak has written for the Hull Daily Mail, Esquire, The Big Issue, Total Guitar, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and more. In a writing career that has spanned decades, he has interviewed Brian May, Brian Cant, and cadged a light off Brian Molko. He has stood on a glacier with Thunder, in a forest by a fjord with Ozzy and Slash, and on the roof of the Houses of Parliament with Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham (until some nice men with guns came and told them to get down). He has drank with Shane MacGowan, mortally offended Lightning Seed Ian Broudie and been asked if he was homeless by Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch.

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Damian Kolodiy’s four-part documentary film, ‘Immortal Soul: A Riot Tribute and Concert Film Series,’ is now available!

February 7, 2024 Marko Syrjala Hard Rock , Heavy Metal , Industry News , Metal News 0

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Damian Kolodiy is pleased to announce the release of his new documentary film project on the New York City-based hard rock/metal band Riot, titled “Immortal Soul -A Riot Tribute & Concert Film Series.” This four-part documentary mini-series explores the history and archives of the different eras of the band Riot, spotlighting specific live performances from each era. It will function as a video encyclopedia of Riot’s 50-year career, currently known as Riot V.

Riot was a Rock ‘n Roll band formed in the mid-1970s in Brooklyn, NYC. By 1980, the band was poised to make it big and toured with many of the heavy hitters of the day. But poor management and bad timing created the perfect storm of missed opportunities for what should have been the East Coast’s Van Halen. The band continued carrying on into the 21st Century in various formations, with the only constant being founder and lead guitarist/songwriter Mark Reale . A cult fan following exists today that is extremely passionate about Riot’s musical legacy and believes the band deserves significantly more recognition. This 4-part documentary mini-series will explore the history and archives of the different eras of the band, spotlighting specific live performances from each era. The film centers around the Keep It True traditional heavy metal festival in Germany, where interviews with Riot fans, young and old, illustrate this passion for the band. “Immortal Soul” also features interviews with longtime Riot members Don Van Stavern and Mike Flyntz , as well as “New York Rock” author/historian Steven Blush and Keep It True Festival founder Oliver Weinsheimer . The final chapter of the series tells the origin story of the current-day formation of the band Riot V and how they are well suited to carry on the musical legacy of founder Mark Reale for a new generation of fans.

Chapter 1 focuses on the first era of Riot, which started in Brooklyn, NY, in 1975 with singer Guy Speranza . By 1980, the band was poised to make it big and toured with many of the heavy hitters of the day. But poor management and bad timing created the perfect storm of missed opportunities for what should have been the East Coast’s Van Halen. The film also explores the Keep It True traditional heavy metal festival in Germany, where interviews with Riot fans, young and old, illustrate the passion for the band.

Chapter 2 starts with the second era of Riot with singer Rhett Forrester . The film showcases music from that time and tells how the band disintegrated following the Born In America tour in 1984. The documentary then examines in detail how Riot came to be reborn several years later as a power metal band with their seminal comeback album “Thundersteel” and comments on the challenges the band faced in the late 1980s. The film also explores the Keep It True traditional heavy metal festival in Germany, where interviews with Riot fans, young and old, illustrate the passion for the band.

Chapter 3 illuminates Riot’s 90s era with vocalist Mike DiMeo and their change to a more bluesy, melodic metal sound style, which at the time was referred to as “Riot Metal.” This Chapter is a unique opportunity to see intimate behind-the-scenes footage of Mark Reale in action in the studio, as well as Mike Flyntz and Mark Reale’s dancing dueling guitar displays. We also hear from Mark about finally breaking away from his old management and production company.

Chapter 4 starts in 2009 with the Thundersteel lineup reunion and the release of the Immortal Soul album, followed by the sudden and tragic passing of Riot leader and founder Mark Reale. After much deliberation, the remaining members, Mike Flyntz and Donnie Van Stavern, decided to continue bringing the music to the people. In-depth interviews with each illuminate how they decided to move forward and carry the Riot legacy on while looking toward the future. All the stories come full circle: the evolution of the sound and style, the passing of the torch to various band lineups, the story of the new generation of fans, and framing the musical output and legacy of one of the greatest American heavy metal bands of all time!

The  “Immortal Soul: A Riot Tribute & Concert Film Series”  was released in four parts in January 2024 on the NYC ROCKS TV YouTube channe l . Each chapter premiered on Saturdays at  8:00 PM Berlin time  (2:00 PM New York time) and was accompanied by a live chat with the producer and director,  Damian Kolodiy.

A Trailer and the four film parts can be found at www.nycrocks.tv/

Check also:    NYC ROCKS TV YouTube channel.

*** Riot/Riot V guitarist Mike Flyntz was recently the guest on the New York Hardcore Chronicles Live Show with host Drew Stone and co-host Joel Gausten along with filmmaker Damian Kolodiy in a refreshing and in-depth journey through Mike’s career and all things Riot: the long and checkered history of the band, moving on after the death of band leader Mark Reale, the upcoming release of the new Riot V Mean Streets album, and the new documentary film project “Immortal Soul.” ***

• Bobby Jarzombek
• Damian Kolodiy
• Donnie Van Stavern
• Guy Sparzanza
• Mike Flyntz
• Rhett Forrester

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Moving Pictures: The 15 Greatest Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Documentaries

[mtvn_player vid="1166837" autoplay="true"]

The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years (1988)

Watch: Chris Holmes, live from his pool.

In 1981, director Penelope Spheeris’s The Decline of Western Civilization electrifyingly chronicled the L.A. punk scene, filming bands such as Black Flag , X, and Fear during their brief-but-bright heyday of dominating L.A.’s music scene.

Spheeris then returned seven years later to reveal those same streets awash in hair mousse, leopard-print spandex, and Headbanger’s Ball hopefuls as glam metal had completely taken over the territory.

With deadpan brilliance, Decline II intercuts interviews with ambitious poodlehead musicians (such as the guy who guarantees success for his own flashy ensemble, Wet Cherri), groupies (like two fleshy sexpots in captain’s hats and wraparound shades who assure us, “All women are bisexual!”), club owners (Riki Rachtman and Bill Gazzarri make indelible impressions) and big-ticket superstars both on the rise ( Poison , Vixen ) and deeply entrenched ( Ozzy , Kiss , Lemmy, Alice, Aerosmith ).

Decline II also showcases live performances from Faster Pussycat and a series of also-rans (London, Seduce, Odin) leading up to a ferocious final send-off from Megadeth .

The one scene for which Decline II is forever remembered, though, is a tragically uncomfortable interview with W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes while he bobs on a float in a backyard pool, insanely intoxicated. Slurring through descriptions of himself as hopeless, worthless, and alcoholic, Holmes caps the moment by dumping the contents of a vodka bottle over his head. Meanwhile, sitting a few feet away and looking understandably distressed, is Chris Holmes’s long-suffering mom. Fortunately he survived and is still around making more embarrassingly bad videos .

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2003)

Watch:  Metallica: Some Kind of Monster  trailer

Metallica has not come by the title “the band most hated by its own fans” easily. Serious rumblings began in 1991 when the group transformed from hardcore thrash to commercial alt-metal with Metallica aka “The Black Album.” Then they cut their hair and delved deeper into mainstream rock with Load and Re-Load . That was followed by ugliness around fans downloading Metallica’s music via Napster.

Finally, Metallica inflamed even their staunchest defenders with the documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster , a simultaneously infuriating and mesmerizing chronicle of the recording of the group’s single most despised album , St. Anger .

The group brings in a Cosby-sweater-adorned “life coach” to talk them through their differences. Guitarist James Hetfield claims his addiction recovery enables him to work only scant and ludicrously specific hours. Drummer Lars Ulrich gloats over selling his multimillion-dollar modern art collection. Megadeth mastermind and original Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine sits down to discuss how the band brutally fired him in the early ’80s.

Witnessing Hetfield and Ulrich act like entitled jerks in Monster remains one of cinema’s supreme masochistic pleasures. The irony, however, is that once the smoke from Monster and Anger cleared, fans viewed through group with fresh affection. For the biggest hard rock band of all time to allow themselves to come off looking so petty and rotten only qualifies as brave. Some Kind of Monster humanized Metallica, and the years since have been good for all involved—both on-stage and in the pit.

Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (2005)

Watch:  Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey  trailer

Anthropologist and heavy metal fanatic Sam Dunn combines his life’s passions to combustive effect in Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey .

Accompanied by (off-camera) co-directors Sam Dunn and Jessica Joy Wise, Dunn travels the world and explores the entire scope of heavy metal from its ’60s hard rock origins, up through Black Sabbath and all they wrought in the ’70s, and then on to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, power metal, speed metal, glam, thrash, death metal, black metal, nü metal. You get the picture.

Dunn also makes sure you get the sounds, too, as well as insights from metal-makers on the order of Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Lemmy, Tom Araya, Randy Blyth, and numerous other superstars the movie expertly interviews.

Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and its 2008 follow-up Global Metal established Dunn and his Banger Films company as the reigning go-to documentary team of extreme hard rock. Numerous other Dunn efforts appear on this list ( Iron Maiden: Flight 666 , Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage , Super Duper Alice Cooper ). Also be sure to check out Dunn’s brand new documentary series, VH1 Rock Icons , which premieres this Saturday, February 21st at 10/9C.

Anvil!: The Story of Anvil (2008)

Watch: Anvil!: The Story of Anvil trailer

Anvil spent the 1980s on the cusp of breaking through to heavy metal stardom. Anvil!: The Story of Anvil is the documentary that finally pushed the much-respected, once long-forgotten group over the edge to true metal icon status.

Led by enormously and instantly likable vocalist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner (a name that only confused some viewers who thought Anvil! might be a metal mockumentary homage to This Is Spinal Tap , which was directed by actor Rob Reiner), Anvil spends much of the movie flailing and failing to find that one last step that will set them on the comeback trail.

By the end, Kudlow, Reiner and company find their way, resulting in a powerfully moving final moment and a great, acclaimed documentary that delivered an overlooked ’80s group to getting its 21 st century due.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot (1986)

Watch: Heavy Metal Parking Lot

Heavy Metal Parking Lot consists of seventeen minutes of camcorder-shot headbanger high jinks during the tailgating pre-concert party outside a Judas Priest show in the D.C. area. It is pure, uncut heavy metal joy.

As an underground videotape that got passed around metal and punk circles in the VHS days, the endlessly quotable Heavy Metal Parking Lot spawned its own array of cult stars. There’s Graham who explains his name is “like a gram of dope.” There’s the shirtless David Lee Roth enthusiast who wears a Star of David pendant between his suspenders. A couple of cutely clueless female groupies who announce, in thick Baltimore accents, that if they were to meet Priest vocalist Rob Halford, they’d “jump his boo-ones.”

Finally, we come to Zebra Man. The verbose, feathery-mustached interview subject, named for his animal print ensemble, launches into one of cinema’s great freestyle diatribes, saying: “Heavy metal definitely rules! Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, Dokken. All that punk s—t sucks! It doesn’t belong in this world, it belongs on f-----g Mars, man! What the hell is punk s—t? And Madonna? Madonna can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. She’s a dick!”

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (2009)

Watch: Iron Maiden: Flight 666 trailer

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 hops on board Ed Force One, the group’s private jumbo jet that’s actually piloted by frontman Bruce Dickinson, and follows along on the first leg of Iron Maiden ’s 2008 worldwide tour.

Dickinson is a charming guide, but the movie’s real strength arises from the fans we meet along the way. Brazilian priest Marcus Motolo, for example, is covered with 162 Maiden tattoos and works the group’s music into his every sermon, earning him the nickname “Father Iron Maiden.”

The Brazil visit also introduces Bruno Ismael Zalandiuskas, a concertgoer who catches drummer Nicko McBrain’s tossed drumstick and, for 38 incredibly moving seconds, weeps uncontrollably, moved by how Iron Maiden’s music has enriched his entire life.

As the Palaces Burn (2014)

Watch: As the Palaces Burn trailer

A tragic mishap during a 2010 Lamb of God show in the Czech Republic resulted in a stage-diving teenage fan dying a couple of days after the concert. The Czech government then charged Lamb of God singer Randy Blyth with manslaughter, saying he pushed the fan off stage which led to the head injury that killed him.

As the Palaces Burns documents the remarkable Mr. Blyth and his outrageously courageous decision to return to Eastern Europe for a trial, after being released on bail, in hopes of clearing his name. Even if you know the final verdict going in, Palaces is tense, suspenseful, and superbly moving as it depicts a determinedly sober man heartbroken by the death of a young fan laying his own life on the line in pursuit of justice—both the heavy metal kind and otherwise.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010)

Watch:  Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage  trailer

Everything anyone could ever want to know about Canada’s supreme prog-metal power trio Rush gets answered and expanded on by the group themselves in Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage .

From their Libertarian politics and passion for science fiction to coming off as groupie-averse nerds while touring with Kiss to only growing more popular the weirder their records got to being longtime critical whipping boys to addressing the rapping skeleton in their “Roll the Bones” video, Rush laughingly and candidly lays it all out here.

Even normally interview-averse drummer and lyrical mastermind Neil Peart opens up. In fact, he addresses his reluctance to press flesh with admirers even more directly than he does in the song “Limelight.” Calling himself “the world’s biggest Who fan” as a kid, Peart adds “it never occurred to me to go knock on their hotel room door.” Remarkably, this statement comes off as reasonable rather than standoffish. That’s the power of both Rush and Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage .

Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest (1992)

Watch:  Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest

In an effectively no-frills manner, Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest lays out the facts of a 1990 trial centered on a double suicide attempt (only half of which was successful) five years earlier, the central issue of which was whether the teens involved were motivated by backward messages on a Judas Priest album.

The movie shockingly introduces James Vance, the survivor, by showing him smoking a cigarette. Vance blew off most of his face with a shotgun on the fateful evening when he and a pal were listening to Priest’s “Better by You, Better Than Me.” As a result, smoke emerges from numerous places on Vance’s head where it shouldn’t.

From there, Dream Deceivers delivers the trial straight-up, the highlight of which is Priest vocalist Rob Halford being ordered to hit high notes, a capella, on the witness stand. It would all be very funny, as the group members remind us, if one kid hadn’t killed himself and the other barely survived, only to die a few years later.

Last Days Here: Pentagram (2012)

Watch:  Last Days Here: Pentagram  trailer

Indisputably, Alexandria, VA cult rockers Pentagram  were doom metal pioneers and have influenced the genre and countless bands. What’s up for debate is whether their legend is heightened or diminished by frontman Bobby Liebling—the group’s one consistent member—continuing to screw up in every conceivable manner and thereby keeping his music forever on the fringes.

The enthralling Last Days Here: Pentagram opens with long-time drug-and-alcohol enthusiast Liebling in horrifying condition. Skeletal, ghost-white, and virtually too weak to properly pivot his head on his neck, Liebling makes the immediate impression that there’s no possible way he’ll be alive by the end of the documentary.

Last Days Here , however, plays out Pentagram’s fascinating saga in all kinds of unexpected directions. Just when it seems to end with a triumphant comeback concert, Liebling delivers a final revelation that’s certainly awash with joy, but it also raises immediate questions along the lines of, “What is this maniac going to do next?”

Super Duper Alice Cooper (2014)

Watch: Super Duper Alice Cooper trailer

Alice Cooper is the godfather of heavy metal, punk, shock rock, glam, theatrical rock, and countless other cultural subgenres and offshoots that continue to emerge from his influence.

Super Duper Alice Cooper lovingly but unflinchingly traces the various rises and falls in the former Vincent Furnier’s career, from Frank Zappa protégé to Detroit rock brawler to global superstar to washed-up drunk, all within a decade.

The movie also takes us through Alice’s getting clean and coming back to endure as one of rock’s all-time most affable superstars—a guy with a giant snake around his neck who’s as at home flinging a live chicken into a crazed audience as he is singing a duet with Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show .

Heavy Metal in Baghdad (2007)

Watch:  Heavy Metal in Baghdad  trailer

The Vice -produced Heavy Metal in Baghdad goes behind “enemy” lines to capture the story of Acrassicauda, a metal power trio just trying to rock in Iraq around the time of the U.S.-led military ousting of dictator Saddam Hussein.

The band’s story is unique, to say the least, as is this guerilla-style documentary that’s literally shot in between bombings and under the constant threat of utter annihilation. Heavy Metal in Baghdad stands as one of cinema’s most fearless and unblinking depictions of life during wartime, as well as a testament to the power of metal to inspire human hope and perseverance. The final “f-you” moment packs one hell of a wallop.

Lemmy (2010)

Watch: Lemmy trailer

Note that there is no subtitle on the documentary, Lemmy . None is necessary. Motörhead ’s towering frontman needs no introduction, nor any explanation. Like Elvis, Lemmy’s single name says it all: here stands (and sings and sings and smokes and drinks and wails on the bass and ingests all manner of chemical quickening agents) the living embodiment of rock-and-roll.

Lemmy , the movie, takes us deep into the icon’s personal, day-to-day reality, starting with his Sunset Strip apartment that’s stunningly decorated with World War II paraphernalia (and not from the winning side), then making it to the Roxy and the Rainbow, where Lemmy happily greets fans all day and night while puffing Marlboro reds, downing Jack Daniel’s, and having a go at his favorite bar-top video trivia game.

Testimonies to Lemmy throughout his reign from space-rockers Hawkwind to Motörhead’s triumphant smashing together of metal and punk come from Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Slash, Joan Jett , Metallica, Marky Ramone , Ice-T, Joe Strummer of the Clash , and Captain Sensible of the Damned .

One real treat is that the documentary brings us up to date with Stacia, Hawkwind ’s gloriously top-heavy nude dancer now turned sassy hard rock matriarch. Another is the revelation of Lemmy as a loving, humble father, who only discovered he had a son after the kid had grown up. Pop and offspring are shown to have been tight ever since.

Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal (2006)

Watch: Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal trailer

While much is routinely made of thrash metal’s “Big Four”—Metallica, Slayer , Megadeth, and Anthrax — Get Thrashed effectively expands that number to a “Big Five” by correctly and thoroughly adding Bay Area metal masters Exodus as pioneers on par with their (right or wrong) more famous peers.

That’s just one pleasure of Get Thrashed . Others come by way of the passion displayed by director Rick Ernst, an MTV producer who worked his way up from being a Headbanger’s Ball intern. Ernst spent seven years making Get Thrashed and his patience and persistence paid off.

The movie features key players from every major thrash combo of the era, openly and happily talking about what went into the music, the scenes it inspired worldwide, and the movements that continue to arise from thrash’s legacy.

Slow Southern Steel (2010)

Watch: Slow Southern Steel trailer

Epic and intimate at the same time, Slow Southern Steel shifts the overwhelming rock journalism focus on heavy metal’s roots in England, L.A., and San Francisco to long-running and freshly explosive metal scenes throughout the United States’ deep south.

Narrated by Dixie Dave Collins of Buzz*oven and Weedeater , Slow Southern Steel interviews dozens upon dozens of down-home hard-and-heavy musicians, from top-tier hellraisers on the order of metal mavens Phil Anselmo (who says, “Let me put it this way: I only want to die in the South”) and Pepper Keenan, along with outlaw country scion Hank III, plus members of Lamb of God, EyeHateGod , Kylesa , Torche , Dark Castle , Sourvein , Zoroaster , Royal Thunder , and more.

It gets plenty hot down there.

• Album Release Calendar
• Festival Guide

30 Rock/Metal Documentaries, Movies + Shows to Binge While Self-Isolating

As the spread of the coronavirus around the globe continues to pose a threat, public health experts and government officials are preaching the importance of self-isolation to limit the rate of infection. Since you're stuck at home for a while, we're here to help you pass the time with these 30 Rock + Metal Films to Binge.

Peer into the lives of the world's most legendary rock and metal artists as well as the sounds and styles they helped create. Go back to 1973 and see what made an Alice Cooper show so revolutionary, watch the Fyre Festival documentary for the 10th time (it never gets old) or learn about the lives of the session musicians, who never get the glory.

All of the releases seen below can be streamed now on Netflix , Amazon Prime or Hulu .

It is of utmost importance to follow the World Health Organization's best practices for staying safe and limiting the spread of the coronavirus.

More From Loudwire

Raj Against the Machine - The Documentary

Raj Against the Machine is a documentary that follows the journey of Bloodywood - a relatively unknown heavy metal band from the suburbs of India that shot to fame via a few viral music videos and went on to play sold out shows across Europe, UK, and the biggest heavy metal festival of the world - Wacken Open Air, on their very first tour itself. The band had never played a live show before this tour and the documentary unveils an emotional, hilarious and nerve-wracking story of how this seemingly impossible dream became a reality.

• Consequence

Documentary About New Zealand Metal Band Alien Weaponry Features Randy Blythe and Gojira

Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6th

A documentary about New Zealand metal band Alien Weaponry is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6th.

Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara takes an “intimate deep dive beneath the surface” of the band’s “past, present and fast-approaching future,” with a particular focus on the founding brothers Lewis de Jong (guitar, vocals) and Henry de Jong (drums). Directed by Kent Belcher, the doc features appearances from metal luminaries such as Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, Gojira’s Joe and Mario Duplantier, and Testament’s Chuck Billy.

The 97-minute documentary makes it premiere on 8:45 p.m. ET on June 6th at the Village East Cinema as part of the Tribeca Film Festival and be shown at various local theaters for the duration of the festival. The premiere event will include a Q&A with the filmmakers.

“We are so excited to finally share this documentary we have been working on for years with you,” remarked Alien Weaponry in a collective statement via a press release. “The film captures our journey of navigating the world of music, showing the highlights, the hardships, and everything in between.”

Heavy Culture: Alien Weaponry on Māori Ideology, New Album Tangaroa, and Touring with Gojira

Director Kent Belcher spent six years embedded with the band and the de Jong family, and the documentary will mark his directorial debut.

“What makes our film is the family aspect,” he said via the press release. “The ups and downs, the strains of being on the road with your family and then pulling through because you’ve all got a common goal. They’re an amazing, powerful group of people and they’ve taught me a hell of a lot. I’m so privileged to be part of this. I can’t put it into words how lucky I am to have met these people, be able to film these people and then being able to learn stuff about myself. It has honestly been the best experience of my life.”

For more on the Tribeca Film Festival and to purchase tickets to the screening, visit the fest’s website . Also be sure to revisit our 2021 interview with Alien Weaponry .

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BABYMETAL 2024 U.S. tour: Presale code, dates, venues, & all you need to know

B ABYMETAL, the Japanese heavy metal band, is heading to the United States this fall for a headlining tour. The three-member band took to social media on June 4 to reveal the dates for the upcoming outing that begins on November 5 in Florida.

The Live Nation-produced tour in the U.S. supports the girl band's latest album, THE OTHER ONE , released in March 2023. Spanning over two weeks, the fall tour covers 15 cities across North America.

Tickets for the tour are now available through an artist presale that began on Tuesday, June 4. Fans can access the limited-time presale with the code 'FOXGOD.' The promoter presale from Live Nation begins on Wednesday, June 5, at 10 am EDT. The Livenation.com presale can be accessed with the code 'CHORD.'

In addition, the member-exclusive presales from select partners such as Knotfest, Spotify, Blabbermouth, and Revolver begin at 12 am EDT on Wednesday, June 5. The general sale of the tour tickets begins later this week on Friday, June 7, at 10 am EDT, and the upgraded tickets and VIP packages will also go on sale starting June 7.

Everything to know about BABYMETAL's 2024 U.S. tour

BABYMETAL will begin the headlining tour in the United States on November 5 with a concert at Florida's Hard Rock Orlando. The first concert will be followed by performances at Hard Rock Hollywood, The Fillmore in Charlotte, and The Ritz in Raleigh.

The Su-metal, Moametal, and Momometal trio will head to Washington, DC, on November 15 for a concert at The Anthem music venue. They will also take over major stages across Richmond, New York, Bethlehem, and Cincinnati.

The last few days of BABYMETAL's tour will include concerts at The Sylvee Madison in Wisconsin, Vibrant in Des Moines, and The Criterion in Oklahoma City. The band will also perform a one-off headlining concert at the Revel Entertainment Center in Albuquerque on November 30.

Following a two-day break, BABYMETAL will take over the stage at the House of Blues in Anaheim on December 3. While the Anaheim concert was expected to be the last of the tour, it has now been extended to cover a second date due to popular demand.

As such, the girl band will wrap up the fall tour with the final concert at the House of Blues on December 4. The Scene Queen , a.k.a. Hannah Rose Collins, will be supporting BABYMETAL on select dates of the U.S. tour.

While the other supporting acts are yet to be announced, Collins is confirmed to be present in Hollywood, Raleigh, Washington, Richmond, and Madison, among other dates.

The confirmed venues and dates for BABYMETAL's U.S. tour include:

• November 5 – Hard Rock Orlando, Florida
• November 6 – Hard Rock Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida
• November 12 – The Fillmore, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Wed Nov 13 – The Ritz, Raleigh, North Carolina
• November 15 – The Anthem, Washington DC
• November 16 – The National, Richmond, Virginia
• November 18 – Terminal 5, New York
• November 21 – WindStar Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• November 23 – Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
• November 24 – The SylveeMadison, Wisconsin
• November 26 – Egyptian Room, Indianapolis, Indiana
• November 27 – Vibrant, Des Moines, Iowa
• November 29 – The Criterion, Oklahoma City
• November 30 – Revel Entertainment Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
• December 3 & 4 – House of Blues, Anaheim, California

BABYMETAL's fourth studio album, THE OTHER ONE , was released on March 24, 2023. The concept album was the last for the band as a duo since Monometal (Momoko Okazaki) joined the band soon after its release.

The 10-track album comprised hits like Metal Kingdom, Divine Attack, Mirror Mirror, Maya, Time Wave, and Believing . Additional tracks Metalizm, Light and Darkness, The Legend, and Monochrome were also part of the 2023 album.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Last Days Here

Documentary follows Bobby Liebling, lead singer of seminal hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he battles decades of hard drug addiction and personal demons to try and get his life back... Read all Documentary follows Bobby Liebling, lead singer of seminal hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he battles decades of hard drug addiction and personal demons to try and get his life back. Documentary follows Bobby Liebling, lead singer of seminal hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he battles decades of hard drug addiction and personal demons to try and get his life back.

• Demian Fenton
• Bobby Liebling
• Sean Pelletier
• Diane Liebling
• 17 User reviews
• 30 Critic reviews
• 71 Metascore
• 1 win & 4 nominations

• (as Sean 'Pellet' Pelletier)

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Connections Features Pentagram: All Your Sins (2015)
• Soundtracks All Your Sins written by Victor D. Griffin and Bobby Liebling (as Robert H. Liebling) performed by Pentagram courtesy of Universal Music Publishing Group and Peaceville Records, Ltd.

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 31 minutes

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BABYMETAL Announces 2024 Tour

Special Guest Scene Queen Will Join On Select Dates

Tickets available starting tuesday, june 4 with presales, general onsale begins friday, june 7 at 10am local at livenation.com.

Today, Japanese kawaii metal band BABYMETAL announced their fall headline tour across North America, with support from Scene Queen on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 15-date tour kicks off on Tuesday, November 5 in Orlando, FL at the Hard Rock Orlando, with additional stops in Charlotte, Madison, New York, Oklahoma City and more before wrapping up on Tuesday, December 3 in Anaheim, CA at the House of Blues.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with Citi and American Express presales in select markets beginning Tuesday, June 4 at 11am ET. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, June 7 at 10am local time at livenation.com.

BABYMETAL recently collaborated with German electronicore band Electric Callboy on a new song titled, “RATATATA,” which was released May 23. The song masterfully fuses the signature styles of both bands, seamlessly blending their worlds and pushing the music to exhilarating new limits. The song was an immediate international hit, racking up over 5 million streams on Spotify in the first week. The music video amassed over 7 million views to date and was Trending on YouTube in over a dozen countries.

BABYMETAL 2024 TOUR DATES:

Tue Nov 05 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Orlando^

Wed Nov 06 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Hollywood

Tue Nov 12 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore^

Wed Nov 13 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz

Fri Nov 15 – Washington, D.C. – The Anthem

Mon Nov 16 – Richmond, VA – The National*

Mon Nov 18 – New York, NY – Terminal 5^*

Thu Nov 21 – Bethlehem, PA – WindStar Creek Event Center

Sat Nov 23 – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J. Brady Music Center^

Sun Nov 24 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee

Tue Nov 26 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room

Wed Nov 27 – Des Moines, IA – Vibrant

Fri Nov 29 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion^

Sat Nov 30 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center

Tue Dec 03 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues^

^ Support To Be Announced

* Not a Live Nation date

About BABYMETAL

In April 2016, BABYMETAL became the first Japanese artists to ever headline at the prestigious Wembley Arena in the UK. In June 2019, they performed at one of the world’s largest music festivals, Glastonbury Festival, and their appearance at this festival made headlines around the world. That same year in September, BABYMETAL embarked on their METAL GALAXY WORLD TOUR. On October 11th, 2019 BABYMETAL had a worldwide release of their 3rd album METAL GALAXY and on that same day, they had their first U.S. headlining arena show at The Forum in Los Angeles, California. METAL GALAXY ranked No. 13 on the US Billboard Top 200 (Albums Chart), largely surpassing their own record of their previous album, and ranked No.1 on the Top Rock Albums Chart for the first time ever as an Asian artist. In the UK Official Charts, the album consecutively ranked in the Official Albums Chart Top 20 from their previous album and ranked No.1 on the Rock & Metal Albums Chart for the first time in history as a Japanese artist.

In 2021, over a four month period from January to April, they accomplished a total of 10 headline performances at the Nippon Budokan called 10 BABYMETAL BUDOKAN. After a 2-year hiatus from live performances, BABYMETAL were unsealed for BABYMETAL RETURNS – THE OTHER ONE – where they performed at Makuhari Messe.

Riding the success of last year’s concept album “THE OTHER ONE”, Dance Metal sensation BABYMETAL hosted  the first edition of their very own festival FOX_FEST last month, featuring exclusive appearances by ELECTRIC CALLBOY, POLYPHIA and BILMURI. Always pushing boundaries and testing the limits of metal music, BABYMETAL are no strangers to collaborations, with recent partnerships including BRING ME THE HORIZON, TOM MORELLO and LIL UZI VERT. Before coming to the US in November, the band will be circling Europe this summer on their festival run, including a main stage appearance at the UK’s DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL.

BABYMETAL line-up:

SU-METAL – Vocals, Dance

MOAMETAL – Dance, Scream

MOMOMETAL – Dance, Scream

Follow BABYMETAL:

Official Site  |  Facebook  |  Twitter |  Instagram  |  YouTube | TikTok

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Live Nation Concerts

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]

Maya Sarin | [email protected]

Read more about

Hair metal singer goes off during concert on band that kicked him out

• Published: Jun. 06, 2024, 9:45 a.m.

Sebastian Bach, formerly of the rock band Skid Row, performs solo during the M3 Rock Fest at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, April 26, 2014, in Columbia, Md. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP) Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP

• Chris Mautner | [email protected]

Former Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach laid into some former bandmates during a recent concert in Detroit.

But it wasn’t Skid Row he was talking about, he later clarified.

According to Blabbermouth , Bach noticed during the Tuesday show that a fan was wearing a t-shirt of a group he had been in, and called him out.

“Yeah, that’s the band that kicked me out. Yeah, killer. Great. [Expletive].”

Later in the show, Bach called out someone else in the crowd that had a Skid Row shirt featuring a lineup that did not include him. Again, he made his displeasure known.

“I’m fascinated by this shirt right here,” he said. “This is Skid Row with what number singer? Seven? Eight? Nine? What number is that guy? Huh? What number? Is that replacement number seven? Or number eight? Or number nine? And before you say, ‘Well they don’t have nine,’ I can [expletive] name every [expletive] one of them. How do you even wear that? It’s like, ridiculous. Is that the guys from Dragonforce? Or [expletive] TNT? Or whatever the [expletive]. [Expletive] embarrassing.”

But the initial t-shirt Bach commented on wasn’t of Skid Row as many sites initially reported. In fact, Bach later sent out a statement saying the shirt was of Madam X, the band Bach was a member of before joining Skid Row.

“Hey internet the [expletive] never stops,” Bach wrote. “Last night in Detroit I was confronted by a dude proudly wearing a Madam X shirt. A band, whom, as you can read in my book, spit in my face and kicked me out when I was 16 years old. So I commented on that. Not mad at the guy for wearing it but not thrilled at staring at it either.”

“Then there was some goofball wearing a Skid Faux shirt staring at his phone in the front row the whole show thinking somehow that would be appropriate,” Bach continued. “If you’re gonna wear a Skid Row shirt to my show, it would be appropriate to sport the Original Skid Row. Not some other band that lasted 6 months or whatever. The music we celebrate at these shows has lasted the test of time for 35 years and will do so forever. That is what these shows are about. Come celebrate 35 years of the 1st Album ‘Skid Row’ with us. But realize this is a real rock show and you never know what’s gonna happen”.

Bach also recently took to social media to express his irritation at some of the things fans ask him to sign during meet-and-greet events.

“At meet and greets I will sign official released merchandise ONLY,” Bach wrote in a post on Threads . “Not things that have nothing to do with me like the history of hair metal or stuff like that. Also I will sign Skid Row albums with the Original 5 Members ONLY. Will not sign with any replacement members. thanks!”

Bach technically is Skid Row’s second singer, as Matt Fallon performed on the group’s initial demos.

Bach has expressed interest in reuniting with his former Skid Row bandmates, but guitarist Dave Sabo recently said that the group had no real interest in a reunion.

Stories by Chris Mautner

• Pat Sajak offers moving farewell during his final ‘Wheel of Fortune’
• Man shot, killed in parking lot of Pa. bar
• Woman claims to be missing Pa. child. Mother, state police say she’s not
• Dozens sickened in Pa. from salmonella linked to cucumbers

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MEGADETH, JUDAS PRIEST, BRUCE DICKINSON & BEHEMOTH To Headline 2024 Greece Release Festival Season

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