Review of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005) by Rajneel S — 21 Jul 2008

Fascinating and watchable documentary by anthropologist and metal-head Sam Dunn is neither a comprehensive documentary of the music genre...nor an effective beginner's guide...but is an interesting flash-in-the-pan, cross-section of the genre from a very basic point of view.

The documentary sets out to defend the genre, which it is not very successful at, but it keeps you going mainly through a wonderful collection of interviews. Highlights include the charming Alice Cooper, Bruce Dickinson and Tony Iommi who come off looking like a bunch of guys you'd love to have as uncles, James Dio who LOOKS like someone's uncle, Cannibal Corpse who prove - once and for all - that they're taking the piss and some unintentionally hysterical interviews with demented (and arguably retarded) black metal bands Mayhem and Gorgoroth.