There have been a number of attempts to document the history of heavy metal. Many of which have been vastly incomplete, lacking perspective, and all-out butcher jobs — whether it be by self-claimed documentarians or just the fast-food equivalent of VH1 specials. Furthest away from all of that is “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey.” Directed by Sam Dunn, this smart and insightful look into probably one of the most misunderstood and understudied musical genres is a masterpiece. As a documentarian and metal “expert” myself, I can probably offer some observations to my dear blog readers that many of the dime-a-dozen music journalism hacks in current rotation might miss. So, with that…

First and foremost, I simply cannot believe that someone other than a documentarian who has also lived and breathed metal could make such a thorough film. Dunn really covers the bases, with looks at the early days of metal, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, 80s power metal, glam metal, black metal, death metal, and the list goes on. Many directors could have easily lacked the knowledge and nuance in these departments, but Dunn cuts through each with a total understanding of the subject, with great pacing and transition to boot. This man got it right.

Interlaced with the history lesson are some applicable details from Dunn’s own life as a metalhead: the ostracism in his youth from liking an unpopular music form, the thrill of interviewing his heroes, the energy and release that comes with listening to metal, and his exploration into why metal has been the whipping boy for censorship groups, angry parents, the anti-metal crowd, and the media. At every turn, you are reminded that Dunn is seriously dedicated to the music he loves, and the enthusiasm is truly there. As an extension of that, his interviews with young metal fans seemed all too familiar and even more relevant to Dunn’s own former teenage trials and tribulations. Some things simply do not change for outsider youth, regardless of the passing of the years.

I was also happy to see that he included glam metal: a contentious subject amongst more extreme metal fans who occasionally disavow this subgenre for not being part of the picture when, in reality, it really was. Plenty of apt quotes from Vince Neil, Dee Snider, and others.

Even women’s roles in metal are covered — chiefly through a segment showcasing Arch Enemy, a black/death metal band fronted by a female singer. Like many of the cutaway shots in this film, the ones during this segment of the girls in the crowd really appearing to be glad to see their gender up there on stage were particularly moving and smart. In addition to being a viewer, I also found in many parts that the documentarian in me was pointing, nodding profusely, and almost shouting, “Right THERE… THAT’S smart! THAT’S a moment!” It was clever without the pretentiousness, and revealing without the temptation to spoonfeed.

In all fairness, though, I felt the “Satanism” portion could have been better if more was discussed about actual Satanism, as opposed to largely weighting it to the Norwegian, devil worshipper, church-burner types. While such pointless vandalism is part of metal’s history, it doesn’t illustrate anything about Satanism. Luckily, we did have an appearance from Church of Satan Reverend (or “Irreverend”) Gavin Baddeley bringing in some needed clarification. Both he and Ihsahn of Emperor are the shining moments of the segment, without a doubt.

And, while on the subject of religion, a particularly revealing moment was captured during the Slayer interviews. While guitarist, Kerry King was deftly holding his own, bassist and vocalist, Tom Araya seemed a bit thrown off by being confronted with his own staunch Catholicism being juxtaposed with… well, Slayer. He simply didn’t looked prepared for that at all and, after a rather telling cut in the footage, he backpeddles and offers a lamely desperate response to the tune of it being “art.” Yeah, Tom. Take those Satan lyrics, stage-prop inverted crosses, and pentagramed t-shirts next week to confession and see what the priest has to say. Dunn nailed you to the wall and it was all too obvious to those of us paying attention. If only we could see what hit the cutting room floor from that interview.

The final segment was one I found exceptionally moving. Not so much with a minority of the audio quotes from interviewees discussing metal providing folks with what translates to a group hug, but Dunn’s narrative on why metal has never been properly grasped by the many. I won’t ruin it for you, but it gloriously punctuates the entire movie, and to the powerful strains of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” (which reminds me that the film is full of great music as either background or during transitional clips).

Needless to say, this documentary is highly recommended — not only to seasoned veterans and newbie metal fans alike, but also to those who simply never “got it.” In the latter case, Dunn’s work should prove to be quite enlightening. And leave your projection and self-generated ’superior” musical tastes at the door while you’re at it.

During the days of my teenage rebellion and frustration, I wish I could have shown this movie to some of my family and said, “See… THIS explains it all. THIS is what you never got about me!” At 15 (and, yes, that was almost 23 years ago), I would have reveled in that moment, and THAT thought captures much of the impact of this presentation for me and why I currently consider it one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. Yes, Mr. Dunn found that buried dorky metal kid in me and brought him out in all of his awkward and inexperienced glory.

Thank you, Sam Dunn for making this historical motion picture. May the Metal Gods smile upon you.

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