Metal Preachers

Saturday, February 28, 2009

VH1's Heavy: The Story of Metal (divx)




This is a really good doco that suffers from the way Heavy Metal is defined and (re)interpreted. It does a good job of exploring the birth and pivotal moments of metal, such as the first No 1 album, rise of the power-ballad, PMRC hearings, etc. However, it loses a lot of it's objectivity as it tracks metal's push into mainstream music. While the bands under focus are worthy metal ambassadors, the bands that barely get more than a mention unjustly lose their place in the evolution of metal (and Megadeth deserves more than a one-sentence mention!!!).

Epizode 1: Welcome To My Nightmare

Welcome To My Nightmare traces metal's roots in the late-60's in the bombed-out industrial town of Birmingham England to the spectacular rise of Kiss and "glam metal" in the early 70's.

Link's:

Part 1: click here

Part 2: click here

Part 3: click here

Part 4: click here


Epizode 2: British Steel

British Steel examines metal's growing pains during the 70's when both high-brow rock critics and punk rock threatened its very existence. By decade's end, bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard gave birth to what became known as "The New Wave of British Heavy Metal."


Link's:

Part 1: click here

Part 2: click here

Part 3: click here

Part 4: click here


Epizode 3: Looks That Kill

Looks That Kill sees metal thrive in, of all places, sunny California. Quiet Riot, Motley Crue - it's the world of metal on the sunset strip. And, keeping everyone's Jacuzzi-soaked ego in check, a little film called Spinal Tap emerges.

Link's:

Part 1: click here

Part 2: click here

Part 3: click here

Part 4: click here


Epizode 4: Seek and Destroy

Seek and Destroy takes a walk on the dark side: Guns N' Roses, Metallica, thrash, Nu metal (Korn, Limp Bizkit), and how the music and images of Marilyn Manson became associated with the Columbine massacre.

Link's:

Part 1: click here

Part 2: click here

Part 3: click here

Part 4: click here

Part 5: click here