Dethklok mastermind Brendon Small has had quite a year in 2023. He revived the animated band in a big way: releasing their fourth album (Dethalbum IV); dropping a feature length film (Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar) and accompanying soundtrack; and embarking on a co-headlining tour with BABYMETAL. Whoever said metalheads were underachievers?
“The way I look at it, it’s like you’re in a kitchen, and you slow cook the beef for a long time, and then in the meantime you get this ready and that ready, and then you finally flash fry some of the stuff at the very end, and you serve all the food up at the same time,” he explained to Heavy Consequence before his set at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville (watch above). “But honestly, it’s how I like to do things. I like a good challenge; I like doing a lot of stuff at once.”
And, boy, is it a lot of stuff at once, but as Small points out, it’s all in the name of a singular vision. Each piece of media, as well as the tour, are all in service of the resurrection of Dethklok, the act at the center of his Adult Swim animation Metalocalypse. The film tells the next chapter of their story, the album embodies the characters, and the tour took it all on the road. It’s just happens to be an added bonus that the tour also boasted Japanese kawaii metal icons BABYMETAL.
“They really put a lot of work into their show,” Small gushes. “Their creative director Key [Kobayashi] is a person I’m really fascinated with, because he built this whole thing too. He’s got a really amazing rhythm section that’s so tight and so great. The girls are completely lovable, they’re so charming, they’re wonderful. I smile every time I see them perform.”
The 2023 meeting of Dethklok and BABYMETAL was a celebration of the fun, theatrical side of metal — or as Small puts it, “An evening of spectacular entertainment” — all without sacrificing truly kick-ass music. Fortunately, the two acts are reuniting once again for a pair of shows in 2024, giving fans one more chance to catch the magic.
The two “BABYKLOK” shows are set to go down April 24th and 25th at The Masonic in San Francisco and will also feature DragonForce the first night and Nekrogoblikon the second. Beyond their BABYMETAL co-headlining dates, Dethklok are also gearing up for a full spring headlining run. The “Mutilation on a Spring Night Tour” kicks off on April 7th and runs through May 3rd. Get tickets to all of Dethklok’s dates here.
Watch the video above for our full conversation with Dethklok’s Brendon Small.
Trouble viewing the video above? Watch on YouTube.