Metalocalypse, on Cartoon Network
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This is about a death metal band called Dethklok. They're so rich and popular that... um... well, I guess everything they do has a major effect on the world economy. Or something. But there's some kind of secret society called "the Tribunal," which takes an interest in them, wants to stop them or something. I guess they're concerned about an ancient prophecy involving an "apocalypse of metal." But the Tribunal doesn't seem to do much of anything, just talks. A bit. The one who seems to run the meetings of the Tribunal is Senator Stampingston, though the one with final say in all matters seems to be the mysterious Mr. Selatcia. Another member is General Crozier, who often wants to take more drastic action than Selatcia will allow, much to Crozier's frustration. And... there are other members of the Tribunal, most of whom are never heard speaking.

As interesting as all the prophecy and secret society stuff is, the show is mostly just about the band, who are completely oblivious to all that stuff. And in fact they're oblivious to almost everything that doesn't immediately concern them. They're mostly concerned with their music, and being "metal" or brutal or whatever. But they're completely unequipped to handle any part of their lives themselves, from mundane stuff like shopping, to planning concerts or working on albums. They have great ambition, but they're pretty self-centered and would rather just do whatever they feel like at any given time, which is often ridiculously extravagant. They spend tons of money, never even give it a thought. They drink alot, and swear alot, and they have like an army of "Kloketeers" who serve as anything from roadies to security guards. And there's lots of violence and death on the show.

Anyway, the show was created by Brendon Small, of whose work (chiefly Home Movies) I'm a fan. He also voices the band's singer and leader, Nathan Explosion. Other characters in the band include Pickles and Skwisgaar, both of whom Small voices, plus Toki and William Murderface, who are voiced by someone else. Small also voices the band's manager and lawyer, Charles Foster Ofdensen, who seems to know alot more than he lets on. He may, for example, be aware of the Tribunal, and he seems to be keeping the band in the dark about that. But also he's in charge of pretty much every detail of the band's lives and career. He has to nag them alot, but without him, everything would just fall apart.

And I don't know what else to say. Except that I'm not a huge fan of the show, but it can be fairly interesting, and amusing, and I look forward to learning more about all the mysterious stuff that's going on, or whatever. It does seem to get cooler each season. And I did buy the Dethalbum (deluxe version). The first one, that is; I may get the second at some point. And I've had thoughts of writing things like a song about the show (set to the tune of "Tom's Diner"), and I had an idea for a fanfic that would involve a competing ancient prophecy, involving an apocalypse of anime rather than of metal... but so far I haven't done anything like that....