Metal: A Headbangers Journey
This was something you might have missed, or maybe not, as it does seem to have a cult following. It might seem a bit selfish when I read that back…but I ran across this awhile ago and am just now sharing it. I found this at a time when my wife and I were days away from expecting a baby girl…. meaning long waits and nerves. We found comfort in music, film, or between the spaces of the letters on a page. Better late than never, so I figured I’d write about the combination of the two – Music and Film! Good stuff.
If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, it’s the incredible documentary “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” from director Sam Dunn. Sam brought the feelings of being the kid that wears the Metal shirts, throws up the “Devil Horns” randomly and learns to etch SLAYER into everything… It was that initial screening and many more to follow, discovering how big, being a metal head really was. If it seems like I’m writing as if I were born before the internet… I was. I am literally “older than Google” and ticking over another year in a few days. I bring this up because our time on Earth and birthdays etc were being discussed just today. (Did you know we have a Harsh Vocals DISCORD??)
The documentary feels like its from an era when communication of our taste in music was higher up on the shelf next to magazines slapped with the Parental Warning, not because of Nudes like the Playboys next to it, but because of the “EVIL” and “Satanic Imagery”….. OR mostly because the bands were KVLT.
This gets talked about a lot on the recent Episode of “Imagery In Metal” from the HARSHVOCALS podcast linked at the bottom of this article. BUT either way, that same vibe hits when you see the dude with Patches covering the battle vest, or you attend an Iron Maiden concert for the first time, or when you realize how unique metal is. Metalheads have the same passion for music that exceeds anything else, especially when you see the flags of your brethren.
This documentary captures that vibe for me. While Sam has really shared his journey from the perspective of an Anthropology major in College, and has evolved to an award winning Producer and Executive Producer on many projects, he has always maintained his goal in discovering, explaining and sharing the universal language that is Music.
Unfortunately, “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” is not available to stream anywhere at the moment, but you can still purchase copies online.
Sam notably also Directed, “Iron Maiden: Flight 666“. Again, once you start down a rabbit hole…Heavy Metal Parking Lot anyone?
So to this I tip my hat, Salute, or just plain old shout “YOU RULE SO HARD” to Sam.
Check out Episode #18 of the HARSHVOCALS Podcast that I mentioned, linked down below – let it roll right into Episode #19 because it’s the left hand to the right. So grab the snack, drink or bong rip…and enjoy!
Until next time 🙂 Stay Metal-n-stuff \m/
-Simon Hernandez
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