From the subject matter of lyrics and cover art, to works like 1995 amateur horror romp 'Death metal zombies' and Brendon Small's rightly celebrated series 'Metalocalypse,' the intersection of horror, metal, and cinema is an enormous one. As with horror-westerns, the chief question on hand when it comes to "metal-horror" cinema is how thoroughly the two facets will be blended. Both must be recognizable and significant on their own, yet for the combination to be meaningful it must result in a feature that couldn't exist in any other fashion. To the credit of filmmaker Michael Kuciak, he makes swift work to lay the metal foundations first and foremost - an appearance by death metal legends Incantation, references to contemporary metal web sites, allusion to "THE Fleming" (no, it's not actually Rasmussen, but fans see the wink), debates about labels of musical subgenre, and more. With those roots firmly established, the horror kicks in almost as quickly. The result isn't perfect, but the hard work and spirit that went into 2023's 'Death metal' are as apparent as the skill, intelligence, and earnestness of the participants, and this is really fun!
Blasts of unnerving noise, flashes of nightmarish imagery, grisly practical effects and special makeup, and finely orchestrated stunts: this may not be a major production, but the imagination that went into making it a gnarly, jarring experience was no lesser for it. From superb sound design, Dan Gutschmidt's fabulously sinister original music and soundscapes, and Kuciak's sharp, precise, mindful editing, to rich, deliciously insidious tangible creations, and excellent costume design, hair, and makeup - not to mention splendid art direction - everything here looks and sounds terrific. All is bent toward shaping the picture into a serious slice of horror, something beyond the cheeky romps and horror-comedies that we often see when metal adjoins cinema. And as far as I'm concerned, it's a fantastic success! To my great pleasure, I'm hard-pressed to identify especial points of criticism. The production values may be a tad bare-faced, lending to a flat, sterile image, and there are moments when the most substantial effects betray the artifice; then again, the latter is nothing that we don't also see in big studio fare. Otherwise the contributions that everyone made here are sincere and stupendous, and 'Death metal' is truly much better than I could have hoped.
I'm not saying this is a top-of-the-line must-see. Purists might well point out nuances that show this is no project of Rick Baker or Stan Winston. The most visible names in the cast are musicians from a real-life band that won't be known to anyone who hasn't already had exposure to the underground scene in at least some small measure; for all the credits under Kuciak's belt, none necessarily claim household recognition. Yet the physical fabrications really are marvelous, and they far outnumber those instances of post-production wizardry (which aren't the best, but not the worst, either). There comes a point where some of the underlying ideas of those visuals recalls 'Hellraiser,' and specifically 'Hell on Earth,' which is a high compliment if you ask me. Not all the actors are on the same level, but all give honest performances, and for the most part I'm genuinely impressed with what they offer in these eighty-three minutes. Shadia Martin definitely stands out most to me with a strong, dynamic portrayal of real range, yet KateLynn E. Newberry, Nico Zahniser, Stefanie Barber, and Ray Goodwin, among others, all fully and wholeheartedly embrace the wicked extravaganza of the movie, and I can only congratulate them. And while Kuciak can't boast of any broad renown, nevertheless I think his direction is rather outstanding - very smart and professional, and molding 'Death metal' into a full-fledged, honest-to-goodness, highly entertaining trip of metal-horror that's sick and twisted in all the ways that metal heads and horror buffs alike want.
The tale stirs together notions we've seen before, yet whips them into a form that's undeniably its own creation. A complete, compelling narrative is rounded out with characters that are reasonably well written, some well-considered dialogue, and robust scene writing that may be the real key here as it lays the groundwork for the violence, imagery, and committed intense acting to follow. Well and truly, for my part I'm delighted by just how good this film is. The proliferation of film-making technology and streaming sites on the Internet have led to a glut of titles in the past fifteen years or so, some of it so desperately lacking in any apparent effort or care that one is led to fear for the future of the medium. Under such circumstances it's only reasonable to be very cautious in 2023 about a niche project like 'Death metal,' and my expectations were mixed to low when I sat to watch. Happily, those expectations have been handily surpassed, for Kuciak, his cast, and his crew put together a reverent, respectable piece that reflects how much they all believed in the affair, and how much energy they poured into it. The results speak for themselves, for as far as I'm concerned this is among the better horror flicks I've watched this year. It may not wholly demand viewership, and I can appreciate that it won't appeal to all comers. Yet whether one enjoys metal music, or horror, or is just looking for a good time, I'm well of the mind that this is a feature well worth checking out. My glad, hearty recommendation!
