Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey is a thought-provoking documentary directed by Sam Dunn and co-produced by Scot McFadyen and Jessica Wise that follows the journey of Canadian anthropologist, Sam Dunn. This 31-year old metalhead has been passionate about heavy metal music since his tender age of twelve and embarks on a mission to explore the various aspects of the music, its culture, controversies, and its immense popularity among fans.
The documentary takes an in-depth look at different subgenres of metal including New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), power metal, Nu metal, glam metal, thrash metal, black metal and death metal. It also provides viewers with a visual representation in the form of a family tree type flowchart which helps to make it easier to understand the subtle yet important differences between these genres.
The film makes sure to touch upon every aspect of heavy metal culture such as taking us on a trip to Wacken Open Air festival where we get to witness first hand the sheer passion that hundreds of thousands show for their favorite genre of music or an analysis from Dee Snider about PMRC attacks on heavy metals and how it affected the scene overall. It goes even further by introducing us to some members from Norway’s Black Metal bands who are very open about their Satanic beliefs.
If you are interested in learning more about heavy metal music or if you simply enjoy documentaries then Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey is definitely something you should consider watching. The film not only provides insight into different types of heavy metals but also sheds light on various issues regarding its culture and even its controversies while providing some great insight into why this genre continues to be so popular over time.
