Metal Evolution – The Lost Episode: Extreme Metal

Posted in: Blog, Metal Evolution, News | 8 Comments | Posted on September 14, 2012 by Lana

In 2011 Banger Films released the biggest-ever series on the history of heavy metal and hard rock, Metal Evolution. Based on Banger’s groundbreaking “Heavy Metal Family Tree,” the series explored over 40 years of metal history – from Early Metal and Shock Rock to Thrash and Nu Metal. Following metalhead-turned-anthropologist Sam Dunn, Metal Evolution took viewers on an unprecedented journey to over 30 countries on 4 continents to interview 300 of metal’s most respected musicians including Alice Cooper, Bruce Dickinson, Slash, Lemmy, Lars Ulrich, Tom Morello and members of Van Halen, Deep Purple, Slayer, Lamb of God and many more. The series was a huge success, hitting #1 on VH1 Classic (US) and MuchMore (Canada), and broadcasting on networks in the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Brazil, India and elsewhere.

Despite this success, metal fans around the world claimed there was one glaring gap in the series: There was no episode on metal’s most underground sub-genre: Extreme Metal…

For many metal fans, Extreme Metal is heavy metal. Since its emergence in the mid-80s, extreme metal has pushed metal to its sonic and aesthetic edge; bands like Death, Morbid Angel, Carcass, Entombed, Darkthrone, Dimmu Borgir, Opeth and many more combined guttural vocals, blast beats and lyrical themes of death and the occult to create metal’s most transgressive offshoot. Though deeply underground, extreme metal is not an obscurity: It is metal’s motor of innovation and continues to thrive today.

However, Extreme Metal was considered too extreme for some TV networks so Banger has come up with a different way to turn “The Lost Episode” into a reality.

We’re launching an IndieGoGo campaign. We’re appealing to the international metal community to help raise the funds to create the Extreme Metal episode. Contributors’ support will send Sam on a global journey from San Francisco and Tampa to the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden to investigate the history, myths and intricacies of extreme metal. Sam will unravel the lineage between Extreme Metal’s divergent branches – Death Metal, Grindcore and Black Metal – and meet with the sub-genre’s most influential sonic architects: Possessed’s Jeff Becerra, Celtic Frost’s Tom G. Warrior, Morbid Angel’s Trey Azagtoth, Emperor’s Ihsahn, Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt and dozens more. The result will be an unforgettable portrait of metal’s fastest growing sub-genre.

So in the name of Extreme Metal, please help us make this episode happen!

www.indiegogo.com/ExtremeMetal

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505693022 Adam Korchok

    And Doom Metal!? You can’t possibly claim to tell the whole story without mentioning the first form of heavy metal.

  • Whenspurs

    i think you should do a whole series on the other genres, much like the first series and possibly provide insite as to where all he genres may lead in the future, including metal band pranching of into electronic style music etc…

  • http://www.facebook.com/lordofrobin Robin Ottosson

    Lol, to extreme for some channels????

    Showing 1000′s of murders, kidnaps and raping on primetime is ok, but showing a part of music history with milions of fan is to much for em.

    Imagine showing a documentary about wars and not include WW2 coz some people may be offended by it. That would be just as bad. 

  • kelhard

    Hope they don’t forget to add “A*al C*nt” (aka “AC”) to the list of extreme metal bands to be covered.

  • Juice

    First I must say that I liked how Finnish metal was ”praised” in the series through Nightwish, Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica in the Power metal episode. I also understand that the program is, in the lack of a better word, biased to please North American viewers, so European metal doesn’t get to play so big a role, and mostly only the really big and noticeable European and other non-American bands get recognized.

    However, in Scandinavia alone there would be stories of metal evolution for a few whole episodes. If and when an extreme metal episode comes to production, and Sweden and Norway are already on the list of countries to visit, it shouldn’t be a big step to visit also Finland. These three countries have most metal bands per capita in the world, and just like the other two, Finland also has very strong extreme metal scene, with Children of Bodom, Barathrum and Swallow the Sun just to mention a few. The history of Finnish metal alone is like a cinderella story from Sarcofagus. Zero Nine and Tarot, through Stone and Sentenced, to Finntroll, Korpiklaani and H.I.M, not to forget the bands already mentioned earlier; From underground to main stream in only 20-or-so years.

    So, if you decide to make a detour to the Eastern Scandinavia, you’re very welcome to visit Finland!

  • http://www.facebook.com/yuta.seino.35 Yuta Seino

    They make a movie of “Extreme metal” If you are, please come to Japan means.
    Because the band was a strong influence, such as “SOB” and “GISM” in Japan, the “extreme metal” exists.
    In addition, Japan has many female fans can see the world, that of the “Gore Grind” and “Death Metal” also to my friends there are many women love.
    For a movie made ​​of you, will be very meaningful surely taken in Japan.

  • Tassiejeeper

    what about metalcore they didnt say anything about it yet acknowledged it in the metal tree

  • CelticLacuna666

    Please do not forget Goth Metal and bands like Yob too and Industrial Metal as well.