Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey

Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey is an engaging, entertaining little documentary revolving around lifelong metalhead Sam Dunn’s efforts to determine why the genre has never fully been embraced by the mainstream. The movie also acts as a primer on metal’s history, and features interviews with dozens of well-known (and not-so-well-known) figures – including Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Rush’s Geddy Lee, and Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson. Dunn – along with co-directors Scot McFadyen and Jessica Joy-Wise – effectively covers a plethora of heavy metal-related matters, including a profile of a few hardcore fans, a look at metal’s struggles with censorship, and even a visit with a scary, church-burning Norwegian musician. The first half of Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey is far more effective than the second, as it’s at that point the film begins to explore some decidedly obscure facets of the genre (including its most extreme variation, Norwegian Black Metal). The uneven vibe is exacerbated by the inclusion of certain topics which feel out of place in the grand scheme of things, something that’s particularly true of Dunn’s interview with a famous groupie. Still, Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey is generally entertaining and occasionally informative; if nothing else, the film’s worth checking out for the sporadic interview footage of Rob Zombie and Dee Snider (two prominent metal musicians who come off as far more intelligent and well-spoken than their over-the-top personas might have suggested).

**1/2 out of ****