Metalocalypse: Dethalbum II

Brendon Small and Gene Hoglan proved their animated death metal band Dethklok had the chops to rock out like a living, breathing group on The Dethalbum. Dethklok's debut sold over 300,000 copies; those numbers aren't reached just because people think the Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse is funny. On Dethalbum II, Small and Hoglan make Dethklok sound more like a real band than ever before - for better and worse. Without a doubt, these songs rock hard. The production is tighter and the attack is even heavier than it was on the first album, but surprisingly, that ends up being a slight weakness rather than a strength. What made The Dethalbum special was that the songs were funny, but not jokey; tried and true metal fans could appreciate the humor that was mixed into the heaviness, while the wit drew in metal neophytes. But on Dethalbum II, Small and Hoglan have gotten so good at lovingly embodying metal clichés that the songs aren't as overtly funny or catchy as they were on the first album. Some tracks are almost indistinguishable from music by a genuine death metal band (to casual listeners, anyway): "Burn the Earth" grinds ruthlessly and "The Gears" boasts an insanely overwrought solo that sounds like it requires 20 fingers to play, yet they're missing a certain something that made songs like "Thunderhorse" so brilliant. While the rest of Dethalbum II never quite reaches those heights, Dethklok regain their balance of humor and chops eventually. "Black Fire Upon Us," which graced the Metalocalypse season two finale with its incendiary majesty, has a swinging beat and guitar harmonics that make it a welcome change of pace from most of the album's dense, knotty sound. "Comet Song" is taut, with lyrics ("You'll be killed at the speed of light") that show Dethklok's sense of humor is very much alive. Two songs that didn't appear on the show are also among the highlights: "The Cyborg Slayers" is aptly menacing and mechanical, with a chorus of robotic vocals that overtakes the song, while "Murmaider II: The Water God" nods to the first album's water trilogy with epic evil. With Dethalbum II, it feels like Small and Hoglan are courting metal fans first - and with several successful tours under Dethklok's animated belts, they certainly have the support to do that. Even if this album has a slightly more selective appeal, die-hard metal and Metalocalypse fans will still gladly sign pain waivers to hear it. [A Deluxe Edition was released with a bonus DVD of music videos from Dethklok's "live" tours.] ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide