Metal Down Under: A History of Australian Heavy Metal [Movie Review]

As you might expect from the title, “Metal Down Under: A History Of Australian Heavy Metal” takes a comprehensive look at the Heavy Metal scene in Australia. If you are like me, you have probably heard of Aussie heavy metal titans Psycroptic, Karnivool and Mortification, but also like me, most likely have not heard of the 30+ other killer bands (including Blood Duster, Allegiance, Sadistik Exekution) featured in this film.

The headbanging, neck-snapping narrative is perfectly executed and told through interviews with fans, critics, and the bands themselves. For the most part the quality of filming is topnotch and, as an outsider, I can tell you I gained tremendous insight into a healthy, thriving scene that I didn’t even know existed.

Filmmaker Nick Calpakdjian does a fantastic job bringing the scene to life in these three 55 minute episodes and viewers are guaranteed to walk away realizing (if they didn’t already) that metal is a global phenomenon and, even though we might be separated by vast oceans, we are truly all ONE, bound tightly together by the power of the riff and the throwing of the horns.

Run Time: 165 minutes
Release Date: August 22, 2014

Check out the official “Metal Down Under” trailer