Metal Down Under

Metal Down Under is a 2014 documentary directed by Nick Calpakdjian.[1][2] The film uses interviews, archival footage and animation to trace the history of heavy metal music in Australia. Calpakdjian partly funded the film through crowd-funding website Pozible. It was released in Australia on 22 August 2014 with distribution by MGM. On 1 September 2014 it debuted on the ARIA Top 40 Music DVDs chart at #4.[3]

Metal Down Under
Film poster
Directed byNick Calpakdjian
Produced byNick Calpakdjian
Distributed byMGM (Australia), Plastic Head (UK)
Release date
  • 22 August 2014 (2014-08-22)
Running time
165 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Content

Metal Down Under traces the history of heavy metal music in Australia from the early influences of bands such as Buffalo, AC/DC, The Angels and Rose Tattoo to present day acts including Ne Obliviscaris, King Parrot, Karnivool and Psycroptic. The film is divided into three 55-minute episodes featuring interviews, archival footage and animation sequences with the first episode discussing the early development of metal from hard rock influences to the thrash scenes of late 1980s Melbourne and Sydney, in particular Hobbs' Angel of Death and Mortal Sin. There is also some examination of the niche record stores Metal For Melbourne and Utopia, Hot Metal magazine and the influence of public radio on the spread of the genre. Part two looks at the influence of Perth band Allegiance in the development of a national touring circuit, as well as the Metal for the Brain festival and the extreme metal bands Blood Duster, Alchemist and Sadistik Exekution. The third part looks primarily at several of the more prominent currently active bands with some discussion of the metalcore scene and the shape of the scene at the present time.

Distribution

Metal Down Under was released on DVD in Australia through MGM Distribution. It was released in the UK and Europe through Plastichead Distribution on 10 November 2014.[4] Its official release date on iTunes is 18 November 2014 worldwide (ex USA).

Reviews

"Nick Calpakdjian has made a funny and engrossing film that finally sheds a light on a part of Australia's popular culture that has been left in the dark for its entire existence, a vital and important document that even people who couldn't care less about heavy metal should see. After spending two years of his life on this, he deserves nothing but respect." Reviewed by Brian Giffin.[5]

"One might even go so far as to say that Metal Down Under is an important piece for the Metal community, as it may well be, itself, a stepping stone to another such feature in the future; and that will hold promise for another time. " Reviewed by Tristan Peterson, Metal Obsession.[6]

Interviews
Artist Band
Steve HughesMortal Sin, Slaughterlord
Dave HarrisonAllegiance
Tony CampoAllegiance
Peter HobbsHobbs' Angel of Death
Dave SlaveSadistik Exekution
Adam AgiusAlchemist, The Levitation Hex
Rodney HolderAlchemist
Steve RoweMortification
Matt SkitzDamaged, King Parrot
Jason FullerBlood Duster
Dave HaleyPsycroptic, Blood Duster
Shane SouthbyTaramis
Phil GresikHobbs' Angel of Death, Deströyer 666, Bestial Warlust
Sham LittlemanNothing Sacred, Hobbs' Angel of Death
Karl LeanNothing Sacred, Hobbs' Angel of Death
Chris RandSegression
Glen DysonClaim the Throne
Lord TimLord, Dungeon
Jason NorthTruth Corroded
Greg ShawTruth Corroded
Mark PalfreymanAlarum, The Levitation Hex
Steve WattsManticore, Heaven the Axe
Tim AldridgeAbramelin
Matt YoungKing Parrot
Andrew GoddardKarnivool
Mark HoskingKarnivool
Matthew ChalkPsycroptic, Mephistopheles
Mat MaurerMortal Sin
Johnny StojPegazus
John GibsonRenegade
Aaron ButlerFrankenbok
Dan McDougallFrankenbok
Greg TrullDreadnaught
Richie PoateDreadnaught
Joe KapiteyniNFeCTeD, The Devil Rides Out
Tim CharlesNe Obliviscaris
Daniel EstrinVoyager
Simone DowVoyager
Mark De VattimoPsychonaut

Non-musicians
  • Andrew Haug, broadcaster
  • Lochlan Watt, broadcaster, writer
  • Brad Wesson, co-owner, Soundworks Touring
  • Robyn Doreian, journalist, editor Hot Metal magazine
  • Greta Tate, record store manager
  • Simon Lukic, broadcaster
  • Chris Maric, publicist
  • Leigh Wilson, collector who has filmed Australian metal shows since 1981
  • Brian Giffin, writer, broadcaster
gollark: that was a joke, sorry if it confused you.
gollark: I prefer liquid helium swimming pools myself, very invigorating.
gollark: Feed quantum redstone into a nuclear reactor's control? It's now in a superposition of on and off, and so are any machines receiving power from it.
gollark: Only if you make the quantumness of redstone propagate to *any machine* reading input from it.
gollark: And Python.

References
  1. http://restassuredzine.com/news/3210-australian-metal-documentary-metal-down-under
  2. http://www.metalobsession.net/2014/09/10/metal-down-under-a-history-of-australian-metal-dvd-review/
  3. ariacharts.com.au http://www.ariacharts.com.au/chart/music-dvds. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. http://www.plastichead.com//item.asp?ex=fitem&target=ANIMUSDVD003
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.metalobsession.net/2014/09/10/metal-down-under-a-history-of-australian-metal-dvd-review/
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