Dethklok

Dethklok
Company type	Fictional band
Industry	Music
Founded	2006
Founder	Brendon Small, Tommy Blacha
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Brendon Small, Tommy Blacha
Products	Music albums, concerts

Dethklok is a fictional melodic death metal group featured in the Adult Swim animated show Metalocalypse, recognized for its humorous and satirical song lyrics.

Their debut album, The Dethalbum, was launched on September 25, 2007, entering the Billboard magazine Top 200 chart at position 21. This was followed by Dethalbum II, released on September 29, 2009, during which the band toured alongside Mastodon, High on Fire, and Converge. The third studio album, Dethalbum III, came out on October 16, 2012. Additionally, the soundtrack for the special episode Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem was issued on October 29, 2013.

A real-life ensemble was assembled to perform Dethklok’s music in concert settings. Both the fictional band and its real-world counterpart were conceived by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. Brendon Small is responsible for performing the music recorded for the series, with other musicians contributing to live performances and studio albums. On August 25, 2017, Small released his second solo project, Brendon Small's Galaktikon II, which many fans consider an unofficial continuation of Dethklok’s discography; however, it was released under his own name due to Adult Swim holding rights to the band’s name. After a five-year break, Dethklok made a return appearance at the Adult Swim Festival in 2019. Their fourth album, Dethalbum IV, was unveiled in August 2023 alongside a soundtrack for the movie Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar. From August through October 2023, they embarked on a U.S. tour co-headlining with Babymetal, supported by Jason Richardson.

Fictional background

Within the narrative of Metalocalypse, Dethklok is depicted as the preeminent and most commercially successful death metal band worldwide. Their residence and recording facility is Mordhaus, a fortress-like stronghold. Beyond their vast fortune, they operate an extensive workforce known as Klokateers who serve as road crew, security personnel, and a private army. Their fanbase numbers in the billions of metal enthusiasts who often endure dangerous conditions at concerts featuring pyrotechnics, aircraft flyovers, laser effects, and enormous blades. By the conclusion of season two, Dethklok’s financial empire ranks as the seventh-largest economy globally due to lucrative endorsements and commercial ventures.

Despite their massive fame and fortune, the members are portrayed as largely inept outside their musical careers, struggling with mundane activities such as shopping or socializing. Their manager and legal representative, Charles Foster Offdensen, frequently steps in to mitigate their poor decisions. The band's enormous influence attracts attention from The Tribunal—an Illuminati-like organization monitoring them as "the world’s greatest cultural force"—though its leader often allows their behavior to continue unchecked.

Nathan Explosion

Voiced by: Brendon Small

Nathan Explosion serves as Dethklok’s lead vocalist, frontman, and chief lyricist. He is characterized by his tall stature and broad frame, long black hair, green eyes, and black-painted nails. His vocal style features death growls even offstage, and he admits that much of his lyrical content is unintelligible. Originally from New Port Richey, Florida, Nathan’s high school achievements were limited mainly to frog dissection and football. He identifies ethnically as "White/Native American." As the principal songwriter, his lyrics frequently incorporate violent themes.

Among his bandmates, Nathan exhibits relatively greater emotional stability and common sense but remains incapable of handling everyday tasks like grocery shopping or cooking. He demonstrates skill in negotiating contracts, possesses deep knowledge of rock culture, and speaks French fluently. Nathan has attempted to obtain his GED but failed partly due to negative influences from the band environment. Occasionally adopting a protective or parental stance toward fellow member Toki, he once insisted that the band abstain from drinking before performances despite their typical behavior.

The series also reveals Nathan maintains a positive relationship with his father; they share activities such as fishing and go-kart racing. Unlike other members’ troubled family dynamics, Nathan values his paternal bond highly.

Brendon Small based Nathan’s character on current Cannibal Corpse vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, describing him metaphorically as a "quarterback" reflecting his football background during high school.

Skwisgaar Skwigelf

Voiced by: Brendon Small

Skwisgaar Skwigelf holds the position of lead guitarist in Dethklok, celebrated for his self-assurance and exceptional technical ability, often likened to Yngwie Malmsteen. He is characterized by his tall, slender frame and lengthy blond hair. Initially, he played a Gibson Explorer but transitioned to the Gibson "Thunderhorse" Explorer starting in the fourth season. Recognized as one of the fastest guitarists worldwide, Skwisgaar is primarily responsible for crafting most of Dethklok’s compositions, including both guitar and bass arrangements. He frequently modifies parts laid down by rhythm guitarist Toki Wartooth and maintains a competitive rivalry with him. Hailing from Sweden, Skwisgaar speaks with a pronounced Swedish accent and is infamous for his intense sexual prowess. Despite his arrogance, he was instrumental in advocating for Toki’s inclusion in the band.

Toki Wartooth

Voiced by: Tommy Blacha, Mike Keneally (singing voice in Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem)

Toki Wartooth performs as Dethklok’s rhythm guitarist, originally using a Gibson Flying V before adopting the Brendon Small "Snow Falcon" V from season four onward. Raised under difficult circumstances near Lillehammer, Norway, Toki is notable for his distinct accent and unconventional grammar. His appearance includes a Fu Manchu moustache, long brown hair, and pale blue eyes, and he is physically fitter than most of his bandmates.

Unlike others in the group, Toki had no previous experience in bands before replacing the volatile Magnus Hammersmith. The dynamic between him and Skwisgaar highlights a Norwegian-Swedish rivalry, with Toki’s playing style often compared to that of Iron Maiden. In contrast to the band’s generally cynical and excessive nature, Toki remains innocent and kind-hearted but can become aggressive when provoked. He enjoys assembling model airplanes and manages type 2 diabetes requiring insulin treatment. A recurring motif in the series is the death of those close to him, earning him the nickname “angel of death.”

Pickles

Voiced by: Brendon Small

Pickles functions as Dethklok’s drummer and was raised in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, speaking with an Upper Midwestern accent. He identifies strongly as "very Irish American," sporting long red dreadlocks combined with a comb-over skullet hairstyle and green eyes. Of average build, Pickles struggles with substance abuse issues rooted in familial resentment. Among band members, he is regarded as the most socially adept, often grasping ideas beyond death metal themes, which occasionally leads to conflicts with Nathan. Charles Offdensen describes Pickles and Nathan as the “most responsible” members despite their mutual disdain. IGN has called him “the band's deepest thinker.” Before joining Dethklok, Pickles was frontman for Snakes 'n' Barrels as lead vocalist and guitarist.

Brendon Small provided Pickles’ voice on The Dethalbum, singing the chorus of "Hatredcopter" and performing the entire Snakes N’ Barrels cover "Kill You." Small designed Pickles as a versatile musician comparable to Roger Taylor of Queen, emphasizing his musical proficiency over personality traits. The character’s design was intentionally modified to avoid resembling Devin Townsend.

William Murderface

Voiced by: Tommy Blacha

William Murderface serves as the bassist for Dethklok, performing with a Gibson Thunderbird Studio 5-string bass guitar. He is characterized by brown hair, green eyes, a pronounced lateral lisp, and a notable gap between his front teeth. His stomach bears tattoos stating "Pobody's Nerfect" and "This Mess Is A Place." After being raised by his grandparents, following the traumatic event of his father killing his mother and then himself, Murderface struggles with profound self-doubt, convinced that his unattractiveness contributed to the tragedy.

Often labeled a "self-loathing bass player," whose contributions are frequently muted in the mix, Murderface attempts to project an inflated sense of importance. Nevertheless, his pessimistic outlook plays a crucial role in shaping the band's music; when he is expelled in the episode "Dethsiduals," the group quickly realizes his presence is vital. Brendon Small describes him as "thin-skinned and incredibly sensitive," yearning for approval but often alienating those around him due to his demeanor. He is notably insecure about his physique and looks, and is generally unpopular with women, including dedicated Klokateers. Tommy Blacha initially crafted Murderface's voice by inserting paper towels into his mouth but later developed it without this method.

Magnus Hammersmith

Voiced by: Marc Maron (speaking) and Brendon Small (singing)

Magnus Hammersmith was originally Dethklok's rhythm guitarist but was dismissed early on because of aggressive conduct. He subsequently returns in an antagonistic role.

Real-life band members

Studio members:

Brendon Small – guitars, lead vocals, bass, keyboards (2006–present)
Gene Hoglan – drums (2007–present)

Live members:

Brendon Small – guitars, lead vocals (2007–present)
Gene Hoglan – drums (2007–present)
Bryan Beller – bass, backing vocals (2007–present; studio member since 2012)
Pete Griffin – bass, backing vocals (2012, 2019–present)
Nili Brosh – guitars (2019–present)

Former members:

Mike Keneally – guitars, backing vocals (2007–2016)

Touring history

In late 2007, Adult Swim organized a promotional tour featuring Dethklok alongside ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, playing at twelve university venues with tickets primarily available to students. The touring ensemble included Brendon Small, Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller, and Gene Hoglan. Small compared the experience to Gorillaz, combining animated characters with live musical performances.

A summer tour was announced in February 2008. During June and July of that year, Dethklok toured across the United States with Chimaira and Soilent Green. An incident occurred on June 5 at The Fillmore in San Francisco when a fire broke out, causing evacuation and rescheduling of the show.

In late 2009, the band toured alongside Mastodon, High on Fire, and Converge. July 2011 saw Dethklok stepping in for Megadeth at the Mayhem Festival. They also delivered a free concert aboard the USS Midway during San Diego Comic-Con in July 2012. Appearances planned for Heavy T.O., Heavy MTL Festival, and Knotfest that year were canceled. Additionally, a North American co-headlining tour with Lamb of God and Gojira was called off due to legal complications involving Lamb of God's Randy Blythe.

Supporting Dethalbum III, Dethklok embarked on a North American tour in late 2012 with Machine Head, All That Remains, and The Black Dahlia Murder; Pete Griffin substituted on bass for certain dates.

In October 2014, Dethklok performed at Festival Supreme in Los Angeles and later appeared at Adult Swim Festivals in both 2019 and 2022. From August through October 2023, they co-headlined the "Babyklok" North American tour alongside Babymetal and Jason Richardson in support of Dethalbum IV.

Looking ahead to spring 2024, Dethklok will headline the "Mutilation on a Spring Night" US tour with DragonForce and Nekrogoblikon as supporting acts.

Awards

At the 2009 Revolver Golden God Awards, Dethklok was honored as Best International Band. Their award was presented by Chuck Billy, the lead singer of the thrash metal group Testament. Later, in 2013, Dethalbum III earned an Independent Music Award recognizing it as the Best Metal/Hardcore Album.

Studio albums

Under the name Dethklok

Year	Album	Highest chart rankings
Year	Album	US	US Rock	US Hard Rock
2007	The Dethalbum	21	5	3
2009	Dethalbum II	15	6	5
2012	Dethalbum III	10	1	1
2023	Dethalbum IV	—	—	—
"—" indicates album did not chart

Under the name Brendon Small

Year	Album	Highest chart rankings
Year	Album	US	US Rock	US Hard Rock
2013	The Doomstar Requiem	—	—	24
"—" indicates album did not chart

EPs

Adult Swim Presents: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Tour with Dethklok (split CD) (2007)

Singles

"Bloodrocuted" (2007)
"Thunderhorse" (2007)
"Bloodlines" (2009)
"I Ejaculate Fire" (2012)
"Blazing Star" (2013)
"Aortic Desecration" (2023)

Guest appearances

Zimmers Hole – When You Were Shouting at the Devil... We Were in League with Satan (featured vocals by Nathan Explosion on "The Vowel Song") (2008)

As primary artist

Year

Title

Director(s)

Album

Music video release details

2007

"Bloodrocuted"

Jon Schnepp &
Brendon Small

The Dethalbum

'The Dethalbum' deluxe edition bonus DVD, 'Metalocalypse' season 2 DVD,
'Dethalbum II' deluxe edition bonus DVD

2008

"Murmaider"

Jon Schnepp

'Metalocalypse' season 2 DVD, 'Dethalbum II' deluxe edition bonus DVD

"Briefcase Full of Guts"