Dunn prefaces the film by describing his success in showcasing metal music, how this spun out of his childhood passions and the belief that metal deserved better representation. Global Metal, he details, came out of his time in college studying anthropology combined with the volume of fan mail for his first documentary film that originated in other countries. If there was value in studying transmission of ideas and practices between cultures, why not go out on the road to meet these international metal fans? This was the genesis of a large project that took Dunn and his crew to seven countries and three continents for coverage of "Global Metal." This release has the documentary plus a disc-full of extras, including additional concert footage and interviews with figures from the film. The production in Dolby 5.1 makes this a great way to experience the music, as Dunn's production team took full advantage of the medium at all times when crafting the soundtrack during editing.
Starting with the obvious (to metal fans, at least) international destination, Dunn travels to Brazil. This segment pays off in showing that Brazil's most famous metal band, Sepultura, was part of a larger cultural revolution that brought the Brazilian people out from under an oppressive regime. One can imagine the parallels to countries featured later in the documentary, such as China, that are just barely emerging from their own brand of oppression. Dunn captures Sepultura front-man Sam Cavalera on camera, talking about how important the appearance of metal was in Brazil, and how it continues to be seen as an expression of freedom. Later interviews with citizens in less free countries such as Indonesia, and particularly a consortium of metal fans from Middle Eastern countries gathered for an event in Dubai labeled "Desert Rock," highlights how metal is still contraband in many places. The choice to listen in these places is tantamount to active rebellion. Japanese listeners, we are told, use metal as a form of emotional expression that goes harmlessly against the grain of their otherwise buttoned-down culture.
Dunn does a brilliant job of mapping out in geographic space and mindspace the many people being served across the globe by metal. Interviews with classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer show a real awareness of how ground was being broken each time a concert happened in these remote countries, and some of the consequences of introducing a politically and socially progressive music like metal into a bottled-up, oppressive culture. Dunn even gives some time to discussing the conflicting emotions and interpretations of metal in Israel, where songs like Slayer's "Angel of Death" have resonance with past atrocities. Metal has become a mantle for armies of freedom as well as being co-opted by forces for hate, and Dunn does not hesitate to showcase both sides of the story. At the end of the day, Global Metal: 2-Disc Special Edition is just a damn good documentary that will be in frequent rotation for any metal fan, but works equally well for film buffs that may care little or not-at-all for the music. We're excited to see what Dunn comes up with next.
