Dethklok

Avid viewers of Cartoon Network’s late-night Adult Swim programming probably know all about Metalocalypse. The show first aired in 2006 as a showcase for the absurdist antics of the band Dethklok, a death-metal band of mythic proportions whose revenues make it the seventh-largest economy on Earth. The music resides somewhere between melodic, Viking-inspired metal and, well, cartoonish death metal that draws inspiration from Cannibal Corpse and At the Gates. In 2007, series co-creator Brendon Small took the concept and made it a real, touring band. That group’s latest record, Dethalbum III, has song titles like “I Ejaculate Fire” and “Impeach God,” so tongue is firmly in cheek. But the fact that Small brought in renowned drummer Gene Hoglan, of Testament, Dark Angel and Death fame, means the band isn’t just funny — it’s legit.