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These bands pulled back the curtain for their fans… sometimes before they even had any fans. Back when you actually needed tape to capture a home video, these bands strapped a massive camera onto their shoulder and filmed would-be documentaries of historic metal moments.
From rehearsals inside the Mayhem henhouse, excess on the road with Pantera, or behind-the-scenes of Metallica and the biggest metal album ever released, these are the 10 best heavy metal home videos.
A rare look into a legendary band as they became a generational phenomenon. Vulgar Video delves into the hard touring and hard partying life of Pantera during the Vulgar Display of Power tour along with iconic moments like the 1991 Monsters of Rock festival in Moscow. Fans also get to see how hilarious the Pantera guys were, even when Dimebag Darrell was confronted by Christian protestors at his hotel. “Satan’s got me by the balls!”
Fans really got to know Avenged Sevenfold in their 2007 DVD, All Excess. The band’s brotherhood stands out throughout this DVD, even when Synyster Gates is wasted off his face trying to convince everyone to go shot for shot with him. You’ll also see some unforgettable moments with The Rev, including his epic war with a flock of ducks.
Infamous is one way to describe Lamb of God‘s Killadelphia. It’s a rare look into a band both blowing up and falling apart, culminating with a vicious fist fight between Randy Blythe and Mark Morton. The concert footage captured in Killadelphia is especially great and features the very best from As the Palaces Burn and Ashes of the Wake.
Voliminal is a pivotal moment in the career of Slipknot, as it gave fans the very first unmasked interviews with the classic lineup of the Nine. The interviews go extremely deep into Mick Thomson‘s physical issues and Corey Taylor‘s troubled childhood, but also show lighter moments like Chris Fehn out on the golf course. It was our first true peek behind the curtain, and it felt as gritty and intense as Iowa.
This documentary is the exact opposite of Some Kind of Monster. A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica shows the exact moments when Metallica became the biggest metal band in history — as they recorded the most successful metal album ever released. Beyond the Black Album sessions, fans also see the making of the “Enter Sandman” video and footage from Metallica‘s disastrous tour with Guns N’ Roses.
This was Mayhem at their most raw. The lore of Mayhem is shrouded in violence, murder and death, but they were once just a bunch of kids hanging out and jamming brutal metal together. Viewers feel like they’re in the henhouse with the band as vocalist Dead shrieks over now-immortal black metal cuts like “Freezing Moon.”
It’s crazy to see Korn as just a bunch of kids in Bakersfield. Deuce documents almost 10 years of Korn, featuring both the 1997 Who Then Now? home video along with turn-of-the-millennium footage that goes up until Untouchables. The young nü-metallers go into their nicknames, some of their earliest gigs, and even their insane Woodstock 99 performance. It’s truly a gift for any Korn fanatic.
Third World Chaos is unlike any band’s home video. It goes deep into the political and social turmoil of Brazil and how the chaos influenced Sepultura‘s music. Footage of police brutality and riots are interspersed within live performances from Sepultura, but it’s not all doom and gloom. You’ll get an intimate look into Brazil’s favelas, with kids even practicing capoeira while hanging out with the band.
What a bunch of goofballs. Type O Negative‘s image was amongst the most serious and mysterious in metal, but behind the scenes, they were anything but. You’ll see Peter Steele crashing Pantera‘s stage, hilarious interviews with police, backstage parties, interviews and more. Roadrunner really knew how to give fans a classic home video in the 1990s.
The Workhorse Chronicles is the perfect blend of history, grit, touring and humor. Recorded from 2000-2005 and featuring footage from some of the guys’ ridiculous pre-Mastodon bands, The Workhorse Chronicles really shows what it’s like to struggle in the underground for your art. The guys are just so hilarious throughout this DVD. Why is Brann Dailor wearing an Iron Maiden shirt while holding a framed Iron Maiden poster? Because he can.