As a young, adolescent Headbanger myself, little did I realize that one fine day the loud, aggressive, hard charging music that I was only just becoming familiar with would one day stretch across continents and span the globe to take the world by storm.
Well the 2008 Documentary film Global Metal is an exploration of this phenomenon. Yes, Director Scott Macfadyen has chosen the fascinating subject of Heavy Metal music and how it impacts culturally across the world. As a title nothing could be more accurate than Global Metal as the film focuses on the unique journey of the music and the passion it has and continues to ignite in both older and younger artists, musicians and fans.
Traveling to 7 separate countries- including Brazil, Japan, India, China< Indonesia, Israel and the UAE- and 9 cities the documentary is a fascinating case study of the infectious joy of music in general and Metal in particular. Through the use of interviews, concert and studio performances and random fan encounters Global Metal truly brings home the strength and vibrancy that music can bring to all cultures everywhere no matter how diverse they may at first seem or how radically different the atmosphere of the societies may be.
In this age of rapid and expanding globalization (food, services, clothing, etc.) we may tend to overlook the tremendous impact all music has on our social scenes but Global Metal shines the light on this idea with laser clarity and, of course, mad VOLUME.
The subject is, after all, Heavy Metal and yes headbangers everywhere, that means that you have to play it LOUD!
The setting may be the Middle East, South America or Asia and the language isn’t necessarily English but as Global Metal proves the Music translates very well indeed.