Dethcarraldo

"Dethcarraldo" is the ninth episode of the second season of Metalocalypse, twenty-ninth overall. It aired on June 1, 2008 on Adult Swim.

Synopsis
After seeing a documentary on television about a South American tribe known as the Yaneemango (which happens to make up a quarter of Nathan Explosion’s heritage), the band become interested in the tribe’s culture and plan an excursion to the Amazon jungle.

Plot
The episode starts with the band watching a documentary about an indigenous tribe in the Amazon called the Yaneemango. The only one who is particularly interested at first is Nathan, who claims ¼ ancestry from this tribe. Pickles becomes intrigued as well, after learning that the tribe uses a psychedelic drug (Yopo) in their religious rituals.

Bloody Heritage
Later, the band congregates in the library, reading various books about the Amazon and the Yaneemango tribe. Nathan learns of the tribe’s cannibalism, and Pickles learns more about Yopo – namely, that its effects include psychic manifestation of the user’s “ancient animal form.” Nathan announces that the band will be taking a trip to the Amazon.

Meanwhile, General Crozier is summoned into Mr. Salacia’s private quarters, where he is waiting with Vater Orlag. Vater Orlag explains the Tribunal’s concerns regarding Dethklok’s trek to the jungle and instructs General Crozier to keep an eye on the band, telling him that he will be accompanied by Orlag’s “best soldiers” (suggesting that he commands a private army of some kind). Crozier protests, but Orlag stands his ground.

While shopping for supplies for their journey, Skwisgaar and Toki begin arguing childishly about one copying the other. Charles gets frustrated and attempts to talk Nathan out of the trip, but to no avail.

Trekking the Jungle
After shopping, the band finally head out towards the Amazon. General Crozier travels behind them in a helicopter with Orlag’s soldiers. A Klokateer spots this aircraft and shoots it down – Crozier and most of the soldiers survive, using parachutes to land safely in the jungle. They proceed to stalk the band through the jungle on foot as the band travels down the river on their Dethboat. While on the boat, Murderface urinates into the river, resulting in him getting infected by the parasitic candiru fish. The river eventually becomes too narrow to boat through, so Nathan orders the Klokateers to pull the boat over a mountain.

Yopo-fueled trip
On the other side of the mountain, the band is greeted by the Yaneemango tribe, who, noting how their appearance matches the stone carvings in the mountain, sit the band down around a fire. The tribesmen bring some hollow sticks which Pickles recognizes as being part of the Yopo ritual. General Crozier looks on through his binoculars. The band are dosed with Yopo, and General Crozier and the soldiers are found and dosed shortly afterwards.

The band’s hallucinations involve the manifestation of their animal forms, as Pickles mentioned earlier in the episode – Nathan’s is an alligator, Pickles’ is an octopus, Skwisgaar’s is an owl, Toki’s is a jackrabbit, and Murderface’s is a white tiger. Meanwhile, General Crozier sees horrifying visions of the soldiers that were decapitated by Mr. Salacia in The Metalocalypse Has Begun, as well as a large goat-like creature and Cardinal Ravenwood’s animated corpse. The vision of Ravenwood speaks to Crozier, saying “Beware! General. General Crozier. You are dead.” The Yaneemango proceed to devour Orlag’s soldiers as the credits roll.

Songs featured in this episode

 * "Bloodlines"
 * "Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle"

Guest Voices

 * ICS Vortex
 * Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir

Trivia

 * There is a type of parasitic catfish in the Amazon, named Candiru, that inserts itself into other fishes by detecting urea coming out from their gills. This fish has reportedly entered human urethras because they have a high concentration of urea as well. The fish that "impregnated" Murderface were Vandellia cirrhosa also known as Candiru.
 * The Yaneemango natives appear to be based on the real tribe of the Yanomami in the Amazon. There are several similarities that tie the Yaneemango to the Yanomami, but much artistic license was taken in regards to their religious cerenomies.
 * Likewise, the drug yopo has a real life counterpart with a similar name.
 * The name of the episode is a reference to the German movie Fitzcarraldo directed by future Metalocalypse contributor Wernor Herzog about a mission to transport a boat over a hill through a South American jungle.
 * Number 216 is among those shooting at the landing zone.