Dethkomedy

"Dethkomedy" is the fifth episode of Metalocalypse. It aired on September 3, 2006 on Adult Swim.

Synopsis
Feeling in a creative funk, Dethklok tries their hand at comedy and are surprised at their failure. After getting some advice from a comedy veteran, they improve except for Pickles who took his onstage flop rather badly.

The opposite of brutal
Opening the show, the band is in court due to the near death of fans caused by their latest album. Charles reveals that the album is intended for fish only, and Dethklok is found not guilty by Judge Alfonzo.

The band leaves the court and picks up different weapons on their way out and talk about their next album. While golfing with Judge Alfonzo Murderface suggests they just record the deaths of important people, since it would be "heavy". Pickles dismisses the idea since the band couldn't get credit for it. The band is then seen at an auction, and Skwisgaar and Nathan begin to bid on the same item. Then, the band is at a shooting range, they decide that to be the oppopsite of bleak and dark. When Toki asks Nathan what is the opposite of tragedy, Nathan shouts "COMEDYYYYYYYYY!"

The Tribunal decides that if Dethklok becomes involved in comedy it would be disastrous. The comedy specialist they bring in, Dr. Donald Gorthian, says people look to comedy to forget about their terrible lives. As it stands, the Tribunal is in control of the comedy the people are fed, and are scared of what will happen if Dethklok takes that control.

Stand up Dethklok
At Mammy Yaks, a "comedian" is asking people if they remember things from the 80's and the crowd laughs at it. The "Brothers of Deception" take the stage. Here, Toki and Skwisgaar tell terrible jokes and include their guitars in the act. Toki drops his guitar on stage. They get no response from the audience. Next is Nathan. His act features some morbid prop comedy, including a bowling ball of guts. The only response he gets is an audience member ralphing at the sight of a rotten brain. Then comes Pickles. He is doing improv with Murderface. When he asks the audience for a location, one man shouts a different comedy club, the crowd laughs, but Pickles pretends to hear gas station. Before the act is over, Murderface leaves the stage. Pickles gets a negative review from the crowd and breaks down.

The band sits at the bar and talks about ways to improve their acts. Pickles sits and a table alone in silence. Toki reveals he thought the guy before them was a spectacular comedian while Skwisgaar says he was terrible and didn't even tell jokes, although Skwisgaar did laugh. The rest of the guys at the bar agree with Toki. Pickles says he will never get on the stage again because he "died up there". They are brutal, not funny he says, and leaves. This guy in gives the band some advice. He says comedy is a way to express hatred; the more they hate the audience, the funnier they will seem. The key to it all is to hate yourself. The man then seems to give the band lessons, and they are found funny by the crowd the next time they perform. While all this happens, Pickles sits in Mordhaus and constantly drinks. the trauma from the first show even affects Pickles' ability to play the drum.

Dethklok is backstage preparing for another comedy show when Pickles walks in. The advice man tells Pickles that to solve his problems he must get back on the stage, hate himself, and, more importantly, hate the audience. Pickles goes and performs and throws sand into the eyes of the people inn the front row and attacks the audience with a hose full of blood and even shoots a gun into the audience. The guy that helped them commits suicide.

Songs

 * Hatredy

Guest Voices

 * James Hetfield (Metallica)

Trivia

 * Corpse count: plane driver (shot by Toki) and Lorkey (shot himself in head).
 * While Dr. Donald Gorthian explains that the world's comedy has been carefully filtered and controlled, a few logos and comedians appear on the screen behind him, including Comedy Central, Adult Swim, MTV, Larry the Cable Guy, Lorne Michaels, and others.
 * The prop that Nathan attaches to his torso is a replica of Kuato from Total Recall; or, given how rich he is, it might be the actual prop used in the movie.
 * Murderface bludgeons his forehead with his mic, something that ex-Pantera/Down frontman Phil Anselmo became notorious for doing during live shows.