"They can't stop us, let 'em try; for heavy metal we will die!" - Manowar, "Die For Metal"

Metal is unlike any other musical genre, in so many ways. It is one of the oldest genres of music that is still relevant and celebrated, with its roots reaching back to the Renaissance and it has a fanbase that spawns generations, creeds, races, and borders. Metal is, truly, the music of the world.

There was a moment in my life, which will stick with me until the day I die. It was 1994, and I was watching an MTV News special about the rise of Rap and the downfall of Metal. In the special, I remember the commentators talking about kids in my generation picking up turntables and mixers in place of drumkits and guitars and how that signaled the death of Metal. Deeply upset by this, I went to my local indie record shop to give Metal one last hurrah by buying as much as I could with the money I had been saving. When I reached the counter, purchases in hand, I told the cashier about what I had heard and he responded with "What a bunch of ****. The roots of Metal are so deeply gnarled around the soul of the Earth that it will die when the world dies. MTV doesn't know ****; they're just a mouthpiece for the record labels. **** MTV and **** anyone who dares to say Metal is dead."

Sure enough, Metal grew stronger through the mid to late 90's, and roared into the new millennium with a mind-shattering scream. Truly, what tries to kill Metal only strengthens Metal. It's one of the reasons I am so damn proud to be a fan of Metal. Do me a favor, dear readers. As you read the rest of this article, put on your favorite album and play your Metal louder than hell. If you don't like Metal, do the world a favor and GROW A ****IN' PAIR, THEN GET SOME METAL!

 For those who lack Metal and the money to purchase their own, I will include links in the rest of this article.

A Metal Manifesto

While the primary subject of this article is Brutal Legend, to fully appreciate the game one needs to know about Metal. First and foremost, if our ancestors had access to Electric Guitars, Drums, Amps, and Microphones, they would have created Metal so they could tell the women and children of their village about the hunt and kill of the animal they consumed for sustenance; not because they were badasses, but to honor the spirit of the animal that nourished them, a way to tell those who couldn't be there about the struggle that is life, and well, because they're badasses. No ******* joke, they had to track down and kill their food in a world where they were outnumbered and underpowered.

The point is that the only reason Metal isn't older is because our ancestors lacked the ability to make Metal. Just imagine the tales they could have told with Metal...

Where was I? Oh, right. So, anyways, the modern Metal culture began in the 1960's, with our Metal forefathers rediscovering the power of the music of our ancestors. True Metal masters, like Bach and Beethoven, inspired those who were sick of the **** the radio had told them was "music." They rediscovered the power of music made by the people for the people. The Metal forefathers took the knowledge they gained, honed it, and unleashed it upon the world. Each day, us Metal fans give our thanks to those who came before us and laid upon the land the foundation of Metal.


SO ******* METAL!

The Metal We Know Today

In the early 70's, bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin set events into motion that would usher in a modern Metal Renaissance. As time went on, bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, forged deep within the Metal underground, carried the torch of Metal. Soon, more artists joined them, as Metal gained strength. From every nation, the numbers of the faithful grew. New generations were born into Metal, while the older generations began to discover it and those who had once forsaken the Metal were welcomed back into the warm, loving embrace with open arms.

In the world of Metal, all are welcome. Men and women of every color, creed, nation, and sexual orientation are welcome to give praise to and make Metal. Exclusion makes us weaker; inclusion makes us stronger.



The Man, the Myth, the (Brutal) Legend

Tim Schafer, like so many Metal fans, wanted a way to pay tribute to Metal. Instead of starting a band and adding to the ever-growing catalog of Metal, he decided his fellow Metalheads needed a game they could play that would allow them to live in a world of Metal, while paying tribute to Metal. Thus, he gave the world Brutal Legend, the tale of super-roadie Eddie Riggs. Riggs is transported back to the Age of Metal and assists in the liberation of Metal from the hands of the Glam and S&M oppressors, who deny the people their God-Given right to Metal.

Schafer's dream came to life on Rocktober 13th, 2009, when the world was given Brutal Legend. Metal fans around the world rejoiced, as they finally had a game that they could call their own.


Eddie Riggs punishes those who deny the people their Metal.

Why I love Brutal Legend

Let me begin by stating I am not some "Ordinary" Brutal Legend fan. I bought my copy day-one, I played the demo countless times, I sought out and absorbed every bit of Brutal Legend information I could get my hands on, and I currently have both map packs, I have completed the story mode five times, and I have earned all 1090 achievement points in the game. While my list wasn't published, Brutal Legend more than earned its place as my game of 2009.

Brutal Legend's story is a tale of betrayal, redemption, and love conquering all. Our hero isn't a black-and-white good guy, but he does what he believes is right. Our villains are (for the most part) not pure evil, but they have done what they had to do to survive in a world where their options were limited. The tale Brutal Legend spins, of Eddie Riggs assisting Ophelia, Lars and Lita Halford, and those they set free from the evil clutches of General Lionwhyte and Emperor Doviculus, is the tale of Metal itself triumphing over the commercialization of the genre. Like everything else in Brutal Legend, Metal serves as the muse.

Just as interesting as the story, the world that Brutal Legend occupies is one filled with symbolic tributes to Metal, in the form of nods and winks to famous album covers, with an art style that gives the whole game the look and feel of an album cover brought to life, and with those who provide voice talent for the game. While you have many great voice actors lending their talent to the project, like Kath Soucie, Jennifer Hale, and Tim Curry, you also have Jack Black, Judas Priest's Rob Halford, Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, and Lita Ford there to give it that "Metal edge" necessary to take it over the top. Truly, a greater pool of talent has never been tapped for a project.

In addition to the awesome talent of these fine actors and musicians, Brutal Legend also includes a 100+ song soundtrack, which feels as if it was taken from Tim Schafer's personal library, and was probably ten times as large at some point. The only thing more amazing than the fact that the people at Double Fine were able to gather such an amazing soundtrack is that they were able to do so while balancing between well-known Metal classics, unknown talent, and up-and-coming Metal stars.


This picture doesn't need a reason to exist.

Speaking of the Soundtrack...

For every song that someone says should have been on it, there are a dozen they'll say have more than earned their place on the list. As a Metal fan, I can honestly say there has never been nor will there ever be a better collection of Metal in one place at one time. Driving around the lushly detailed world of Brutal Legend, with my car, listening to the world's greatest Metal...I wanted that world to be real just so I could visit it and soak up the beauty of it all before I die.

The bands represented on the Brutal Legend soundtrack are all quite excellent and their work deserves to be heard beyond the few tracks they contributed. While I may have at least half the soundtrack already, from the original albums, that would not stop me from buying the full soundtrack; if it were to be released.

Perhaps Brutal Legend's greatest feat was redeeming a song once thought unredeemable; DragonForce's "Through the Fire and Flames." After its inclusion in Guitar Hero 3, the song seemed to pop up everywhere and was mercilessly abused by teenage YouTube vloggers. Brutal Legend granted the song a new lease on life by using it as the background music for one of the better scenes in the game: The destruction of General Lionwhyte's Pleasure Palace. Frantically driving around, looking for the escape path, as the song played, my heart raced and my mind could not think of a better song for that particular moment.

The perfect synchronization of songs with pivotal moments in Brutal Legend speaks highly of the knowledge of and the care taken by those in charge of scripting and setting those scenes. The songs and scenes fit together so well that one would think the two were made in unison and exclusively for each other.


So...*******...Metal...

Was Brutal Legend a Brutal Failure?

To answer this question, one needs to ask "How do you define failure?" If you go by Metacritic, you'll be happy to know the game has an 82, which is considered quite good. If you want to go by sales numbers, well, the game sold 200,000 copies its first month in the U.S., which is damn good for a game that released alongside Sony's juggernaut Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The sales were strong enough to keep Double Fine's doors open and the developer in the good graces of EA, so we should be grateful for that.

While Brutal Legend didn't set the world ablaze, one could argue that's a good thing. As we have seen time and time again in the gaming industry, whenever a new idea or a risk pays off, everyone misguidedly jumps at it, trying to emulate the success. Had Brutal Legend sold millions of copies worldwide and become the monumental success that it deserves to be, we would have every development studio around making heavy metal themed games, most of which would be absolutely terrible and lose the publishers millions.

So, to answer the question, Brutal Legend was a Brutal secret success. Thanks to a strong ad campaign and promotion by Jack Black, the game sold quite well and has developed a strong fanbase. For those who have longed to take the plunge into the world of Metal, now is the best time. The game is now $20 and is widely available on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


Hot girls? Check. Hot cars? Check.

Could There Be (Or, Should There Be) A Sequel?

Brutal Legend's ending definitely leaves it open for a sequel, so the possibility of one happening or DLC adding an epilogue exists, but if Brutal Legend never sees anything, the story ends in a way that leaves one satisfied. So, while there could be, and I would love to see, a sequel, there is no need for one. If a sequel is coming, I would hope it happens after Double Fine's next game. Granted, this may mean we'll see it in 2019/2020 with Double Fine's track record, but I'm OK with that. In a world where sequels are pumped out on a yearly basis, I would like to see a developer take a chance by releasing a sequel in a completely different console generation from its predecessor, especially for a series that made its debut as late in the current cycle as Brutal Legend.

Basically, as long as Brutal Legend doesn't spawn a ton of games whose number increases along with the decline in quality, I'll be happy.


Off to the store, to buy Brutal Legend we will go!

One Last Thing...

Just wanted to add that song because it is awesome and you'll need something to listen to as you read the comments.