Metalocalypse is an American animated television series, created by Brendon Small

Brendon Small

Brendon Small is an American sitcom writer/producer, actor, comedian, voice actor, composer, and musician...

 and Tommy Blacha

Tommy Blacha

Thomas "Tommy" Blacha is an American comedy writer, working for shows such as Da Ali G Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Tommy is currently working on Metalocalypse as co-creator and voice actor with Brendon Small....

, which premiered on August 6, 2006 on Adult Swim

Adult Swim

Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...

. The television program centers around the larger than life death metal

Death metal

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

 band Dethklok

Dethklok

Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...

 and often portrays dark and macabre content, including such subjects as violence, death, and the drawbacks of fame, with extremely hyperbolic

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally....

 black humor and often gets a TV-MA V rating. The show can be seen as both a parody and celebration of heavy metal culture.

The music is written by guitarist/creator Brendon Small, is credited to the band, and is featured in most of the episodes.