I’ve recently learned about Okilly Dokilly, the Ned Flanders-themed metal band based out of Phoenix. When I first saw the picture of them, with those Ned Flanders outfits, I was intrigued, but cautious. I’ve seen niche metal bands pop up before, attempting to marry the concept of goofiness with brutal, punishing music.
But the problem is that these bands have rarely been able to back up the concept with quality music.
Luckily, Okilly Dokilly sure doesn’t disappoint.
The band currently has four demo songs out right now, which you can listen to below. “Nothing At All” is my personal favorite.
Here’s a look at the poster for the group’s recent show:
This is a gigantic, much-needed step forward in the world of pop culture-themed metal bands, as Okilly Dokilly demands to be taken seriously. The Internet has recognized that, as the band got a great deal of press when they released their demos. To this point, the subgenre has largely been flying under the radar, though not without quality bands inhabiting it.
Mac Sabbath and The Metal Shakespeare Company are two pop culture metal bands who have held it down in recent years. Mac Sabbath is a McDonald’s-themed metal band that parodies Black Sabbath songs, complete with insane character costumes that feel more right than their counterparts. Ronald McDonald is the frontman, of course, with Grimace, Mayor McCheese and the Hamburglar backing him up.
The Metal Shakespeare Company shreds (or shredded, as the group disbanded in 2010) in the exact way you’re imagining: with metal songs created out of Shakespeare lyrics. Their contribution to the genre shall not be overlooked.
Beatallica kind of counts, though they’re just blending Metallica and the Beatles without any non-music related cultural references. However, they’re awesome and I’ll still include them here, especially since the Beatles have long since transcended music and made their way into the annals of timeless pop culture icons. It should be noted that there really are a ton of themed bands out there, and there are a great deal of themed metal bands. Groups like GWAR and Steel Panther immediately come to mind, but it’s pretty rare to find a metal band that bases its entire existence on a thin slice of pop culture.
So now that we’re in the era of great pop culture-themed metal, it really needs to build on its momentum and take another step forward by saturating the scene. With that in mind, I’m going to need to see groups based around the following concepts as soon as possible:
- Family Circus
- Microsoft
- The Golden Girls
- Veggie Tales characters
- The British Royal Family
- Whole Foods
- Donald Trump
- Failed Google products
- Archie comics (since that brand has cross over into everything else)
- Steve Jobs
- The Fast and Furious franchise
- Weird Al
- Failed NBC sitcoms
- Starbucks baristas
- Beanie Babies
- Derek Jeter
- Pixar movies