Metal Evolution - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Pre-Metal
The history of heavy metal is charted. The premiere chronicles the origins of the genre, from pioneering music in Memphis to the Kinks in England.
Early Metal Part 1: US Division
Episode 2 traces the development of early metal in the United States from the guitar histrionics of Dick Dale to the protopunk madness of The Stooges and MC5.
Early Metal Part 2: UK Division
Pouncing on the power of heavy metal, the UK wasn't about to cede the rock & roll dominance that nation held over America since the insanity of The Beatles and the subsequent British Invasion.
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal marks no less than the establishment of hard rock's very first heavy metal army. Loud ‘n' proud of it, this jean-jacketed legion of headbanging air guitarists snarled back at punk ,expressed impatience with prog, and purposefully declared a banishment of ballads.
Glam Metal
Purveyors of glam such as Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil and Michael Anthony of Van Halen, will divulge their side of the story, revealing the attitudes, influences and decisions which guided them during those heady days of rampant excess on L.A.'s storied Sunset Strip. Contemporary musicians like Scott Ian from Anthrax and Slash from Guns N' Roses will discuss the reasons behind the vilification of glam—the notion that glam reduced Metal to caricature, drawing on a shallow combination of pop cliché and sophomoric sexual pandering for its inspiration.
Thrash
Next in the evolution of Metal comes a virulent strain called thrash, with the likes of Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax wreaking vengeance on hook and melody through a rhythmic discipline executed at breakneck tempos topped by harshly barked vocals.
Grunge
An exploration of the grunge genre and how its rise precipitated the downfall of telegenic glam metal. Sam explores the Seattle Sound, from a decidedly fresher approach, inspiring two fundamental questions: "Why did grunge polarize the Metal community?" and "What are the true roots of grunge?"
Nu Metal
In Episode 8, Sam Dunn chronicles the rise and fall of nu-metal; starting with its ancestry: pivotal artists like Rage Against The Machine, Faith No More and Tool and their fiery amalgam of hard, heavy distorted rock and post-Prince funk. From there, Sam turns his attention to pioneering nu metal artists like Korn and Deftones, who produced the kind of cathartic, anti-authority anthems that found affinity with thousands of seething, repressed suburban kids. Through their own brand of heavy, groove-oriented, but brazenly hip-hop-influenced sounds, these bands managed to achieve both popularity and credibility within the metal community. But nu metal's moment in the sun didn't last long...
Shock Rock
Two central questions are raised: "Historically, where did the urge to shock an audience come from?" and "What are the antecedents of shock in rock music?" Starting with the ringmaster of mayhem himself, Alice Cooper, an artist who drew heavily on such diverse influences as Expressionist horror film and circus sideshows, we'll revisit a world of guillotines and gallows, electrocutions and sorcery.
Power Metal
Sam investigates Heavy Metal's most enduring sub-genre, power metal, and dissects its musical foundations, from the unmistakable influence of German classical composers like Wagner and Liszt to the patented twin-lead guitar attack of power metal architects Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing from Judas Priest. Ep 10 asks the questions: "Why is power metal so huge in Europe?," "What are its roots?" and "Why does it still prosper today?".
Progressive Metal
Many rock academics have proclaimed that the truly progressive musicianship of the last 20 years has been found right here in the world of heavy metal, rather than obvious locales such as jazz, fusion or progressive rock. Much of this jaw-dropping virtuosity occurs within what's known as progressive metal, a genre that takes root with the likes of Rush in the '70s, Queensryche and Fates Warning in the '80s, and Dream Theater in the '90s. Since then, the genre has exploded with creativity, spawning mind-bending, genre-defying acts and Ep 11 looks at the extreme musicianship of these bands, as well as their often extreme literary prowess and conceptual strength.
Extreme Metal
Metal Evolution: Extreme Metal is the definitive documentary episode exploring the musical history of metal's most underground sub-genre. Featuring candid interviews, never-before-seen archival material, rare music clips and travel footage from around the world, the episode will bring you closer to the personalities and historic locations of Extreme Metal than ever before. This episode will give testament to metal's most misunderstood sub-genre, thrilling both die-hard metalheads and the general music lovers alike.
Recently Updated Shows
Harlan Coben's Final Twist
Harlan Coben's Final Twist brings the top selling mystery author to true crime as he unravels murder cases to expose hidden truths.
World War II with Tom Hanks
For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks is a landmark documentary event that reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. "World War II with Tom Hanks" is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.
Gold Rush
Gold Rush follows six men who, in the face of an economic meltdown, risk everything - their families, their dignity, and in some cases, their lives - to strike it rich mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska. Inspired by his father Jack, Todd Hoffman of Sandy, Oregon, leads a group of greenhorn miners to forge a new frontier and save their families from dire straits. While leasing a gold claim in Alaska, Todd and his company of newbies face the grandeur of Alaska as well as its hardships, including an impending winter that will halt operations and the opportunity to strike gold. In an effort to keep the operation running, the team takes fate into their own hands with a make or break venture that will change their lives forever.
Brilliant Minds
Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, Brilliant Minds follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier - the human mind - while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
