Dethklok is both a virtual death metal band, and originally a band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The band is sometimes cited as an example of "comedy rock" on par with bands such as GWAR and Spinal Tap. The first Dethklok album was released on September 25, 2007, entitled The Dethalbum. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon Small, with others as needed. Small and drummer Gene Hoglan performed on the album. The album debuted at #21 on the Billboard Top 200 list.
In the Metalocalypse series, Dethklok is depicted as an extremely popular and successful death metal band, described by their adversaries, the Tribunal, as the "world's greatest cultural force." The band's fan base includes millions of metal fanatics, who frequently endanger themselves to watch the band perform live. With their widespread commercial success and lucrative sponsorship contracts, Dethklok is ranked as the world's seventh largest economy in the series.
