Metalocalypse never resonated with me in the same way as The Venture Bros. I didn’t dislike the show. I watched it when it was on back in the days when my TV was almost permanently tuned to Adult Swim when I was battling insomnia. But I didn’t go out of my way to keep up on the adventures of Dethklok.

This is how, I am sorry to admit, I somehow missed it when Metalocalypse went from being about a nihilistic group of rock stars and random absurd violence to something serious. Something involving an eldritch being disguised as a man and a dark prophecy involving Deathklok. Naturally, Adult Swim cancelled the show just as it was promising to explain everything and, for a decade, there was silence. But the power of death metal cannot die, and the Powers That Be finally agreed to end the saga with Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar.

The movie picks up just after the last Metalocalypse special, The Doomstar Requiem — A Klok Opera. The band has rescued guitarist Toki Wartooth and their producer Abigail from their treacherous ex-bandmate, Magnus Hammersmith. All is not well, however, for the band’s plans for a new tour and new album are killed when front man and lyricist Nathan Explosion suffers a major case of writer’s block. Also, there’s a giant red fireball, the Doomstar, heading straight for Earth.

The only hope for humanity lies in the twin weapons of the Army of the Doomstar, who will stand to defend Dethklok as they play the Song of Salvation. Unfortunately, the knowledge that he must write a song to save the world does nothing to help Nathan’s writer’s block. Worse yet, there is a traitor in their midst, who has become a pawn of the Tribunal that welcomes the Doomstar’s approach and seeks to subverts Dethklok’s role as unlikely saviors.

Describing the story beyond that is pointless, as the series remains as driven by stream-of-conciousness narrative as ever. The humor is the same, but the drama is much deeper. The animation is also of much higher quality, with the Flash-based animation of the earlier seasons replaced with some of the best imagery I’ve seen in an animated film. Think Heavy Metal meets Miyazaki and you’ll have some idea of what things may look like. This will not, however,give you any idea of what to expect.

Beyond the movie itself, the Blu-Ray of Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar features a documentary on the making of the film and the music behind the film. Series creators Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha are interviewed, of course, but the documentary also gives a voice to the artists and musicians responsible for crafting Dethklok’s final adventure. There is also a fan jam video, which features several fans playing Dethklok’s music together.

Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar is a fitting capstone to one of the weirdest and most beloved animated series of all time. With strong visuals and a surprisingly strong message about the power of friendship and art, it is not like anything I’ve ever seen before. Highly reccomended for all fans of the show and anyone who enjoys a good head-trip.

Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar is now available for digital download and in stores.

FULL DISCLOSURE: KabOOOOOm.com was provided with a free copy of Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar on Blu-Ray for the purposes of this review. However, our management is firmly in support of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and hopes that Warner Bros. Discovery will start offering their creators a fair and reasonable wage with benefits.