AXS TV premiering ‘Metal Massacre’ rock doc

Metallica’s James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich are featured in film

AXS TV’s popular “Heavy Metal Halloween” rises again this October, putting the spooky spotlight on in-depth artist profiles, powerhouse performances and special themed episodes of AXS TV original series.

This year’s lineup is headlined by the premiere of Metal Massacre: The Story Of The Legendary Album, making its network debut on October 28th at 9 pm ET. Packed with all-star interviews, rare photos, the film tells the story of the groundbreaking 1982 Metal Massacre vinyl compilation—a sonic celebration of the burgeoning Los Angeles Metal scene, which helped launch the careers of iconic acts Metallica and Ratt, and ultimately led to the birth of the legendary independent record label Metal Blade Records. The film boasts priceless commentary and anecdotes from Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel and his friend and collaborator John Kornarens, two metalheads with a dream who made Metal Massacre a reality; as well as Metallica members Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield; Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy; and Black N’ Blue singer Jamie St. James, among many others. An encore presentation of Metal Massacre will immediately follow at 11 pm ET.

The “Heavy Metal Halloween” Saturday block also includes a portrait of the sire of shock rock in the immersive multimedia 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper; metal pioneers Judas Priest taking the stage for a landmark set at one of the world’s most influential metal festivals in Judas Priest: Battle Cry Live At Wacken Festival 2015; a behind the scenes look at the Godfathers of Heavy Metal, Black Sabbath, and the making of their definitive sophomore album Paranoid; and back-to-back Rock Legends episodes examining “US Heavy Metal” and the “Birth Of Metal.”

The frightful festivities continue on All Hallows’ Eve, as horror and metal collide in a day-long block kicking off at 8 am ET with an intimate exploration of the incredible life and enduring legacy of one of metal’s foremost figures in Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn