Every month, Decibel scribe Shane Mehling reviews the four videos that appear in the mag under “Decibel’s Clips of the Month at Metal Injection.” This month, watch picks from Testament, Tankard, Ex Deo and a classic clip from Sick Of It All.
Testament – “Native Blood”
This is a real after-school special video about Native Americans being discriminated against and harassed by the white man. You’ll get no argument from me, but as a beatdown or some sort supernatural decapitation becomes imminent for these honky bullies, it climaxes with… a town council meeting? Seriously? I mean, I know you don’t want to have your people once again painted as savages, but when you set me up to get my bloodlust satiated, reasoned debate about a government land auction just really doesn’t cut it.
Tankard – “A Girl Named Cerveza”
No American metal band is capable of creating a music video this nonsensical. From what I can piece together, the singer is real into this hot lady, but then realizes she drugged his beer and is actually a drag queen? I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what’s going on. Most of the story gets crammed into the last minute because they needed a lot of shots of them on a rooftop, in an elevator and smoking a giant novelty hookah, so maybe there’s a director’s cut to even out some of the rough spots. Also: hey, drummer, buy a drumset.
Ex Deo – “I, Caligvla”
I wasn’t sure if I was ready for a seven-minute power metal video based on Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” but almost three minutes is just credits for all the band members and actors. And by actors I mean friends who were willing to put on a toga and stare blankly for maybe an hour. Why didn’t they haul out the key grip and caterer? I’m also pretty angry they didn’t give top billing to the girl who strips down to a thong, gets whipped with a stick and then has wine poured on her butt. Even in modern times, that’s not gonna be an easy clean-up.
Sick of It All – “Step Down”
This is the video that in three and a half minutes was able to turn every midwestern Headbangers Ball teenager into a seasoned hardcore expert. Seriously, you may have tuned in that night to see “Thunder Kiss ’65” for the dozenth time, but after the image of someone “pickin’ up change,” you strolled into school on Monday like you gave Harley Cro-Mag his first bass. Okay, maybe then you heard Korn and everything went south, but there was that one indelible moment you really felt like a part of the underground, bowling shirts and all.
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