It's not often that you hear about a cartoon band releasing a full-length studio album. Yet, the world-famous metal band, Dethklok, from Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse," has done just that with "The Dethalbum." The album features 16 full-length tracks, some of which can be heard in episodes of the show, some of which can only be found on "The Dethalbum." The show's co-creator, Brandon Small, wrote and performed all of the tracks for the album, and on the whole, it's some of the better melodic death metal out there right now, and certainly best melodic death metal that's ever been written for a cartoon show.

Both the lead and rhythm guitar parts on the album are played by Small, and expertly so. He has come up with brutal riffs and hooks for "The Dethalbum," such as the driving guitar part in "Thunderhorse." Hammer-ons, tremolo picking, and harmonized guitar parts are staples in Small's playing style, resulting in some of the more complex and melodic metal that I've heard recently. His soloing abilities are also quite impressive on the record, a talent that he showcases in nearly every song, but the best of which can be found in "Castratikron," "Fansong," and "Murmaider."

Beyond playing both guitar parts, Small also does all of the vocal work, as well as the bass guitar and keyboard. The only part of the ensemble that Small is not responsible for are the drums, which are done by Dark Angel/Strapping Young Lad's Gene Hoglan. It's impressive in and of itself that Small is nearly a one-man band, but the fact that he can play the galloping basslines and throatily growl all of the lyrics on the same level of excellence as his guitar playing is astonishing.

Small doesn't mind branching out into some unusual territories, either. In "Detharmonic," raging death metal is blended with the ominous sounds of an orchestra (the context in the show was that Dethklok performed this song with the London Philharmonic). It sounds like a weird idea, and it is, but the result is that the two distinct styles blend together surprisingly well, making for a slow-paced track with a haunting sound. Another interesting touch...albeit a less dramatic one...is the use of whale calls in the opening and closing of "Murmaider," giving the song a spooky, menacing feel from start to finish. It's quirky, but then again so is the show, so it fits in nicely.

Unfortunately, the talents of Small and Hoglan are frequently marred by the shoddy production value of the album. Small, along with Ulrich Wild, were responsible for the production, while Wild took care of the engineering and mixing. The final product has a muffled sound that tends to mask some of the finer details of the songs. The rhythm at which the same guitar chords are being played repeatedly, for example, tends to get garbled, as they blend together into a wall of sound that comes off more like a sustained version of the chord before switching to the next one. Granted, this is the album of a fictional metal band, but some of the music is really impressive and it doesn't always get to shine when it's overshadowed by mediocre production.

That being said, this is the hardest work I have ever seen to make music for a cartoon show. Seeing as "Metalocalypse" is a program on Adult Swim, it'd be easy to write it off as some mindless, stupid show with little to no sophistication. With a soundtrack like this, Small proves that cartoons can have a surprising amount of a depth by creating some truly complex tunes. The show has its fair share of potty humor, but it's worth noting that the intricacies of "The Dethalbum" make for the perfect soundtrack for a show about the world's greatest metal band, Dethklok.

Also meshing nicely with the spirit of the show are the lyrics to the songs on "The Dethalbum." Everything is ridiculously violent and over-the-top, and it fits perfectly with the satiric nature of the show, which openly mocks stereotypes about the metal genre and its fans. Subject matter on "The Dethalbum" ranges anywhere from mermaid murder ("Murmaider") to using one's blood as an electrical conductor to kill one's enemies ("Bloodrocuted"), and everything in between. Small takes society's pre-existing judgments about the violent, angry nature of metal and blows them up to comedic proportions in every song on "The Dethalbum." It's all hilarious, it's all fun, and it's a great reminder that no musician, of any genre, should take his or herself too seriously.

I'm going to be honest here: When I first downloaded "The Dethalbum," I wasn't expecting much beyond a chuckle or two, considering I was about to listen to what is basically the equivalent of a soundtrack for a cartoon. I was blown away to discover how much of a talented musician Small is and how great this music was on its own, TV show aside. But when taken in as a package deal with the hilarious nature of "Metalocalypse," "The Dethalbum" becomes one of the most enjoyable metal albums out there, because it's a showcase of incredibly inspired work that also provides a good laugh with some of the most bizarre lyrics you've ever heard. Dethklok has another album, "The Dethalbum II," on the way, which is supposedly due in September. I can't wait for it, but I hope that this time around Small can afford some better production so listeners can fully appreciate his talents.

Score: 8.0/10