His musical talent finds new life in Dethklok

Brendon Small brings his cartoon death metal band Dethklok to the Worcester Palladium Tuesday. (MARK HILL)

Brendon Small's band, Dethklok, officially became the highest-charting death metal band in Billboard history when "The Dethalbum" reached 21 on the Top 200 in its first week of release. The band's 28-city tour has been selling out venues like the Worcester Palladium, where Dethklok will play Tuesday.

Not bad for a comedian.

Of course, Small isn't your average comedian, and Dethklok isn't your average band. For starters, Dethklok is a cartoon band, the subject of Small's Adult Swim show "Metalocalypse." And though Small has made his living for the past eight years writing and doing voice-over work for cartoons like "Metalocalypse" and "Home Movies," he didn't start doing comedy until after he had graduated from Berklee College of Music more than a decade ago.

From that point on, comedy became Small's main gig, and his musical endeavors were limited to occasional writing for television projects. "I definitely had put my guitar away," he says. "Even at music school, all I would do was hang out with the Emerson kids. I'd act in their projects, and I'd score their projects, stuff like that."

With "Metalocalypse" and Dethklok, Small can showcase all of his talents. He writes the scripts with a staff, does voice-overs, and writes all the music, which amounts to one song per show. And he plays guitar and sings every night on tour with a handpicked group of ace musicians, including former Frank Zappa guitarist Mike Keneally, Dark Angel drummer Gene Hoglan, and Z bassist Bryan Beller.

The fact people are taking the music seriously thrills Small. Dethklok has graced the cover of metal mag Decibel, and music for the song "Thunderhorse" was transcribed in Guitar World magazine, where thousands of aspiring teen guitarists go to learn their favorite songs.

"That, to me, was just one of the coolest things in the world," says Small.

Don't expect to see the band in costume at the Palladium as Dethklok members William Murderface or Nathan Explosion. Inspired by fellow cartoon band Gorillaz, the show will feature a giant movie screen with the cartoon version of the band, while the musicians play up front, lit from the back for effect.

"We're supposed to sound like Dethklok, we're not supposed to look like Dethklok," he says. "I wouldn't embarrass the audience by putting on stupid wigs and mustaches to try and look like a cartoon band. The only thing that makes this cool I think is the fact that it doesn't exist. The second you start putting flesh to it, it's just boring, and it could be any other band."

Small is a true metalhead, and he knows audiences want to watch the guitarists' fingers to see what they're playing. He made sure the band would be visible for any metal geeks paying close attention. "Metal is so difficult to play, just to see what guitarists are doing with solos and what drummers are doing - you want to see how they play this stuff," he says.

If all of this seems a little too serious for comedy, the thing to remember is that Dethklok is not a parody of a metal band. Small's intention was never to poke fun at metal, even if he's writing funny lyrics to the songs. You have to be paying attention to find some of the drier humor, which has led to some wonderful interactions with audiences.

"I see them with their lighters in the air singing this one song called 'Dethharmonic' and it's all about taxes, and how brutal taxes are, being a rich person who would rather you be dead than have to get rid of a second home," he says. "All these kids are singing along with me about taxes."

Small, still finishing season two of "Metalocalypse," knows he'd like to do a third season. But he's working too hard to think much past that.

"I get to be a comedy writer, I get to do dumb voices, I get to direct episodes when I have time, I have an endorsement deal with Gibson guitars," he says. "The only thing I would change is that I would give myself a couple of weeks off somewhere."

Seriously, young at heart

Those lucky enough to have scored tickets to the sold-out Young@Heart Chorus show tonight at the Somerville Theatre will get to see a young comedian by the name of Peter Bowers open the show. Young in comedy, that is. Bowers is 71 years old, but has only been pursuing comedy for the past five years, after having spent 40 teaching chemistry at Simmons College. Check his website, peterbowers.net, for upcoming dates at the Comedy Studio and elsewhere.

Around town

Local comics Myq Kaplan and Shane Mauss are on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham" tonight at 10. . . . Jimmy Tingle is at the Comedy Studio tonight through Sunday. . . . Bob Marley is at the Comedy Connection tonight and tomorrow.