How does an animated band with the highest charting death metal album ever manage to go on tour? Ask Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, creators of Cartoon Network's late night Adult Swim show Metalocalypse.

Perhaps you know Small from his past work as co-creator, writer, voice actor, composer and musician for the Cartoon Network series Home Movies that aired from 1999 to 2004. Currently, he's knee-deep in the second season of Metalocalypse, an animated series based on a fictional death metal band named Dethklok. This sociopathic yet successful foursome is incapable of doing anything nonmusical, with the exception of sometimes getting away with murder.

Since the show started airing in August 2006, metal fans and musicians have been showing extensive loyalty nationwide. Members of metal bands such as Metallica, Nevermore, Archenemy, Cannibal Corpse, King Diamond and Exodus have already done voices for the show. And according to Small, so many artists are contacting him that he's faced with possibly creating new characters.

In addition, the first day The Dethalbum went on sale in September 2007, the deluxe edition (two-disc set with additional songs not heard on the show) sold out everywhere.

"The show had only been on the air for a year and after the deluxe edition sold out, people were selling it on eBay for $300," says Small.

When Small and Blacha first came up with the idea for the show, they not only decided Dethklok would need an album, but a live tour would seal the deal. As a result, a 12-campus heavy metal tour with ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead kicked off Oct. 29 at the University of New Mexico and made its eighth stop at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Nov. 11. Although the turnout didn't reach maximum capacity, lines were spiraling outside CU's University Memorial Center hours before doors opened.

Clay Keibler, 22, of Boulder, summed up the spirit of the crowd by saying, "Dethklok is the greatest band ever. Tonight's show will melt the spines of all who witness it."

Free for students at the universities where they perform, the tour has been gaining critical attention.

"People have been coming from all over - driving five to six hours to see the show," says Small. "We had to turn away at least 1,000 people at the UC Berkeley show."

Small does all the music for the television series, but when it comes to bringing the band to life on stage, he has three other musicians accompanying him. Small is on guitar and vocals, which he refers to as "grunting and grumbling into the microphone." He's joined by legendary metal drummer Gene Hoglan, who is known for his technical, extremely high-speed drumming; composer and bassist Bryan Beller and Mike Keneally, a former Frank Zappa stunt guitarist and keyboardist.

How does a fictional metal band's identity take the stage? According to Small, the band remains anonymous and ominous by wearing all black. Weaving in the animated effect, the band plays along to a movie projected on a gigantic screen behind them.

"The movie itself tells a little bit of a story and we capture that story and play it like a pit band at a ballet would do," says Small. "It's like a real big, stupid Disney ride - but with metal and murder - and the crowd goes crazy and moshes and does all those things they're supposed to do at a metal show. But whether or not you're in to metal, the awesome, scary energy is an undeniable experience."

Although the Berklee College of Music graduate has an extensive music background and plenty of recording experience, performing on a live tour is a different concept for him.

"Playing on tour like this is totally new territory for me, but it's fun and I'm learning on-the-road etiquette, stage etiquette, what wire goes where and how to make things not sound bad," laughs Small. "But I'm in a safe place musically, because these musicians are so good."

However, Small says if the band is not in sync with the movie, it can ruin the show. If Hoglan is not locked in and on time with the click track (similar to a metronome in his headphones) when they press play on the movie, the rest of the band won't be on time with the movie behind them. Luckily, Dethklok hasn't been presented with that crisis so far.

The 12-campus gig has been a tryout tour, meaning Dethklok will be making more appearances in the future with other heavy metal bands.

"I'd give this tour a B+ so far, and that's good coming from me," says Small. "Right now this is an experiment to see how the band is working with the picture and to see what little changes need to be made."

While Small claims he has the "coolest job ever," he says he could use a few days off to actually realize it. Besides his future musical endeavors, the metal musician is not afraid to show his softer side.

"I'd like to go to Disneyland," says Small. "You heard me, I have a metal show and all I want to do is go to Disneyland."
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For all you Home Movies fans, check out what Brad Paugh had to say about his favorite show of all time.