Top 10 Metal Videos as Chosen by Video Director Andrew Bennett
Who better to ask what about his personal top 10 metal videos of all time than someone who shoots videos for a living. We asked Andrew Bennett, a Los Angeles-based lenser who has shot vids for artists as varied as Deftones and Ratt, to offer up his faves.
In no particular order, here are Bennett's favorite 10 metal videos ... ever!
Megadeth, 'Sweating Bullets': I impersonated the opening lines of this video for an entire year after seeing it, thus the reason I probably got my ass kicked a lot in high school. Well worth it. As a filmmaker, you have to bow down in awe of how ahead of the time they were with the effects. 20 years later, I couldn't afford to do half of that s---. Watch 'Sweating Bullets'
Slipknot, 'Duality': Simply one of the best concepts ever. The idea is so simple, so organic, and perfectly marries to the song. Sometimes a video doesn't have to try and dig deep into your psyche; it's nice to just see people f--- s--- up. This concept could have been pulled off with a few video cameras, but Tony went f---ing bananas and created a visual masterpiece. After [directing] numerous videos for Roadrunner, Slipknot is still the one I keep begging for. Are you reading this? Watch 'Duality'
Death Angel, 'Dethroned': Barbed wire, evil creatures, bad apples and Death Angel. What more do you need? Watch 'Dethroned'
Sevendust, 'Ugly': A great example of how a metal video can be clean and glossy without bringing in backup dancers. Beautiful filmmaking by P.R. Brown, and of course, another crushing performance from one of the best drummers alive, Morgan Rose. Watch 'Ugly'
Meshuggah, 'Rational Gaze': To pick one Meshuggah video is just retarded. They are all amazing. I chose this one because it had the foundation to be a piece of s---. Standard performance, basic gritty warehouse, blah blah blah. But it wasn't standard or basic. They took a classic form and b---- slapped it in the face. I don't know what is in the water or the Swedish furniture, but these mother f---ers kill it every time.
Tool, 'Schism': A lot of filmmakers -- mainly haters -- will look at this video and say something like, 'Well, if I had the money and access to Tool, I could have made that.' No, you couldn't. You are not Adam Jones, and Tool doesn't like you, so just accept that and admit this video is f---ing brilliant. Nothing like it before, nothing like it since. The definition of innovation. Watch 'Schism'
Pantera, 'Cemetery Gates': Not only a classic metal video in every sense, but one of the first videos to actually put a focus on the details of filmmaking. Lighting, lenses, framing, this video took it all to another level, which most people still haven't gotten to. Watch 'Cemetery Gates'
DevilDriver, 'Not All Who Wander Are Lost': Live action is great, but for those metal bands that have kept up with technology and the artistry behind it, they get sick videos like this.
Black Label Society, 'Suicide Messiah': Not the best-directed video of all time, but you try to wrangle Zakk Wylde for 14 hours and see how it works out for you. What really stood out to me on this video was the lighting (cinematography). The DP on this brought the raw, intense power in his set ups that perfectly matched the band. The director should buy the DP a f---ing iPod or something. Watch 'Suicide Messiah'
Deftones, 'Hexagram' (Alternate Version): There were two versions of this video. One was in a skate park with a bunch of kids. It was like watching paint dry. Boring paint. The other was one of the most metal moments I have witnessed. The Deftones in a s---ty rehearsal studio on Super 8 film, killing it!! No effects, no story, no gloss. Just pure metal. Watch 'Hexagram'
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