Heavier Trip is apparently the triumphant return of a fake metal band from Finland named Impaled Rektum (of course). I say apparently because I didn’t realize it was a sequel to 2018’s Heavy Trip until half way through the movie. Whoopsie!

I’d seen the trailer for this flick only because I’d heard it had a cameo from Japan’s Babymetal (the kawaii metal group). As a secret fan (well, maybe not so secret now) of Babymetal, I was curious to see how that would turn out… and, you know, to watch the funny movie about the funny metal band with the funnier name.

The flick picks up with the band in prison (presumably due to events in the first film) when they learn one of their fathers needs money to save the farm. Since breaking out of a prison sounds cool, they do so and travel across Europe to reach a festival with a big payout.

Impaled Rektum is a black metal band… or possibly death metal? Screamo? There are so many subgenres of metal and I’m not really in the scene… but they are loud and they scream-sing. And the actors are amusing and the film is having fun at the expense of metal which is ok with me!

I chuckled occasionally and had a good time… though the final act is messy and weirdly sluggish. It’s a fun enough movie, though I’m hesitating on doubling back to watch Heavy Trip even if it IS free on YouTube. Which might say more about Heavier Trip than it deserves.

And, yes, Babymetal plays Gimme Chocolate and has two acting scenes… though I’m not so sure about their acting chops. But, hey, I love to see them do something other than their usual routines, especially in a movie satirizing metalheads who (at least temporarily) hate Babymetal.

Whether there were other cameos from other metal bands, I’m not sure. They did have some prop references to dead metal gods like Dio and Lemmy (from Motorhead) which I caught and appreciated.

Anyhow, it’s an amusing film, probably made more funny if you are in the metal scene and have a sense of humor (which is not always the case). I got a mild kick out of it and maybe others would too… especially if you are clued in on there being a first film (ahem).

Score: 78