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List of Metal Documentaries

Cover from Heavy Metal Parking Lot

As a fan of rock and metal documentaries, I prepared this list of some of the documentaries I watched. It's ranked as personal liking.

  1. A Headbanger's Journey
    The famous one, a must-see.

  2. Murder in the Front Row
    Here's another must-see documentary. As the title suggests, there's a lot of thrash, Bay area, and Exodus. Based on the book by former DRI's bassist Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew.

  3. Total Thrash
    A documentary about the Teutonic thrash metal. Both old and new school.

  4. Global Metal
    By Sam Dunn, the director of A Headbanger's Journey and head of Banger TV YouTube Channel.

  5. Death by Metal. Death and Chuck

  6. The Ballad of Judas Priest
    A more Rob-centered documentary, but not forgetting, at any point, the other members.

  7. Metal Bagdad
    A film about Iraq's first metal band. Really interesting and revolting.

  8. Thrash Altenessen (Kreator and Thrash in the GDR)

  9. Heavy Metal Parking Lot
    Because heavy metal rules!

  10. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
    Expect some religious crap, weird scenes, hard rock, Ozzy's breakfast, and Chris Holmes' heavy drinking.

  11. Lemmy

  12. Iron Maiden 12 wasted years
    From when the band was active for only 12 years. If you wanna sell this VHS, let me know!

  13. Guidable - The Real History of Ratos de Porão
    Ratos de Porão's documentary. Crazy shit.

  14. Iron Maiden: Flight 666
    Another Maiden film. This one was directed by Sam Dunn when the band was on Somewhere Back in Time's tour.

  15. Black Sabbath - Master of Reality and Sabotage | The Documentary
    Two in the same rank, done by Allan Berry from The Tapes Archive. A great channel!

  16. Get Thrashed
    An excellent introduction to thrash metal and its beginning. Not only Metallica on this one.

  17. Devil at the Crossroads
    Not a metal documentary, but it's a good one. It's about blues legend Robert Johnson and his "pact with the devil".

  18. The Heavy Metal Gangs of Wadeye
    Gangs named as metal bands in a small aboriginal town in Australia

  19. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
    "What? No warning?"

  20. Trainwreck
    Woodstock in 99. We all heard this story.

  21. We are X
    Again, not Metal. It tells the story of the J-Rock/visual key gods. Plus: a crazy story involving the singer and a cult.

  22. The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
    Punks.

  23. 27: Gone too Soon

  24. Last Days Here
    A hard-to-watch documentary starring Pentagram's singer Bobby Liebling.

  25. New Wave of Metal
    New bands that bring back the classic heavy metal sound and feel.

  26. Lords of Chaos
    Because it's fun when there are fewer racists in this world.

  27. Until the Light Takes Us
    Darkthrone's Fenrir looking at some tapes, and oddly great interviews with the black metal guys.

  28. Soaring Highs and Brutal Lows
    Frontwomen of metal.

  29. We Sold our lives for Rock n Roll
    99's Ozzfest

  30. Hate & Hope
    Kreator's vlog. Some interviews and backstage info on the concert that got the big Teutonic 4 together at Klash Of The Ruhrpott.

  31. Slave to the Grind
    Too many dixie boys

Update 20.05.2026: added Kreator'vlog and The Ballad of Judas Priest.

#metal #music