Heavy Metal sequel packs fun, but struggles to surpass the original.

Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren get the band back together in their Finnish metalhead sequel, Heavier Trip. It’s a direct continuation of 2018’s Heavy Trip, which chronicled the improbable and hilarious rise of amateur thrashers Impaled Rektum. It’s nowhere near as serious a film as Jonas Åkerlund’s Lords of Chaos, nor as horror-soaked as Jason Lei Howden’s Deathgasm. Laatio and Vidgren approach fandom satirization as a goofball musical comedy, fluent in thumping blast beats and slapstick humor. The sequel might not be as successful as its series original, but that’s merely a testament to the Valhallan quality of Heavy Trip.

We reunite with Impaled Rektum in an offshore Norwegian prison that takes pride in its upscale seafood buffet. They’re approached by superproducer Maxwell Efraim Fisto (Anatole Taubman), who wants Impaled Rektum to play Germany’s illustrious Waken Open Air festival for a €50,000 payday. Bassist Xytrax (Max Ovaska) mocks Wacken as an “overcommercialized” event for “wannabes,” plus they’re stuck in jail, so frontman Turo (Johannes Holopainen) declines. That’s before guitarist Lotvonen (Samuli Jaskio) finds out his parents’ slaughterhouse will be forfeited unless a €30,000 settlement is paid. Impaled Rektum has no choice but to break out, locate Fisto, and hope his offer still stands — as long as prison security Dokken (​​Helén Vikstvedt) doesn’t derail their scheme.

Heavy Trip proved the filmmakers’ metal credentials and Heavier Trip doesn’t back-peddle. Laatio and Vidgren approach gentle hard-rock roasts with a majority of accessible jokes, and when tossing a niche reference to hardcore headbangers, include enough context clues for maximum understanding. Everyone can laugh at a callback to Jimi Hendrix’s flaming guitar, but that doesn’t stop the corpse-painted traditionalist Xytrax from encountering Japanese Kawaii metal sensation BABYMETAL. Xytrax must reckon with his rigid definitions of acceptable metal subgenres while succumbing to the toe-tapping addictiveness of songs like “Gimme Chocolate!!,” which, as a BABYMETAL fan myself, is an absolute joy to behold. There’s something for all genre pedigrees, from Metallica first-timers to grindcore worshippers and Norwegian black metal historians.

Impaled Rektum’s partnership with Fisto, his label’s engineers, and their first introduction into the music business sleaziness is predictable. Heavier Trip doesn’t hide seedy management influences, naming its money-first producer after Mephisto, Mr. “Monarch of Evil.” The spotlight seduces Turo while Xytrax, Lotvonen, and anger-battling drummer Oula (Chike Ohanwe) watch as Fisto scrubs Impaled Rektum clean of individuality. It’s a familiar musician’s trajectory as seen in basic assessments of tumultuous band dynamics like Stephen Herek’s Rock Star or ​​Rob Stefaniuk’s Suck, told again using Impaled Rektum. Where Heavy Trip succeeds as an off-color and wackier comedy that plays by its own rules, Heavier Trip feels detrimentally tethered to its typical storytelling beats.

Audiences returning for another tour with Impaled Rektum won’t be disappointed. The lovable bandmates are all represented with the quirks that made them famous, between Xytrax’s blunt-force honesty and Lotvonen’s fixation on Dave Mustaine. Impaled Rektum faces their trials and confronts rock n’ roll royalty in prop form (like Lemmy Kilmister‘s iconic hat), saving the script’s more rudimentary take on selling your soul for golden records and arena crowds Fisto’s despicable actions and tour buddies Blood Motor — led by the demonic growler Rob (David Bredin) — add enough variation for some sequel freshness; but this is still Impaled Rektum’s show, and they don’t fumble their second set.

If you love Heavy Trip, you’ll enjoy Heavier Trip. It’s a sequel playing in the same sandbox with similar results, primarily a positive outcome. Laatio and Vidgren stick to what works and try to replicate signatures by furthering Impaled Rektum’s legacy into the second phase of storytelling. That’s, frustratingly, where the film falters most — but all the moronic hijinx and face-melting riffage stays consistent. Mika Lammassaari graduates to the sequel’s composer role, delivering another glorious soundtrack of crunchy guitars and beating bass assaults. Heavier Trip is another gift to metalheads that has me hungry for a third, hopefully with a return to the more renegade nature of their original kitchen-sink odyssey.

Heavier Trip screened at this year’s Fantastic Fest.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Heavier Trip is a sequel that stays true to its roots, maintaining the same blend of humor, metal mayhem, and Finnish flair that made its predecessor so enjoyable. While it may not reach the same heights as its original, it’s still a fun ride that will leave fans of the series eagerly anticipating a third installment.

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