As the Palaces Burn

Director: Don Argott

Though not new to theaters, As the Palaces Burn is a 2014 release from director Don Argott; heretofore known for standout films Last Days Here and The Art of the Steal. His latest is another foray into the world of heavy metal as we meet the band Lamb of God (not a christian-rock outfit), who are well-known to metal fans world-wide.

The first scene in the film is of lead singer Randy Blythe as he strolls the banks of a stream running through his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. He mentions how the stream often serves as a residence for the homeless and at one time, himself. As he wanders the water-side, Blythe discusses music's role in staying the clutches of jail and maybe death.

Argott's film isn't a traditional biopic; we don't get a comprehensive view of the band's history. Instead, we meet a band in one phase of its career. Lamb of God is a band that eschews all pretentiousness, the glitzy trappings of fame and are a group of guys that, given what we see, could very well be anyone's neighbor. We hear bass player John Campbell joking about driving a Prius and its lack of heavy metal glamour. Though the band is a Grammy nominee and has opened for Metallica, they retain an approachable, personable relationship with their fans.

Bandmembers weigh in on various subjects, ranging from Blythe's one-time alcohol dependency, which made him difficult to be around, to his eventual recovery and their fans, which they hold in the highest regard.

We meet a few of said devotees, including a Columbian taxi driver living a hardscrabble life in Bogota. We learn members of his family ill-advisedly joined Pablo Escobar's drug syndicate, only to die violently. This tragedy in the young man's life and his suffering is mitigated by Lamb of God's music; a source of inspiration and a means to dispel aggression. The same applies to another fan in India, a female supporter who suffers much scorn for her passion from a community whose rigid codes of behaviour permit women little freedom. We also hear from other Indian fans, many who have driven from great distances to see the band.

The band's identity is deftly and economically conveyed in little screen time. And just as one grows comfortable with the idea that we are viewing a conventional documentary portrait, the film morphs into something else. While on the 2012 tour, Lamb of God's stop in Prague was marred by the arrest of Randy Blythe for the alleged death of a fan during the band's 2010 tour. Unaware of the fan's death or the manslaughter charge during the intervening two years, Blythe and the band are flabbergasted. Blythe is arrested and held without bail. The tour is cut short while the band returns home to rally legal counsel--American and Czech, which incurs a considerable expense. The crisis strengthens the band's bond and resolve, as the members auction off gear and memorabilia to fund Blythe's defense.

The film's focus shifts to the case and how the band handles the adversity. As lawyers build his defense, we see video footage believed to be of the deceased fan at the concert which could have exonerated Blythe but another fan comes forward to identify himself as the subject of the video. Blythe says later he could have avoided the trial altogether, returning home without facing extradition but he chooses to face possible punitive measures and ultimately the victim's family.

The violence that reigns at Lamb of God shows and most heavy metal concerts in the way of mosh pits and head-banging is laid bare but we see in the video footage that Blythe merely assisted the security guard in pushing the fan back into the audience after he had climbed onstage. What looks like typical heavy metal fan mayhem takes a tragic turn when the fan injures himself then slips into a coma before dying a few days later.

The harrowing drama surrounding the trial and the emotional devastation it wreaks on Randy Blythe and the band effectively deglamourizes the rock-and-roll life many would rather see as romantic. Of course someone not a fan of heavy metal might draw the erroneous conclusion that injuries and death are common at concerts, when nothing could be further from the truth.

I liked Argott's film and came away impressed with the band and band-members. Their solidarity in the face of adversity, their concern for fan's welfare, their articulacy and inviolable integrity are all apparent. If the film has any flaw its lack of actual music. Brief concert clips and a few scenes with the bandmembers tooling around on their instruments are pretty much all we're allowed to hear. It may not have occurred to Argott that not everyone viewing the movie will be familiar with the music. I myself had only a passing knowledge of the band. The manslaughter trial is certainly a valid narrative approach but I would like to know something about the music that helped change Blythe's (and maybe the other bandmember's) lives. Argott's film comes dangerously close to becoming a VH-1 Behind the Music episode; a show famous for fetishizing band tragedies. But it doesn't.

As the Palaces Burn is definitely worth a viewing. It has energy, volcanic spirit and dark moments, both sad and tragic. One might come away a fan of Lamb of God; wanting more of their music. I myself am intrigued.