The Netflix coming-of-age comedy Metal Lords deals with two teenagers passionate about metal music and their quest to win their school's Battle of the Bands. Even though lead actor Adrian Greensmith is a newcomer, the movie also stars popular faces like Jaeden Martell from It and Knives Out and Brett Gelman from Stranger Things and Fleabag.
The movie doesn't just limit itself to actors but also guest appearances from metal musicians themselves such as Scott Ian, Tom Morello, and Rob Halford, all of whom have cameoed in popular films and shows ranging from Iron Man to The Walking Dead.
Jaeden Martell - It (2017)
Metal Lords isn't the only movie to feature Jaeden Martell in the lead role. In the first chapter of Andy Muschetti's It duology, Martell starred as Bill Denbrough. The protagonist of Stephen King's horror novel, Bill is a shy teenager who is plagued by the death of his younger brother Georgie. Tracking down Georgie's killer, Bill and his ragtag group of friends investigate paranormal happenings in the sleepy town of Derry.
Reminiscent of the thrills of its source material, It functions as not just a Stephen King horror movie with re-watch value but also a coming-of-age tale with some great teenage performances by actors like Martell.
Isis Hainsworth - Emma (2020)
Isis Hainsworth serves as the bassist of the protagonists' metal band in Metal Lords. Even though she is introduced as a cello player, she effortlessly adapts to metal music.
Hainsworth's previous screen credits include period pieces like the Les Miserables miniseries and Emma, the adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. A part of an ensemble led by Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead, the actress makes a brief appearance as the supporting character Elizabeth Martin in a depiction that is true to the original novel.
Sufe Bradshaw - Veep (2012-2019)
Every high-school comedy has a dean and in this case, Sufe Bradshaw plays the strict head of Hunter and Kevin's high school. Even though she has had character roles in several films and shows, her most popular screen credit might be the HBO Max comedy Veep.
Starring Julia Louis Dreyfuss as a controversial American vice-president, Veep is a smart satire on modern electoral politics and its fallacies. Bradshaw appears in the series as Sue, the scheduler and assistant to protagonist Selina Meyers.
Brett Gelman - Fleabag (2016-2019)
The young metalheads in the Netflix movie can't impress their discouraging parents, especially Brett Gelman's Sylvester who disapproves of his son Hunter's rebellious nature.
This isn't the only negative character Gelman has played who is otherwise popularly known for playing the annoyingly sleazy brother-in-law to the titular protagonist in Fleabag. The show otherwise deals with the misadventures of a self-destructive woman and her flawed relationships with her family. Apart from acclaimed supporting performances by actors such as Gelman and Olivia Colman, Fleabag turned creator and actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge into a household name.
Joe Manganiello - Spider-Man (2002)
Playing the role of a mysterious doctor, Joe Manganiello is one of the most famous names on Metal Lords. He has enjoyed mainstream popularity with roles in Magic Mike, True Blood, and a few cameos in DCEU movies.
However, his initial claim to fame was with the portrayal of the high-school bully Flash Thomspon in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. Even though Flash initially makes Peter Parker's introverted life worse, the two engage in an exciting duel in the lockers after the latter has gained superhuman factors.
Phelan Davis - American Vandal (2017-2018)
Phelan Davis plays Rocky "Skip" Hoffman, a high-school jock who bullies Hunter in the initial half of the movie. Metal Lords isn't his first tryst with Netflix as he also appeared in the sophomore season of the Netflix mockumentary series American Vandal.
A parody of the true-crime genre, the second season dealt with "The Turd Burglar", a notorious miscreant responsible for a case of "mass defecation" in a high school. As two student investigators set out to unmask the Burglar, they suspect several students, one of whom was played by Davis.
Ron Halford - The Simpsons (1989-)
The vocalist of Judas Priest is one of the many heavy metal cameos in Metal Lords. Rob Halford's limited filmography includes such cameos in several shows and movies, including mainstream favorites like The Simpsons.
In the Season 25 episode "Steal This Episode", Halford played a fictionalized version of himself, even breaking into a rendition of "Breaking The Law". Sporting his typical "leather and studs" look, he is definitely one of the most memorable guest stars on The Simpsons.
Kirk Hammett - Metallica Through The Never (2013)
Another metal heavyweight who has a cameo in Metal Lords is Kirk Hammett, the lead guitarist, and co-songwriter of the band Metallica. He along with his bandmates previously appeared in an immersive concert movie titled Metallica: Through The Never.
Set in the middle of a Metallica concert, the movie alternates between the music and a mystery plot involving a missing item from the band's truck. As the story unravels and the band keeps on playing, there is enough drama to satisfy both loyal Metallica fans as well as newbies. It is arguably one of the best concert films in recent times.
Scott Ian - The Walking Dead: Webisodes (2011-2018)
The co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the thrash metal outfit Anthrax, Scott Ian plays himself in a brief role in Metal Lords. His cameos elsewhere include Anthrax documentaries, Deadwood, and The Walking Dead.
For the latter, he played one of the several "Walkers" on the show, the undead zombies of The Walking Dead who populate the Earth in a dystopian future. However, instead of the main series, Ian appeared in a segment of the webisodes which were brief 15-minute videos that provided more context behind the start of the apocalypse.
Tom Morello - Iron Man (2008)
Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave alumnus Tom Morello appears alongside the other metal and rock legends in Metal Lords. However, MCU fans would recognize him from another cameo in 2008's Iron Man. Additionally, he was also a part of the movie's music department, handling the guitars.
He plays a member of the terrorist organization The Ten Rings who encounters Tony Stark in a cave. When Stark tries out his early prototypes of the arc reactor, he manages to hurl the terrorist across the cave.