Netflix’s ‘Metal Lords’ Cast Reveal Which Metal Bands Struck the Heaviest Chord With Them (Exclusive)

Netflix’s newest original movie, , follows a group of high schoolers as they navigate the tumultuous seas of teenage life, while also hoping to melt faces with their fast and loud metal jams. Jaeden Martell, Adrian Greensmith and Isis Hainsworth star as Kevin Schlieb, Emily Spector and Hunter Sylvester, respectively. The heavy metal trio, dubbed Skullflower, jams out a brutal tune titled “Machinery of Torment,” which hammers listeners’ ears with relentless drums, a brooding cello, and one wicked solo.

Speaking exclusively to PopCulture.com, the three clarified that they weren’t necessarily heavy metal fans before the film, but each have at least one band that struck a heavy chord with them. “I think we’ve talked a lot about how many different genres there are, subgenres. I mean, I think that’s just such a good sign, if there’s that much variety within it. I think that’s brilliant. I still keep up with Meshuggah a bit, and a bit of Black Sabbath,” Greensmith shared.

“I definitely still listen to a little bit of Metallica,” Martell said, “and every once in a while I need a little bit of energy and I’m itching for some metal music, so I go back to my Metal Lords‘ playlist that I created way back when.” Hainesworth added, “Black Sabbath is definitely still on my radar and yeah, I do sometimes have my Metal Lords‘ playlist as well. I get that on. Get it on shuffle.”

Ahead of the film, Greensmith was the only one of the three who was familiar with his instrument, though the musical subject matter had not necessarily been his forte. “I’ve been playing for 10 years or something like that, but not metal, so that was a fun shift. The right hand, the picking hand, that was a whole… My left hand, I was up to speed with that, but the right hand, that is so technical. That is so impressive, that people can pick that fast, that articulately.”

Martel revealed that, before becoming the drummer of Skullflower, he “never really touched the drums before.” He added, “There was about a month before filming started where I was practicing every day. I really had to grind a little bit.”

The actor went on to share what he found to be the most challenging aspect of learning to play drums. “Really it’s the technicality of it all. I feel like what was really drilled in when I was practicing with my teacher, Glen Sobel, was how to look cool, and the amount of intensity to put in and energy. But really, what I was more fascinated with, and what I really wanted to hone in on, was to make it sound good, which is not the priority when you’re filming a movie. But that was the hardest part, was to actually learn how to play the drums, not how to look like you’re playing the drums.”

Ultimately, the trio are actors before they are musicians, which Hainesworth admitted could be a blurry line at times. “We were saying earlier that we were going to go on tour,” she quipped, then adding, “For me, I think I’m more of a cast member, just because I didn’t play cello before, and it’s not sort of ingrained into my being. Yeah, I’m a cast member.” Metal Lords is now streaming on Netflix.