After wrapping Heavy Trip in 2018, director and co-writer Juuso Laatio had no idea if a sequel would ever happen. Funding hurdles loomed large, so he retreated to his first love: painting, brushing out the chaos that had defined his directorial debut. But then Heavy Trip became a cult sensation, the kind of underground hit that metalheads and film buffs whispered about in the same breath as This Is Spinal Tap. Suddenly, cash wasn’t a problem - Heavier Trip was greenlit, and in short order, Laatio got the band back together for another riff-pumping joyride through the fields of Valhalla. We caught up with Juuso to go behind-the-scenes of one of metal’s most-anticipated new films.
Where does the sequel find Impaled Rektum?
"The new film picks up pretty much where the last one left off. In the first film, the guys end up in prison for nearly starting a war, kidnapping a mental patient, digging up a corpse - stuff like that. Now, they’ve been in jail on a derelict Norwegian prison island out in the middle of nowhere. They get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at Wacken, but they're still in prison. Their guitarist’s father has a health crisis and they need money to repair their family’s slaughterhouse. So, they have to break out of prison to go after this gig—that’s where the adventure starts."
It was wild to see Babymetal appearing throughout the movie. There’s even a sneaky cameo of their producer Kobametal! How did they get involved?
"Babymetal were originally written into the script as a placeholder for a divisive metal band that splits opinions. I didn’t think we’d actually get them, but we had amazing line producers who got in touch with their team, and they were already fans of the first film! Scheduling was a challenge because they’re incredibly busy, but they managed to make it work."
What was it like to direct them?
"They were amazing so professional and kind. We were filming in an old taxi depot, and it was hot. Everyone else was in tank tops, but they were in full outfits, under spotlights, without complaint. They’re used to hard work but it was really impressive to witness. And to be able to work with them and give them feedback was a really fun experience."
A good bit of the film takes place at Wacken. How was that?
"We only had about three minutes to shoot on one of the bigger stages at Wacken, between the roadies setting up for the next band. We had to dodge roadies moving past the camera, so it was pretty much all improvised by Johannes, our main actor, and the cameraman. Johannes walked in front of the crowd, and we were like, 'Okay, let’s go!' The cameraman grabbed the camera, and we filmed as much as we could during those three minutes. That footage is authentic, from one of the two main Wacken stages. We were on the third-largest stage, which was still huge."
Xytrax experiences another profound transformation in the film. Who does he represent?
"I feel it’s more a metaphor for what was going on during the making of this film. In the first film, we had a smaller distributor, and for the second, we had the biggest distributor in Finland, which meant more funding but also more pressure from people with money and power about what the audience wants to see. In the first film, I identified with the lead singer - a shy person with issues around performing. But during this second film, I realised I’m actually more like Xytrax - slightly stubborn, with a tough time compromising. I felt like I was fighting to keep the integrity of the project, like Xtrax fighting to make the music he loves while everyone else is focused on broad appeal."
Once again, Impaled Rektum’s original material sounds legitimately amazing. How did you pull that off?
"We worked with Mika Lammassaari [Mors Subita, ex-Wolfheart], who did the heavier music for the first film. He did an amazing job with the metal. In the scene where Babymetal’s shuttle pulls up, you hear just a short bit of a brutal metal song. I told Mika I needed exactly eight seconds of intense metal for that part, and he gave me a full seven-minute track, lyrics and all! The score was done by this Swedish occult rock band called Year Of The Goat. I’ve been a big fan of theirs for at least fifteen years and was really thrilled and when I saw their music on top of the shots, it blew my mind."
Dethklok, the band from Metalocalypse, have released a number of highly-successful original albums. Will Impaled Rektum ever release an album?
"People have been asking for one, and we’re working on an album that includes music from both films. Many of the tracks only appear in snippets in the movies, so we’d love to make them available in full."
How important was it to you to once again make something that would resonate with the metal scene?
"I want to make something authentic that a specific audience can connect with deeply, while others want to reach as many people as possible, which sometimes means going for a broader appeal. I don’t feel I should create for the audience but rather do what feels genuine to me and trust that people will connect with it. Some might hate it, but the ones who love it will love it more for its authenticity."
Heavier Trip is available to watch now via select streaming services. Watch via Prime
