Writer and editor Mike Shaw | mpshaw.co.uk

Forget Morgan Spurlock, the hottest new documentary maker is an unassuming Canadian named Sam Dunn. Along with Scot McFadyen, he has produced the year’s most exhilarating doc – and it’s all about metal.

Following the genre from its very beginnings, and including interviews with all of the movement’s major players, Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey is an absolute necessity for annoying with even a passing interest in heavy guitars and the vigorous banging of heads, and if not – what the fuck are you doing reading this mag?

Beginning with an argument over who can truly claim to be the first metal band, and taking in pretty much everything from metal’s relationship to opera, the use of the devil’s tritone, the infamous court cases of the 80s and more than a little hero worship, it’s an epic production. But did it feel that way while making it?

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Amazingly, this week’s Popbitch email includes something that isn’t just nicked from a month-old Holy Moly mailout.

Even more astonishing is that it expresses a sentiment I completely agree with.

The Gaga hype was boring a year ago, now it’s just annoying. Dressing in meat isn’t ground-breaking. Putting horns on your face isn’t edgy. Boasting about drug use isn’t a good idea (especially when your fans are kids). Stealing songs from Madonna is really, really thick – have you seen the binman arms on that woman? She will Fuck. You. Up.

Gaga is a parasitical monster who relies almost entirely on calculated shock value and aligning herself with the marginalised and misunderstood who she then gleefully manipulates.

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