sobj 😼

What Do We know?

First, lets compile what we do know about the band to establish from groundwork.

Ages: Dethkloks canon age order, answered by Brendon in a AMA, is (oldest to youngest), Pickles, Murderface, Nathan & Skwisgaar, Toki. x

Pickles was "no older than 16" when he started Snakes N' Barrels and the band lasted from the 80's to the 90's. ("Snakes N' Barrels")

We have the start and finish of the order of the band forming, Nathan and Toki.

Skwisgaar was already a well known guitar player before Dethklok, playing in multiple other metal bands. ("Snakes N' Barrels")

Murderface has been to Pickles childhood home to have dinner with him and his parents. (DVD Special. Food - Interview.)

Pickles left Snakes N' Barrels looking for "heavier music" and there is no mention of a band between Snakes N' Barrels and Dethklok. ("Snakes N' Barrels")

We do not know the age of Magnus.

From this list, I can start to build a timeline, starting from Pickles.

Ages

Before we can talk about how they all met, we need to look at their possible ages. No one in the show has a confirmed age, we only know ranges and a hierarchy. However, using the information we got from Brendon and the episode "Snakes N' Barrels", I can craft a rough timeline for their ages.

Disclaimer: These ages are subjective and fluid. There is a lot of wiggle room. For the sake of the timeline, I will be basing my years on the year that Metalocalypse was first aired, which is 2006. The first episode of Metalocalypse states that the band had been together for 10 years, which would mean they got together in 1996.

1996 - Band formed

2006 - First episode aired

Pickles

Because Pickles has the most information about him, we will start from him and using his ages to guesstimate the others.

We know that Pickles was 16 (Or no older than 16) when he made Snakes N' Barrels. SNB formed in the 80's and died off somewhere in the 90's. This would put Pickles' birthday year somewhere in the 60's. If we believe that Pickles was 16 in 1980 (The start of SNB), that makes his birthday year 1964.

He leaves Snakes N' Barrels looking for heavier music. Pickles is 26 when he leaves (1990, the end of SNB), and 32 when we know he is in Dethklok (1996). (Pickles could have been between 26 to 32 when he first joined, but we know for sure that he was in the band by the time Dethklok is signed and Toki arrives.) Which would make him 42 by the time the show start in 2006, 10 years later. [Honestly makes Seth's situation even worse] This also makes a little bit of sense as to why Pickles' shaved off his goatee between Snake' N' Barrels and Dethklok. It's possibly to look younger since he was starting a band with people significantly younger than him and felt self conscious.

1964~ - Pickles is born

1980~ - Pickles starts SNB at age 16

1990~ - Pickles leaves SNB at age 26

1996 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 32 (Could have joined between 26 to 32)

2006 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 42.

Nathan

In, "Go Forth and Die", we find out that Nathan did not graduate high school. However, in an in-character interview, Nathan has been in bands since high school and has been looking for a specific band since childhood x.

In, "Dethcamp", we see a younger Nathan who has a similar physical appearance to his football picture in "Go Forth and Die". His hair, in the flashback of "Dethcamp" and "Renovationklok" is not as long as we know it to be during present day episodes.

Typical ages for high school kids in America is 14 - 18. (Granted, while I do believe that Nathan probably had extra help in school or could have possibly been held back for his speech, there's nothing to indicate that he was, so I'm assuming that he went through the school system normally.)

In "Go Forth and Die", Nathan wants to get his degree, and all he has to do is take the G.E.D. test. Getting a G.E.D is a little more complicated though than just taking a test. It does require people to take classes then take 4 separate tests in 4 subject matters. (Though, he could have paid to compile them into one test.) For Nathan to only need to take the test(s), says just how far in high school he did get. I would say probably senior year. Maybe junior year, but definitely senior year, for sure. (Note: Floridians can drop out of the high school at age 16 legally, with a parent signature. But, with Nathan's dad being a military man, he probably kept Nathan in school until Nathan turned into a legal adult and couldn't stop him.)

Dropping out in senior year would make Nathan either 17 or 18 when he dropped out and started looking for bandmembers to join Dethklok. Time passed because his hair grew from his ears to the middle of his pecs, going off his football picture in "Go Forth and Die".

Going off of Pickles' departure in the 90's (1990), that gives us 6 years to work with. Because of his hair length, I would say that it took a few years to gather everyone.

Lets go off the idea that Nathan is 18 when he drops out of high school in 1990. He's got short hair and a dream to start a band. Pickles is just then leaving Snakes N' Barrels to find heavier music. Nathan could have been anywhere between 18 to 23 when he met Pickles. This would give him enough time for his hair to grow out from the top of his ears to the middle of his pec, while also maintaining his high school jock physique. He would be 23 in 1996, when the band officially starts. Then in 2006, he would be 33.

1964~ - Pickles is born

1973~ - Nathan is born

1980~ - Pickles starts SNB at age 16

1990~ - Pickles leaves SNB at age 26

1990~ - Nathan drops out of high school at age 18

1996 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 23 (Started between 18 to 23)

1996 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 32 (Could have joined between 26 to 32)

2006 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 42

2006 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 33

Skwisgaar

Skwisgaar is the same age as Nathan, so he would also be 23 in 1996 and 33 in 2006. Skwisgaar's hair growth also makes sense. In "Fatherklok", Skwisgaar rocked a bob that touched the back of his head, which is much longer than Nathan's short cropped hair. (As long as Skwisgaar did not cut his hair drastically since "Fatherklok", the hair growth theory is pretty accurate. Skwisgaar is presenting younger than a high schooler as well, so take this with a grain of salt.)

So, by the time he joined Dethklok, his hair would have been the right length that we normally see it in the show.

1964~ - Pickles is born

1973~ - Nathan is born

1973~ - Skwisgaar is born

1980~ - Pickles starts SNB at age 16

1990~ - Pickles leaves SNB at age 26

1990~ - Nathan drops out of high school at age 18

1996 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 23 (Started between 18 to 23)

1996 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 32 (Could have joined between 26 to 32)

1996 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 23 (Could have joined at 18 to 23)

2006 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 42

2006 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 33

Murderface

Murderface is going to be tricky as we have almost nothing to back up his age, other than a range. What we do know is that he's younger than Pickles (32 in 1996) but older than Nathan and Skwisgaar (23 in 1996) That's a 8 year gap we can play with. So Murderface could be 31 to 24 when he first joins Dethklok.

However! We do have the Dethcomics for possible guidance. (I know they aren't canon, but this is all I got.)

Looking at Murderface's appearance in his flashbacks in high school in the comics and looking at the flashback from "Dethcamp" and "Renovationklok", Murderface looks very similar. A 31 year old isn't going to look like an 18 year old. So, I don't believe he is 31 or 30. He's also much thinner, in the face and body. 24 feels too close to Nathan and Skwisgaar's ages, and if he was that close, I think Brendon would have just put all three of them together. So that leaves 29 to 25. I think, because he does still look so similar to his high school years, that he is probably 26. (Honestly, it's really up to whatever you prefer, but I think this age makes the most sense.) So that makes Murderface 26 in 1996, and 36 in 2006.

1964~ - Pickles is born

1970~ - Murderface is born

1973~ - Nathan is born

1973~ - Skwisgaar is born

1980~ - Pickles starts SNB at age 16

1990~ - Pickles leaves SNB at age 26

1990~ - Nathan drops out of high school at age 18

1996 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 23 (Started between 18 to 23)

1996 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 32 (Could have joined between 26 to 32)

1996 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 23 (Could have joined at 18 to 23)

1996 - Murderface is in Dethklok at age 26 (Could have join at 20 to 26)

2006 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 42

2006 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Murderface is in Dethklok at age 36

Toki

Toki is a minor or an older teen when he joins Dethklok, we know this because of Doomstar. Specifically, if we look at "I Believe. when Toki is getting dressed and bathed by the klokateers, we see his hair grow from his bob to as long as Skwisgaar's.

It's important to note that when we see the clip of Toki holding the guitar to his parents, the back of his hair is above his shoulders and showing a good portion of his neck. When we see the back of his head during the flashback of "The Duel", his neck is fully covered, and his hair sometimes rests on his shoulders.

Also note that the clip of him with his parents is not how we see him at the audition. He still has his child-like qualities that we see in him during "Dethzazz", "Dethdad", and "Dethkids".

The average boy hits his growth spurts around 12 to 15. Using this evidence, Toki was possibly kicked out of the house before he hit his growth spurt (puberty) and hit it sometime while being homeless. So he's at least over 15 before he meets Dethklok. However, Toki's facial structure changed from the kid to the teenager versions of himself, but they do not change from teenager to adult versions of him.

This is coming from my own experience so just trust me on this. Toki's hair rests just above the curvature of his lower back. I once had 2 feet of hair from shoulder to the bottom of my back, the top of my butt. Toki's hair is probably less than 2 feet. I'd say about a foot and a half. On average, hair grows 6 inches per year. Meaning, that Toki's hair would have taken about three years to get that long.

During that time, at no point does anything about his facial structure, height, or other physical trait, other than his hair, change. Seeing how Toki's height and his facial structure do not change, he is most likely done with puberty by the time he meets Dethklok, which ends at 16 to 18 in boys. Also important is that Toki refers to himself as a "kid" in "I Believe". I would not say a 18 year old is still referring to himself as a "kid".

Using this evidence, Toki is 16 to 18 when he meets Dethklok. At this point, it's up to preference what age he should be at, however, I like younger Toki. So I think Toki is 16 when he first meets the band in 1996, thus making him 26 in 2006.

1964~ - Pickles is born

1970~ - Murderface is born

1973~ - Nathan is born

1973~ - Skwisgaar is born

1980~ - Pickles starts SNB at age 16

1980~ - Toki is born

1990~ - Pickles leaves SNB at age 26

1990~ - Nathan drops out of high school at age 18

Between 1992~ to 1995~ - Toki is kicked out from possible ages of 12 to 15

1996 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 23 (Started between 18 to 23)

1996 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 32 (Could have joined between 26 to 32)

1996 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 23 (Could have joined at 18 to 23)

1996 - Murderface is in Dethklok at age 26 (Could have join at 20 to 26)

1996 - Toki is in Dethklok at age 16 (Could have been between 16 to 18)

2006 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 42

2006 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Murderface is in Dethklok at age 36

2006 - Toki is in Dethklok at age 26

Magnus

Magnus is a mystery. I believe solely that he is older than Pickles simply because he says this to Pickles during the flashback.

"Wait. What are you playing? Stop playing! Stop playing! That's not the drum pattern. I didn't tell you to make it your own, asshole. Now, why don't you all shut the fuck up and listen to me. And let's play some fucking music --" - Magnus

"Hey. Take it easy. This isn't just your band. It's our band." - Nathan

"Without me, you guys suck!" - Magnus

This tells me that Magnus has experience in the music world, more so than Pickles.

Why would Pickles even need someone else to write his drum line? He's been in the business for years and has been playing drums as far back as when he was a kid still living at home. Pickles is experienced and has already had fame at one point in his life; he knows what he's doing. So, why would he be taking drum lines from Magnus and why would he be listening to him?

Because Magnus is older than him and he has more musical experience than him, somehow, somewhere.

I'm not sure how though. Possibly as a failed guitarist in other bands, maybe as a ghost writer for other bands. The possibilities are literally endless for him.

Take note, Magnus seems to be playing a Les Paul Gibson guitar, which is an older model type of guitar but not too much older than Skwisgaar's Explorer or Toki's Flying-V. However, In the DVD Special "CFO taking calls" Charles says that he has a vintage "'59" guitar, presuming he is talking about Les Paul guitars because that's what the topic was on during the call. Magnus is playing an all black Les Paul Gibson guitar, and vintage models are highly sought after, especially from the '50s and '60s.

This could be a subtle way of pinpointing the generational differences between Magnus to Skwisgaar (and the rest of the band). In "Snakes N' Barrels", Pickles is playing a Les Paul guitar in both the flash back and the reunion. It's the same one that he asks for when he is 16 to the pawn shop owner.

It's similar to Magnus, except Pickles' has a light wood finish. Maybe this is another way of stating that Magnus is stuck in the past, while the rest of the band wants to move forward. Also, his guitar is round with no points. Toki, Skwisgaar, and Murderface all have pointed guitars. That could also point that he's not as compatible as he wants to be with the band.

I don't have an age range for him, but, I assume that he's in his 40's in 1996. Making him in his 50's in 2006. This would make sense as he has significant graying hair in the front, and your 50's is when people start to see significant amounts of graying.

Late 1950's - Magnus is born

1964~ - Pickles is born

1970~ - Murderface is born

1973~ - Nathan is born

1973~ - Skwisgaar is born

1980~ - Pickles starts SNB at age 16

1980~ - Toki is born

1990~ - Pickles leaves SNB at age 26

1990~ - Nathan drops out of high school at age 18

Between 1992~ to 1995~ - Toki is kicked out from possible ages of 12 to 15

1996 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 23 (Started between 18 to 23)

1996 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 32 (Could have joined between 26 to 32)

1996 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 23 (Could have joined at 18 to 23)

1996 - Murderface is in Dethklok at age 26 (Could have join at 20 to 26)

1996 - Toki is in Dethklok at age 16 (Could have been between 16 to 18)

1996 - Magnus was in Dethklok in his 40's (Kicked out)

2006 - Pickles is in Dethklok at age 42

2006 - Nathan is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Skwisgaar is in Dethklok at age 33

2006 - Murderface is in Dethklok at age 36

2006 - Toki is in Dethklok at age 26

2006 - Magnus is not in Dethklok in his 50's

Age Range

So, based on the evidence above, the ages go like this.

1996:

Magnus (40's)

Pickles (32)

Murderface (26)

Skwisgaar (23)

Nathan (23)

Toki (16)

2006:

Magnus (50's)

Pickles (42)

Murderface (36)

Skwisgaar (33)

Nathan (33)

Toki (26)

I will not be going any further than 2006 because it's not prevalent to the question asked, but a quick guess would be that 3 to 5 years have passed that could be canonically recorded in the show. Add on maybe another 5 to 10 years to keep up with reality's technological advancements being present in the show (Buttons on Dethphones turning to Screens). Do with that what you want.

How The Band Met: Contextual Evidence

This is where a lot of the subjectivism comes to play. I'm going to be using the bands ages, their possible backgrounds, and the canon (ish) bits of their past to form a timeline.

Nathan: The Beginning

Dethklok is Nathan's band, he's the one that made it and recruited people originally. He started this band as early as high school but had dreams of making this band as early as a child. So, the band starts with him! None of the band members can become band members until they met and are accepted by Nathan (plus any members present at the time.)

Pickles and Murderface: An Unlikely Duo

Now we get to Pickles. Pickles and Murderface are the two oldest members of the band. They are close enough as friends for Murderface to have been invited inside Pickles' home for dinner. (Coming from the DVD extra). The context of that statement is right after Pickles said how his mom would make bowls of mayo for dinner, and Murderface responded how he remembers that and had a bowl there once. None of the others state they have had dinner with Pickles' family before, especially Nathan, who Pickles is very close with, even at the beginning of their music career (Nathan states how when all 5 of them were in the same room, he knew they were going to be a success, and he looked to Pickles specifically, who also felt it.) So, I believe that Pickles and Murderface probably knew each other before they got into the band.

Pickles was in active search for heavier music, and Nathan says that Murderface is the "most brutal of all bass players". ("Birthdayface") Now, we have no information on Murderface's past or how he joined the band, but it would make sense if Pickles discovered Murderface while on his journey for heavier music. We know that Murderface was in some type of band before Dethklok, so it's possible that Pickles recruited Murderface and then traveled with him for a couple of years before finding Nathan.

Skwisgaar: My Shot

Skwisgaar is trickier. He had to have come to the United States at some point alone to join the band or he was with one of his original bands then ditched and joined Dethklok. We can have theories as to why he ditched so many bands (Not challenged enough, not heavy enough, fear of commitment both platonically and romantically, getting further and further away from his mom) but we know that he did it frequently. Now, we know that Skwisgaar and Nathan are the same age, between 18 to 23. We also know that Skwisgaar had a job at one point that required him to cash in checks at the bank. Somewhere, between having that job and meeting Nathan, Skwisgaar had been in (at least) 8 other bands. (Agnostic Priest, Gangagar, Eldeleel-Alele, Gognog Mug Alugdug, Fuckface Academy, Sausage Assassin, Financially Raped, Smugly Dismissed.) He was busy in so many others bands between that time, which really is not a lot of time.

Assuming that Skwisgaar graduated high school at 18, he would be an adult exiting the school system. Somewhere between being 18 and in bands to 23 in Dethklok, Skwisgaar must have come to the United States.

Why?

There's no evidence to support that his previous bands were strictly from Sweden, as English named bands in non-dominated English speaking countries are fairly common. However, Skwisgaar moving to the United Sates without any support or reason doesn't seem something that he would do, especially if he was doing well for himself in bands in Sweden. I also highly doubt that he heard of Nathan's small garage metal band all the way from Sweden, since Nathan was very poor while trying to get Dethklok off it's feet.

I believe that Skwisgaar was on tour with one of his bands that went to the United States and found Nathan. Or rather, Nathan discovered Skwisgaar. It's well known that Skwisgaar is a fantastic guitar player and is always looking to improve his skill. I have a theory that Nathan offered Skwisgaar the lead guitarist spot in Dethklok, rather than the rhythm guitarist. A possible reason for Skwisgaar leaving different bands is because he was not being shown enough respect for his craft and wanted a chance to prove his worth, which is why he fought with Nathan in Doomstar for staying a 4-person band. It also means that he would have wanted someone who could be his rhythm guitarist after Magnus that could keep up with him, which is why he went so hard on all of the interviewees.

Dethklok is his first and only band that allowed him to be the lead guitarist.

Toki: The New Beginning

Not much to say as we have a canon meeting. Toki comes and auditions, loses, but is still allowed to join because he makes Skwisgaar play better. He is the last member of the band to make Dethklok complete, and pushed the prophecy forward.

Magnus: The Judas Archtype

Something I want to point out is that, out of all the members of Dethklok, Nathan is the most affected by Magnus physically (Stabbed in the back) and emotionally (AOTD).

There are theories that Nathan was looking to grab Magnus out of The Depths of Humanity in Doomstar when they grabbed Toki.

There is also a type of hold that Magnus has over Nathan during AOTD and what would Nathan say to him. We know that Magnus' name pops up in the notebook about people Nathan wants to talk to. We also know that Nathan calls his death a "tragedy" (though, he said this while going through his own emotions, so it's wishy washy). In AOTD, the band does call Magnus "selfish" and "too busy being angry" but that's within the context of the band possibly forgiving him. [Granted, forgiving him is a hard decision for me because home boy really really fucked up with Toki and Abigail.] But, I think the context is more about the band never getting the chance to forgive rather than automatically forgiving.

Magnus committing suicide makes Nathan feel guilty, even if he doesn't know what he could have done better or is he believed that Magnus did deserve punishment but suicide was too far for him. Nathan blames himself for Magnus being Magnus and doing what he did, because ultimately, kicking him out of his band was his decision. A decision that caused Toki and Abigail to get kidnapped and tortured decades down the line.

What I'm trying to say is that Nathan and Magnus had some type of strong bond, and Nathan feels guilty, while the others do not.

I believe it's because the first member of the band was Magnus. Imagine a fresh faced Nathan Explosion trying to figure things out and in walks in an older man with inside experience to the music industry and fantastic musical skill. Remember, Magnus and the band got along. Magnus, at one point, loved and cared for the band. He looked at a photo of himself in the band right before killing himself, he had a strong relationship with them.

That's why he is so strung out during the flashback. He sees Dethklok as his band, while Nathan sees it as our band. Magnus and Nathan met before anyone else.

How Do All Of These Moving Parts Connect?

I believe that it is up to interpretation truly, however, based on how each character is close to one another, I have a rough outline of them meeting and forming Dethklok. Some of these actions are happening at the same time independently.

Pickles discovers Murderface on his journey of finding heavier music

Murderface leaves his current band to follow Pickles

Nathan meets and recruits Magnus into his band.

Pickles and Murderface make their way down the coast until they find Nathan.

Nathan recruits Pickles and Murderface.

Nathan discovers Skwisgaar at a concert and decides to try and recruit him after the show by offering him the lead guitarist spot (Remember, Magnus is a lot calmer before the initial flashback, so I don't think guitar positions would bother him as much as it bothers Toki.)

Skwisgaar agrees and the band is completed

Dethklok gains Charles

Charles has Dethklok signed and labeled

Dethklok kicks out Magnus

Toki auditions and gets the spot

Dethklok is now, officially, complete

I would like to add that Skwisgaar and Magnus' spots could be switched (Nathan meets Skwisgaar first, become lead guitarist, then they meet Magnus, becomes rhythm guitarist, then Pickles and Murderface.) However, based on my findings and what I believe would be an appropriate flow, I think Magnus and Nathan met first.

Skwisgaar being last makes sense when you consider that Skwisgaar had yet to assimilate into the band like the others did during the flashbacks. He's still clutching onto his own style, his own aesthetic, his own "lone wolf" persona. That only changes until after Toki.

While Pickles and Murderface being the second and third members to join make sense in respect that Pickles and Nathan are very close and worked closely together from the very beginning to write songs. They wouldn't be going on Friender-Benders if they were not super close with each other friendship-wise and work-wise. That type of bond takes serious loyalty and chemistry.

Murderface and Nathan's relationship also feels close. Murderface does a lot of dumb shit, including suing the band at one point, and it takes a lot of that before Nathan wants to kick him out of the band. I believe that Nathan has a very strong relationship with Murderface in the sense that they have been friends and bandmembers for a long time. He has a connection with Murderface and doesn't want to let that go, especially like how he let Magnus go. Nathan also knows how to handle him very well, which indicates that they have a familiar bond.

Toki, obviously, comes in last, with a canon introduction.

Conclusion

Order:

Nathan meets Magnus

Pickles meets Murderface

Nathan and Magnus meet Pickles and Murderface

Nathan, Magnus, Pickles, and Murderface meet Skwisgaar

Magnus is kicked out

Nathan, Pickles, Murderface, and Skwisgaar meet Toki

How:

Nathan meets Magnus, someone who is from the music world, and Magnus becomes the first member of Dethklok as a guitarist. At the same time, Pickles is on his "heavier music" journey and discovers Murderface, where he convinces Murderface to join him. They bond for an unknown amount of time while Nathan and Magnus work on Dethklok and finding the right band members. (Because there is no other ex-Dethklok band members, I don't think they recruited anyone until Pickles and Murderface.) Within that time, Pickles and Murderface head to Florida and are discovered by Nathan and Magnus. This could be at a party or maybe Magnus had prior knowledge of Pickles and his journey and met up with him. Nathan ends up recruiting Pickles and Murderface. Skwisgaar comes to the United States on a tour, and at a concert, Nathan spots him. He convinces Skwisgaar to leave his band and join them with the promise of becoming the lead guitarist, something none of the other bands let him be. From there, they get Charles, get signed, and work on producing their first labeled album. Magnus goes crazy, stabs Nathan, and is kicked out. Toki comes to audition for his spot by dueling Skwisgaar, loses, but is accepted in anyway. This completes Dethklok.

______________________________________________________________

That's really it. Obviously, this is all subjective and based on miniscule details and feelings. The band could have met in a million different variations at different ages, but this is what I believe within my research. Though, it could change. It's all fiction in the end.