*Heavy metal is often seen as a genre of spectacle—blaring guitars, pyrotechnics, and wild stage personas. But in Hulu’s new eight-part docuseries “Into the Void,” the noise fades to reveal the deeply personal struggles behind the music. Through stories of murder, addiction, resilience, and redemption, the series uncovers the humanity of artists who have shaped—and been shaped by—the genre.
Evan Husney, who co-created the series with Jason Eisner, says the project has been decades in the making. “… metal’s very personal to me. I’m a huge fan. I have been since I was 11 years old,” Husney explains. “So I feel like this show in many ways, like I’ve been preparing my whole life to do it.”
Beyond the Clichés
Husney and Eisner previously found success with the Vice series “Dark Side of the Ring,” which explored the hidden stories of professional wrestling. With “Into the Void,” they bring a similar approach to heavy metal—another world often misunderstood by mainstream audiences. The director wanted to move away from sensational portrayals of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”
“We wanted to strip away with all that stuff and try to find ways to tell these stories that other people can relate to on a very basic human grounded level,” says Husney. “Stories of grief and stories of tragedy, or stories of perseverance and defiance and things like that.”
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The series also tackles how heavy metal has historically been vilified. “Back in the 80s, metal was something that had a target on its head,” Husney recalls. “It was a lightning rod of controversy… weaponized and sort of commodified by other groups to sort of show the evils of metal, but also to further their moral crusades at the time.”
Legends and the Underground
“Into the Void” weaves together well-known stories and lesser-known tales from the metal underground. The premiere episode focuses on guitar legend Randy Rhoads, whose life and career were tragically cut short in a plane crash. Other episodes spotlight figures like Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell and the band Judas Priest, whose music became the center of a landmark court case about free speech. But Husney was equally passionate about shining a light on stories many fans have never heard.
“A huge part of what metal is rooted in authenticity,” he says. “Part of being a metal fan is being that sort of connoisseur of exploring the other various subgenres, going deeper into more of the underground.”
One episode focuses on the Iranian thrash metal band Confess, whose members faced the death penalty for their anti-establishment lyrics. Another profiles Ann “Hull” Boleyn, the trailblazing leader of the band Hellion, who fought against sexism and exploitation in the music industry. For Husney, including these stories was essential.
“We didn’t want it to just be all the stories we’ve heard a couple of times before or the ones that were sort of the more safer mainstream ones,” he says. “We wanted to create that balance.”
Revisiting the Judas Priest Trial
One of the most striking episodes revisits the infamous 1990 trial in which the band Judas Priest was accused of subliminally influencing two teenagers to form a suicide pact. Husney says the case reveals how moral panic shaped public perception of heavy metal.
“It was going to turn them delinquent or turn them into Satanists,” he says of the fears surrounding the genre at the time. “And, you know, it was something that was very co-opted… by a lot of farther-right Christian groups. And it was commodified as a way to kind of be weaponized.”
While the trial was framed as an attack on art and free expression, Husney wanted to explore the human side of the story. “The music might have been one of their only lifelines, you know, ironically,” he reflects. “What were those kids going through that are probably more socioeconomic situations in terms of their upbringing that informed this decision much, much more so than the music itself?”
A Universal Story Beneath the Noise
Though deeply rooted in metal culture, “Into the Void” speaks to universal human experiences of grief, resilience, and identity. Husney hopes the series will resonate even with viewers who aren’t fans of the genre.
“For the people who aren’t as familiar with these bands and aren’t fans of metal, I hope that they see these artists for who they really are, that they’re human beings and they face the same struggles that we all do,” he says.
Through archival footage, candid interviews, and raw storytelling, “Into the Void” reveals the genre’s misunderstood soul. “Just because you have a wild and crazy onstage persona when you’re in one of these bands, it doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s who you are or should be defined by,” Husney adds. “You also are just a human being with all the same complexities and flaws as the rest of us.”
“Into the Void” is now streaming on Hulu.
Watch our full conversation with Evan Husney below.
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