| The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years | |
|---|---|
 Dave Mustaine of Megadeth is featured on the movie poster. | |
| Directed by | Penelope Spheeris |
| Produced by | Jonathan Dayton Valerie Faris Guy J. Louthan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jeff Zimmerman |
| Edited by | Earl Ghaffari |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000 |
| Box office | $373,743[1] |
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years is a 1988 documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris. Filmed between August 1987 and February 1988, the film chronicles the late 80s Los Angeles heavy metal scene. It is the second film of a trilogy by Spheeris depicting life in Los Angeles at various points in time as seen through the eyes of struggling up-and-coming musicians. The first film, The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), dealt with the hardcore punk rock scene during 1979–1980. The third film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998), would later chronicle the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers in the late 1990s.
The film features a mix of live concert footage and interviews with established heavy metal performers such as Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Megadeth, and W.A.S.P. Several unsigned club bands are also prominently featured, such as Odin, Seduce, and London.