Saigon Metalhood

Saigon Metalhood follows three generations of Vietnamese metalheads through the turbulent origins of heavy metal in Vietnam to the current struggles of today’s scene. Grizzled Saigonese rock legend Trung Thanh Sago got his start as a teen shredding for US soldiers in the old South Vietnam, and represents the “past”. He tells his life story, walking us through the origins of rock and metal in Vietnam, and the significant obstacles himself and the scene have faced. Now in the later stages of his life, he speaks about losing his friends to emigration and death, ongoing health problems, and the scene today. Characterising the “present” is former vanguard of Vietnamese extreme music, the luminary Trung Loki, recently back on the scene after a habitual absence. Initially cautious and brooding, he puffs on cigarettes while opening up about lost love, methamphetamine addiction, harrowing rehab experiences and the derailment of the scene he was so instrumental in both building and destroying. …