Epitome Of Speed Metal: You Need To Check Out 'I Am The Intimidator,' A Heavy Metal Tribute To Dale Earnhardt

Like many people, I have a bad habit of mindlessly scrolling through social media. I'm not proud of it, but to a degree, I've fallen victim to the same zombification that social media companies have inflicted upon the entire population.

However, what my brain can pick out from all the worthless information that flows past my glazed-over eyes never ceases to amaze me.

On one such occasion just last weekend, I was scrolling through life updates from high school classmates and pictures of people trying their hardest to trick everyone into thinking their life doesn't suck. Then an article flashed across the screen.

It happened fast, but I picked out a few words: "Thrash metal tribute to Dale Earnhardt."

As a fan of racing as well as rock and metal music, my thumb slammed on the breaks and I scrambled to find the article.

Once I tracked it down, it turned out it was a write-up on a heavy metal website about a project and album called I Am The Intimidator.  

According to the project's mastermind, Andrew Stromstad, the album is "a fantasy-based reimagining detailing the final day of Dale Earnhardt's life." 

But if you didn't know ahead of time, you could probably suss that out thanks to the cover art which features a crash helmet and an Earnhardt jacket-wearing figure wielding a sword.

"Well," I said to myself after laying eyes on the artwork. "That's all I needed to see."

I hopped right on over to Spotify and was not disappointed.

I Am The Intimidator Brings It In The Riff Department

What I came across was a perfect blend of thrash metal riffs that sound right at home in 1986 in the best way accompanied by lyrics that pay homage to one of the NASCAR's most legendary drivers.

And if that wasn't enough, there's just a dash of tongue-in-cheek heavy metal bombast.

I mean, just check out the video for the song "Gasoline" (which includes some NSFW language so you might want to pop some earbuds in).

True story, I showed this to my girlfriend, and guess who has been walking around singing "Better pump the gasoline, motherf--ker" for the last few days?

Mostly me, but I've heard her do it a few times too.

It's as unique an idea for a concept record as I've ever seen, but where could it have come from?

Well, Stromstad told me he has been a fan of NASCAR since the mid-1990s and even mentioned his mom used to race cars herself. 

But it was Earnhardt's story that led him to pick The Intimidator as the theme.

"I've been fascinated by Dale's "rags to riches" story for over a decade and the more I learn, the more I become attached to the legacy, the fandom, the LEGEND," he said. "I love people and I especially love people that live life by their own accord."

That couldn't be more clear on the album which wears its musical influences on the sleeve of Strongstad's ever-present retro Dale Earnhardt jacket. 

He pointed to Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan-era Black Sabbath, Japanese metal bands, hardcore punk, and the likes of Judas Priest, Krokus, and Danzig as major influences on the record's sound.

I think you can pick a lot of those out, but there was one influence I didn't see coming.

"Also, John Tesh, Stromstad said after rattling off a bunch of metal bands, adding that the brain behind "Roundball Rock" was "highly influential towards the first track on the album."

The album's opening track is "No Regrets," a fantastic stage-setter that also includes archival audio of Earnhardt himself.

The I Am The Intimidator Show Might Be Hitting The Road

So, what has the reaction been like to such a unique album? Stromstad said that while sometimes the initial reaction is confusion, when people dig into I Am The Intimidator they like what they hear.

"From what I've observed on Bandcamp and social media comments, there's confusion due to the unique nature of the content on the record but high praise regardless of the fandom or lack thereof," Stromstad said.

As for what lies ahead, Stromstad said a direct follow-up to this record may not make a lot of sense given its subject matter. However, he didn't rule out another NASCAR-centric album. but he didn't completely rule it out.

"I've been researching Dick Trickle lately and he and his family have a very interesting history," he said.

There's also a chance that you'll be able to see I Am The Intimidator out on the road as well.

"I'm talking to a booking agency that does the East Coast, so I think it will happen," Strongstad told me. "We just opened for (metal band) Cirith Ungol here in Portland and it worked really well, so it's only proper to go everywhere else in the continental United States."

I know I'd be checking that out and so would a lot of metalheads and racing fans alike. Still, Strongstad said whatever the future holds for I Am The Intimidator, he's just happy to be honoring Earnhardt and the sport's history.

"Whatever may come, I'm here to place a stamp upon the history of NASCAR and most of all, Dale Earnhardt and his legacy."