Botswana may not be the first country you 'd associate with head banging and shredding guitar solos , but in recent years its heavy metal scene has been making a name for itself . Back in June 2012 , CNN 's Inside Africa traveled to the southern African country of Botswana to meet up with some of the country 's metal heads , and found the bands ' powerful riffs were matched by the fans ' passion -- and a penchant for the old-school metal getup of leather , studs and cowboy hats . `` Metal is a music about power , independence and freedom , '' said Giuseppe Sbrana , singer of local band Skinflint . `` That 's what I believe in -- fighting for what you believe in no matter the consequences . Standing up for what you believe in and showing individuality . '' South African photographer Frank Marshall captured Botswana 's rockers in all their Hell 's Angels-style glory as part of his `` Renegades '' series of portraits . `` Metal was seeded here [ in Botswana ] by a classic rock band that started in the early 70s . Since then , it 's evolved and grown , '' he said . `` In the last 10 to 20 years , it 's come to be visually composed of what it looks like now -- the guys dressed in leather . It started off with classic rock and later on more extreme forms of metal were introduced . '' Read this : Somali rappers defy bullets , death threats . Nearly two years after that first meeting , CNN caught up with Marshall to find out how the country 's fledgling metal scene is developing . `` The difference is quite extreme , '' said Marshall . `` Before then it was largely unknown and now there seems to be a lot of interest . If you look over the internet people have a lot of interest in this new form . `` The last frontier of rock and metal music is African now , is what people are saying , so they are very interested in seeing this scene grow from its , sort of , infancy and seeing where it could go . '' And Marshall thinks African bands could one day bang heads with the biggest international names in stadium rock . `` I think it 's just going to take hold and grow rapidly , '' he said . `` Africa will start producing very notable international rock bands and metal bands as well and probably in 10 years ' time it wo n't be unusual to see bands from Africa headlining big stages and sharing stages with bands like Metallica . It 's not beyond reason -- I 'd like to see that happen . '' Skinflint 's Sbrana also believes that dream could be realized . `` Considering the feedback and support we have received from abroad , I would say that it is a strong possibility , '' he said . `` In fact , Africa already has metal bands which have toured Europe , and if given the chance , we will deliver . '' Since Inside Africa met them in 2012 , Skinflint have gone on to tour Southern Africa and Kenya -- even headlining two concerts in Sweden last year . They are now working on their fifth studio album . Sbrana says the local metal movement has gone from strength to strength in the last couple of years . `` There has been a strong interest in the African metal scene , '' he says . `` It has grown both locally and internationally . As for the music , I would say that the band has matured and is further expanding on the African metal genre by incorporating more elements from African culture into our music . '' For those Africans about to rock , we salute you . For more on Botswana 's metal heads , read the original story here .
Sweden has a vibrant heavy metal scene . CNN reported about the scene in 2012 - now finding out what happened next . Band ` ` ' '' recently toured Sweden and are recording their fifth album . ` ` The last wave of rock and metal music is African , '' says photographer Frank Marshall .