The El Duce Tapes is a raw and real look at the life of Eldon “El Duce” Hoke the Lead singer and drummer of The Mentors. A 90’s shock rock hardcore “Rape Rock” band that was as raw and in your face as they came. This documentary is not for the easily offended with some very nasty songs written of rape and degrading of women with some racist tones in the mix. You have been warned with a found-footage feel coming from the 90’s VHS tapes used to film the band over a time period.  Giving us a real raw look at El Duce’s life and the issues he had.

A father that to a liking to beating him to being a sick prankster as a teen. Leading up to the way to drinking and more. We hear from his sister and friend/bandmate and others. Taking to music at a very young age he became a talented drummer. As with many musicians drinking and drugs take over their lives and he was not any different.

We hear his story as he is fighting for his music in court and on hit ’90s talk shows with his persona as a rapper and klans man. His music was some of the vilest of that time and was not everyone’s cup of tea. the band was not safe from infighting and drinking. The life of El takes many twists and turns leading him to Riverside, Californa when he spent some time till his unfortunate end.

This film was a hell of a wild ride into the life of El Duce and he lived a hard life. A surreal look at the mind of a broken man. A great documentary showcasing a small but very controversial 90’s band. For any fans of that era shock rock bands and punk rock, this is a must-watch. I felt sorry for him but he was hell-bent to live his life his way and he went out his way.