Mastodon Album Ranking Symposium

[MFB]

The verse riff from Chimes at Midnight is sicker than any full song on Hunter

 

[fps]

Yeah, probably.

It's not a bad album, and at least folks know about it, you're like the fifth guy who can't even remember a OMRTS song.

Which isn't surprising because it's also probably one of the more lackluster (in context) of their post CTS albums.

The singles were solid, and yeah, that was just about peak touring form from them with Brent in a good place and Bill starting to take care of his alcoholism. I think the set was also very new material heavy because by that point none of them liked playing anything off the first two albums.

I saw them on that OMRTS tour and they couldn't vocally deliver the material. This was confirmed when I checked their Roskilde footage. It was a big step down from when I saw them in 06 and they laid waste to everything. Saw some 2022 footage the other day and their vocals seemed SIGNIFICANTLY better, like I have to see them again when they get to Europe.

 

[fps]

The verse riff from Chimes at Midnight is sicker than any full song on Hunter

Asleep In The Deep is a Top 10, possibly Top 5, Mastodon song. Been relistening Once More and enjoying it more than I did, for sure. Halloween rocks.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I saw them on that OMRTS tour and they couldn't vocally deliver the material. This was confirmed when I checked their Roskilde footage. It was a big step down from when I saw them in 06 and they laid waste to everything. Saw some 2022 footage the other day and their vocals seemed SIGNIFICANTLY better, like I have to see them again when they get to Europe.

We were talking about the tour for Hunter that they recorded Live at Brixton on. It came out in like 2014, but was recorded early 2012 I think.

Honestly, post CTS I think they got a lot spottier live in general, just more voices in the mix to have a bad day with. But in general, things have been on the upswing for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

 

[fps]

We were talking about the tour for Hunter that they recorded Live at Brixton on. It came out in like 2014, but was recorded early 2012 I think.

Honestly, post CTS I think they got a lot spottier live in general, just more voices in the mix to have a bad day with. But in general, things have been on the upswing for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

Oh yeah fair enough. Brixton's a great venue, just survived an attempt by the council to close it down, if you can believe it. It's so frustrating, I want them to conquer the world, they deserve everything, and they just couldn't do those vocals consistently at that time. Yeah it's sounding amazing right now, I'm so excited that they'll have a new record out next year, and of course new signature gear \m/ 0_0 \m/
I want that Troy Sanders Fender bass, don't care where it's made. And I want something Bill Kelliher-y in vintage sunburst that isn't as overpriced as the current LTDs are....

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Oh yeah fair enough. Brixton's a great venue, just survived an attempt by the council to close it down, if you can believe it. It's so frustrating, I want them to conquer the world, they deserve everything, and they just couldn't do those vocals consistently at that time. Yeah it's sounding amazing right now, I'm so excited that they'll have a new record out next year, and of course new signature gear \m/ 0_0 \m/
I want that Troy Sanders Fender bass, don't care where it's made. And I want something Bill Kelliher-y in vintage sunburst that isn't as overpriced as the current LTDs are....

The Sanders P-Bass is pretty rad, I've played a couple of them in store and they ripped. I'm actually not super into some of the aesthetic choices, but it sounds and plays great. Grab one while you can, because I feel like a deal with Warwick is on the horizon.

Brent and Bill give me unbearable Banker GAS. Each build is cooler and more vibey than the last.

 

[gunch]

Nobody asked for it but I'm going to rank Leviathan:

Hearts Alive = Megalodon
Island = Aqua Dementia
Joseph Merrick
Blood and Thunder = I Am Ahab = Seabeast = Iron Tusk
Naked Burn

 

[nerdywhale]

I think this song is the biggest black mark on The Hunter, and a song I actively skip.

I agree that it is a weird Mastodon song, but hearing it live and hearing the room sing along was one of those hug the stranger next to you moments. I’m a fan of woah’s, oh’s, yeah’s, nah’s and ah’s.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

late to to the "list my favorite Mastodon albums bullshit" but here we go:

1. Blood Mountain
2. Leviathan
3. Crack the Skye
4. The Hunter
5. Remission
6. Call of the Mastodon
7. Once More Round the Sun
8. Hushed and Grim
9. Cold Dark Place
10. Emperor of Sand

If it isn't obvious, I think Blood Mountain and Leviathan are unfuckwithable. Crack the Skye is prog perfection, but I prefer the polished fury of Blood Mountain and Leviathan. Remission and Call of the Mastodon are a bit too raw to be high on my list anymore. The Hunter has some insanely catchy (AND Heavy) songs like Curl of The Burl, Blasteroid, Black Tongue, etc that keeps it above OMRTS or their other stuff imo.

OMRTS felt like Crack the Skye leftovers with too much Brann vocals. Everything went downhill from there imo. I don't particularly enjoy their more recent output at all. Emperor of Sand in particular is their worst album imo. It's just boring.


Blood Mountain and Leviathan in particular had a huuuge influence on the way I play and write riffs/tunings I use.

 

[Randy]

Whats that really shitty Mastodon song that's Brent wailing like a cat over an awful country kinda arrangement?

 

[nightsprinter]

As far as I am concerned, Remission is the best thing they ever did. When it came out, it didn't really sound like anything else I had heard before in the way the vocals were delivered and the frenetic drumming was just killer. Some of it even sounded tribal to me. I loved it then and I loved it now. Never heard so many fills in my life.

When Leviathan came out and I heard Iron Tusk as a single or whatever I was pumped, but wasn't as blown away as everyone else seemed to be with the full album when I bought it.

Blood Mountain came out and I fell off the wagon. It was too weird. I've tried their other albums here and there and nothing seems to really be up my alley overall.

I've worn a Remission shirt since the album came out essentially. Every few years I buy a new one from Relapse.

Thank you for reading my journal.

 

[MFB]

Whats that really shitty Mastodon song that's Brent wailing like a cat over an awful country kinda arrangement?

Well, it's not a shitty song by any means, but I'm fearful you mean "Divinations," which is the track I used a lyric from for my Mastodon/CTS forearm piece

"Quintessence" has some weak Brent vocals, like, it's an OK song but would be better with someone else signing on it.

 

[Randy]

Well, it's not a shitty song by any means, but I'm fearful you mean "Divinations," which is the track I used a lyric from for my Mastodon/CTS forearm piece

"Quintessence" has some weak Brent vocals, like, it's an OK song but would be better with someone else signing on it.

I believe I'm thinking of Toe to Toes

 

[Randy]

It was too weird

This is an interesting statement from a fusion guy.

 

[nightsprinter]

This is an interesting statement from a fusion guy.

Touché

Just wasn't my flavor of weird. Had some interesting moments but just didn't grab me.

 

[MFB]

I believe I'm thinking of Toe to Toes

The singles for that one did so little for me, I think I've only listened to it once and didn't even bother adding it to my Spotify library. It occured to me afterwards it was probably something from that, but I couldn't remember if he sang on it, as well as where it landed musically.