Thoughts on Mastodon??

[wankerness]

I remember when Remission came out and everyone was jizzing over it and Steven Wilson was saying it was the best album of the year I was just like what the hell is this shit it sounds like the most boring nondescript metal I can think of. When the metal scene was saying the same thing with Leviathan and they started getting mainstream attention, I was just like BAH I BET THIS BLOWS TOO. BUT, based on the awesomeness of the album artwork and the fact it also had Moby Dick songtitles, I gave them another try, and it was interesting enough that I bought it. It was a really big step up, I liked it quite a bit. Blood Mountain also was pretty good if not as good, and then I forgot about them for a few years until I saw a bunch of arguing over The Hunter. I got that and just loved the crap out of about half of it, I think "Bedazzled Fingernails" and "Spectrelight" are two of the greatest metal songs I've ever heard. Then I went back to Crack the Skye cause I'd missed it, and Pretty much one of the best metal albums ever.

I don't really understand the backlash over the hunter, I think it's possibly their second best album, but yeah Crack the Skye is better. It just blows my mind that a band that was capable of doing something I disliked as much as Remission would become one of my favorite bands.

 

[guitarnoize]

Love Crack the Skye, got to see them play the whole album start to finish and were great live too. It took about 5 or 6 listens to really get into the album compared to their earlier releases but once I did it became my favourite.

 

[MetalBuddah]

Incredible group of musicians and they put on a hell of a live show. Saw them in May or so and they played 17 songs in a row with literally NO BREAK. Everything was super solid, singing was a lot better than I expected, and Brann Dailor was an absolute beast live.

To me, they just keep on getting better and better! Loved The Hunter, was a very good album and is definitely in my top 10

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

Never liked them
Saw them with Dethklok and wanted to kill myself. Awful!
If it wasn't for Dethklok I would have jumped infront of a bus

 

[rifftrauma]

Love most of their recorded music, saw them live a few years back at Ozzfest and thought they sucked. That being said Crack the Skye and Blood Mtn are two of my favorite albums. Hope to see them sometime in the future!

 

[RagtimeDandy]

Easily one of my top 5 favorite bands ever. They are amazing!

 

[RevDrucifer]

I can see why the classic rock tag gets thrown at them. Especially in consideration of Rush, King Crimson, Yes, Sabbath and Floyd.

They aren't really using those brutal heavy tones anymore, but tones you're just as apt to hear on a Sabbath, Yes or Rush album.

There's a lot less screaming on the last two albums and the songs are a lot more melodic.

The adventure of 70's prog music is very much alive in Mastodon. Where they let the songs dictate the direction (exactly what Dream Theater lost around SFAM). Like listening to pre-Dark Side Of The Moon Floyd....those kinda songs you come up with after imrpov jamming over riffs and seeing where it takes ya...

Can't wait to hear what they do next....probably my favorite band in the last 10 years.

 

[lemeker]

These guys, like the Deftones, are a band that I love on cd. However, I have always been disappointed in their live shows. Good set lists n all, just terribly mixed.

Crack the Skye was simply amazing, I was actually listening to that yesterday. Blood Mt. would have to next up on the favorite list. The clean intro to Bladecatcher is really cool (as is the whole song) riff. Still need to get the Hunter (one of many new releases I still need to get)

 

[gunshow86de]

Brent needs to revert to backup vocal duties only. He's good in small doses, but his voice is too nasally to carry a whole song (for my tastes). Plus Troy's voice is glorious, especially when he does that bellowing while leaning back all the way thing.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

I love the shit out of them...Remission might be my least favorite though...and I haven't listened to the hunter a whole lot, but Crack the Skye and Leviathan are in my top 25 favorite albums easily.

 

[nostealbucket]

I heard Blood and Thunder on Need for Speed: Most Wanted when it first came out. After that I started listening to metal. This band changed my entire perception of music.
I love every album except the Hunter (I miss the old Mastodon)
Remission, Levaithan, and Blood Mountain are my favorites.

 

[fps]

Leviathan and Crack The Skye are amazing. To whoever mentioned Dethklok, it's a franchise based on a TV show, you might as well like Disney, the marketing strategy is the same, the music is lame.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Old Mastodon is fucking awesome in my book. Can't get into Crack the Skye and newer so much though

 

[WhiteWalls]

I heard Blood and Thunder on Need for Speed: Most Wanted when it first came out. After that I started listening to metal. This band changed my entire perception of music.
I love every album except the Hunter (I miss the old Mastodon)
Remission, Levaithan, and Blood Mountain are my favorites.

I usually create my own soundtracks to racing games, but for MW I didn't need to do it as I just looped blood and thunder over and over (and yes that's how I discovered Mastodon too)

I consider Leviathan an insane masterpiece with Blood Mountain and Remission not far behind, but I absolutely cannot get into the new album at all, too "old school" for my tastes

 

[Randyrhoads123]

Leviathan and Crack The Skye are amazing. To whoever mentioned Dethklok, it's a franchise based on a TV show, you might as well like Disney, the marketing strategy is the same, the music is lame.

It's a comedy show dude. It's like the death metal version of Tenacious D. Lighten up. Brendan Small, the guy who made the show is an incredibly talented dude. He does most of the main characters' voices, the vocals, the guitars, and initially at least, the animation.

OT: I thought Mastodon was overhyped at first, but then I started listening to them and loved them. Crack the Skye is a masterpiece. Blood Mountain and Leviathan are great as well. The Hunter was good, but not as cohesive as their other albums, likely because it wasn't a concept like the others before it.

 

[vampiregenocide]

While I certainly enjoy every one of thier releases I can see why folks who like bands who stick to same musical formula each album might not dig certain albums.

Yeah I had that issue when I was getting into Devin Townsend, just have to appreciate the different flavours.

 

[BlackMastodon]

Brent needs to revert to backup vocal duties only. He's good in small doses, but his voice is too nasally to carry a whole song (for my tastes). Plus Troy's voice is glorious, especially when he does that bellowing while leaning back all the way thing.

I find Troy's vocals to be hit or miss for me. I'm don't like his vocals on some tracks on Leviathan but on others I do, and basically Blood Mountain and on I think he does them very well. When I first heard Brent's vocals it made me think of Ozzy a bit but they definitely grew on me. Vocals are something that I can look past in a good band or eventually just get used to for the most part.

 

[will_shred]

It look me a long time to really "get" them, but now I love them. They're so unique, anything they do is just unmistakable.

 

[will_shred]

Leviathan and Crack The Skye are amazing. To whoever mentioned Dethklok, it's a franchise based on a TV show, you might as well like Disney, the marketing strategy is the same, the music is lame.

If you don't like the music that's cool but Brendon Small has had a lot of fun touring with the actual band that is dethklok, everyone knows that the music itself isn't serious and is largely for the lulz but the musicianship is awesome.

 

[I Voyager]

Love 'em, their last 2 albums especially.