(Over the next few weeks I’ll be going into a little more detail about each band in my “Favorite bands since 2000” post.  I’ve already covered my son Ian’s band The Earth Laid Bare in the “Spotlight On” feature; now this time it’s my take on Atlanta’s finest:  Mastodon)

Mastodon is a great example of a band that intrigued me from the beginning but didn’t totally grab me right away.  I can’t remember exactly the first time I heard them (likely a magazine sampler) but I do recall catching a couple of their videos via the on demand cable channel for songs that were on their (at the time) newest release, Leviathan.  The videos were odd but in a cool way and the music was great as well-  an awesome mix of progressive riffs atop killer time signatures and ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way) drumming.  Vocally I caught odd hints of Ozzy from one singer and a bellowing growl from another singer that added to the uniqueness of the band.  It wasn’t quite anything like I’d heard before but it did have quite a few elements from some of the heavier bands I like.

Not long after I was in a local record store and found the Leviathan CD in the clearance bin of all places!  I quickly snapped it up, took it to the front counter to purchase, threw it into the CD player when I got in the car, and was quickly transfixed the whole drive home.  It wasn’t just the songs on the videos that were good but the ENTIRE DISC was an aural treat.  heavy riffing, aggressive singing, atmospheric/melodic guitar work, and even more of that spectacular drumming.  It was one of those discs that required repeated listening to let everything soak in.  No longer was this “just” intriguing but was a full on quest to learn more about this great band.

Since Leviathan was released in 2004, Mastodon has released additional studio albums with each sounding a little different from previous releases.  Intro disc Remission (from 2002) is a bit more aggressive and raw with its punkier\thrashier sound but those progressive elements are already there in full force.  Post Leviathan comes Blood Mountain which musically continues to bring the heavy but vocally things are less harsh-  less heavy on the roaring bellow from before and focusing more on a cleaner singing style (but not too clean, mind you!).  Production elements on this album and Leviathan are much denser, focusing on layered guitars plus the bass is higher in the mix.  Next album Crack The Skye pushes the cleaner vocal style to the forefront, adding a third lead vocal into the mix via drummer Brann Dailor.  Once again, progressive elements are everywhere and the sounds are more expansive, adding elements into the mix such as keyboard and banjo(!).  Time changes and riffs are kept more to a minimum in favor of straight forward songs.  And the most recent two discs, The Hunter and Once More ‘Round The Sun, strip the aggressiveness and prog back even further by offering more direct but still solidly heavy riffs and cleaner singing.  The density of production is still there; however, the focus appears to be more on songwriting overall.

 

That’s some killer artwork, eh?

So for those new to Mastodon or are somewhat familiar and are looking for more, here’s a breakdown of songs that’s stretched across multiple CDs.  Hopefully this will give you a taster of early Mastodon vs their newer releases.

Mastodon, “March Of The Fire Ants”, Remission

March is a one of the more straight ahead cuts from the early days, kicking off with a riff worthy of early Sabbath before Brann Dailor’s militaristic drumming kicks in and Troy Sander’s unearthly bellow roars in with the vocal.  Time signatures are relatively simple as things do not change too much although there are multiple riff changes throughout the song to keep things interesting and the drumwork is absolutely SICK!  Guitar tones are thick and meaty (don’t laugh) and really move this song forward, even offering up a quick Maiden-esque rhythmic change towards the tail end of the song.  A solid cut  that is a great intro to the early days of the band.

Mastodon, “Seabeast”, Leviathan

I’d mentioned first exposure to Mastodon was via the videos and I vividly remember this one.  This one is different from “March Of The Fire Ants” in that there are two distinct vocals, a cleaner intro from lead guitarist Brent Hinds before Troy Sanders’ roar kicks in.  This song starts off with a haunting guitar and bass intro with some simple drumwork before kicking into the main riff and Hinds’ vocal.  I don’t pay too much attention to the vocals but for those that are interested this song (and much of the album) is a concept about the famous novel Moby Dick.    The riff is once again solid and the drumwork is a little more straightforward with cool fills, but the best part of the song is the dramatic shift in tension between the vocals that go on during the verses.  The switch between the cleaner part and the heavier part really carries the song.

Mastodon, “Crystal Skull”, Blood Mountain

A bit of tribal drumming before diving in with a bang, “Crystal Skull” has some incredible riffing going on all throughout the song.  Sounding like a cross between classic Iron Maiden in spots mixed with the oddness of Voivod and solid wallop of High On Fire, this song moves in multiple directions.  Troy Sanders’ vocal moves between demented singing to deep bellow and all out roar and the riffing from Brett Hinds and Bill Kelliher is everywhere (check out Hinds’ great leadwork here, not something these guys normally do but it kicks the song up another notch).Brann Dailor’s drums are just pummeling, lots of tom tom work here on top of his awesomely bush snare work.  Production on this new album is solid and everything is HEAVY.

Mastodon, “The Last Baron”, Crack The Skye

So far I’ve covered more of the heavier side of Mastodon and not delved into their more progressive side.  Well, now is the time 🙂  Crack The Skye is a GREAT progressive metal album-  the band was able to take the heaviness of their earlier material plus the mutltiple riffs and time signatures and mix in more focused and direct songwriting.  All that said, “The Last Baron” surely isn’t direct but is a thirteen minute soundscape that takes the listener from one adventurous riff to the next, sounding like old school Rush in spots mixed with a darker Pink Floyd vibe.  Probably the biggest surprise overall on this song and the disc overall is the cleaner vocal approach-  we hear less of the roaring and bellowing and now more of a cleaner vocal reminiscent of Ozzy and often double and triple tracked in spots.  Once again production is fantastic and the playing is stellar, with hints of keyboards popping up throughout the mix.

Mastodon, “Curl Of The Burl”, The Hunter

Where to go after the greatness of Crack The Skye?  For starters, Mastodon continued with direct and focused songwriting direction and the cleaner vocal approach, keeping the solid riffs and production intact but keeping all songs relatively short in comparison to past albums (only two songs break the five minute mark).  “Curl Of The Burl” rides a monstrous, almost stoneresque riff o’er top a great Brent Hinds’ clean vocal and great backups from Sanders and Dailor.  Dare I say this is quite the sing along song for Mastodon!  Although the main structure of the song does not change, there is a quick trippy segue midway through with some effects laden rhythm and lead work that is very cool before getting back to the main riff.  Probably about as radio friendly as Mastodon would get, until…

Mastodon, “The Motherload”, Once More ‘Round The Sun

Either radio is starting to loosen its strings and is coming around to the heavier side of things or Mastodon is pushing a bit in that direction (likely a little of both), as I’ve been hearing “The Motherload” on some of the more heavier stations.  Featuring a killer vocal hook courtesy of drummer Brann Dailor, the song features some pretty dense sonics compared to the other cuts featured here.  Not too much tricky riff work either; just multiple colors and multitracked riffs from guitarists Kelliher and Hinds.  I love the way this song builds-  Dailor’s cool drum intro, the slippery riff through the verse that goes into a great chorus, a brief vocal change to Troy Sanders, and then into the trippy but slamming back end section before heading back into the chorus to bring things to an end.  Awesome stuff.

So yes, lots of goodness throughout the Mastodon catalog and plenty to explore.  Just remember, each disc has multiple surprises and the band has progressed throughout their career so make sure you check out everything across the board.  Good luck!