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[CheesecakeRecipe]

I've always found Remission to their best, as the composition and songwriting is absolutely stellar. But I've still yet to work my way through all of their later material.

If/when you do, try to track down the version of Crack the Skye that has the instrumental versions as well. Some of the best parts get pushed out in the mix by the vocal work and it gives some new perspective on them.

I still think I like Blood Mountain a tad bit more though.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

If/when you do, try to track down the version of Crack the Skye that has the instrumental versions as well. Some of the best parts get pushed out in the mix by the vocal work and it gives some new perspective on them.

I still think I like Blood Mountain a tad bit more though.

I shall do that. Mastodon should be known for their songwriting skills and not their technical skills, so yeah.

 

[The Main Event]

Saw them live during their The Hunter tour, they're one of the great(est) for sure. The Hunter was a tad disappointing comparing to their previous efforts, but it's still very good nonetheless. As mentioned, hopefully the new album goes back to the rawness of their early work.

As for the best band on earth, they gotta be from from Sweden

 

[Kaladin]

As for the best band on earth, they gotta be from from Sweden

You mean this band?

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

You mean this band?

*High Five*!

Actually, I personally prefer Meshuggah over Opeth, but that's a very small margin for me.

Why is Sweden such a Hotbed for amazing Metal?

 

[Creamium]

These Brent stories are awesome, thanks for sharing. It's already clear from the BM/CtS making ofs he's a heavy user, but I didn't know it was this bad.

Curiosity lead me into this thread because I've been looking for some new music, and I think I've found it. These guys are fucking awesome. Its like a mix between tool, Metallica, and Queens.

Thanks OP

That was my goal when starting the thread, to get at least someone into the band. Glad to see you like them.

 

[ClassyPenguin]

Curiosity lead me into this thread because I've been looking for some new music, and I think I've found it. These guys are fucking awesome. Its like a mix between tool, Metallica, and Queens.

Thanks OP

You'll also probably like Riverside as well.

Another great "whalecore" band, Gojira.

 

[Kaladin]

No mention of Brent Hind's country band or his surf guitar band?

 

[The Main Event]

You mean this band?

*High Five*!

Actually, I personally prefer Meshuggah over Opeth, but that's a very small margin for me.

Why is Sweden such a Hotbed for amazing Metal?

Throw in another high five! Something something in the air in Sweden that creates some of the best music.

 

[TheMadvillain]

I recommend Red Fang you like Mastodon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Vcoq-QRo4

 

[SpankmasterC]

Sheeeeeet that trailer for the new live album sounds good! So much better than Live at the Aragon which I feel doesn't capture the gutwrenching sound and atmosphere of The Mastodon Experience. Really excited for the new album!

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Throw in another high five! Something something in the air in Sweden that creates some of the best music.

Swedish Death Metal is amongst my favorite. Have you checked out Crimson by Edge of Sanity? It's a Progressive Metal album, one song and forty minutes. Mike is on it as a guest, and it's Dan Swano's band, who produced the first two albums (Orchid, Morningrise). Unlike some Progressive Metal albums, it has amazing songwriting first instead of being a pointless masturbation fest for the musicians.

 

[KingGondo]

Love love love Mastodon.

Probably my favorite band currently producing music.

Haven't had much of a chance to listen to The Hunter, but this is my ranking of the other albums:

Leviathan=Crack the Skye>Blood Mountain>Remission

 

[carpediemdp]

I'll just leave this here...

youtube.com/watch?v=Xr9_e4ySRYA

 

[Night Hunter]

They also have the best t-shirt.

Wrong

 

[Tnetennba]

Crack the Skye's a masterpiece and Leviathan's brilliant as well. So's every album actually. They're easily one of the most consistently impressive bands out there.

Saw them live on the back of The Hunter and damn they've gotten a lot tighter live as well. Was a bit hesitant after Live at the Aragon but they really got it together since then.

No mention of Brent Hind's country band or his surf guitar band?

Fiend Without a Face are fantastic. Brent's just super talented all around. In some documentary thing they did for The Hunter you see him just fucking around with a guitar, like he never stops; like he couldn't stop. What a guy.

 

[Neodiablo22]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3UgeEbI028

Baroness is good too

 

[ZachDeKoromaru]

Love Mastodon, especially love Crack the Skye. The Hunter outside of the title track I really didn't care for however, I really hope they either go back to CtS's format or do something a bit different that I might also enjoy.

 

[The Main Event]

Swedish Death Metal is amongst my favorite. Have you checked out Crimson by Edge of Sanity? It's a Progressive Metal album, one song and forty minutes. Mike is on it as a guest, and it's Dan Swano's band, who produced the first two albums (Orchid, Morningrise). Unlike some Progressive Metal albums, it has amazing songwriting first instead of being a pointless masturbation fest for the musicians.

Haha, nope never heard of them. Listening to iTunes samples. Sounds awesome, will check them out for sure!

 

[Demon Ice]

Their album art is amazing too.

This has been my background for a while (tried to upload the source but imgur wasn't accepting it for some reason)

 

[HighAmperage]

The Hunter is a masterpiece. Hope they continue in that direction.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Haha, nope never heard of them. Listening to iTunes samples. Sounds awesome, will check them out for sure!

Trust me, you won't regret listening to it. It's an amazing album, very evocative with tons of killer melodies and amazing songwriting.

Their album art is amazing too.

This has been my background for a while (tried to upload the source but imgur wasn't accepting it for some reason)

Yes, the art for Leviathan I could look at for hours.

 

[Demon Ice]

If you guys are into unique-sounding metal you should check out Australia's Ne Obliviscaris, one of my favorite bands. Their songs are all pretty long, but each one is a masterpiece. Portal of I is another album that I can just listen to front to back multiple times in the same day and never get tired of it.


Edit: My favorite track by them: Forget Not

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I like Opeth a bit more, but Mastodon is incredible too. Dailor is so good.

 

[delta25]

Really digging crack the skye. Oblivion is such a good song.

edit: on second thought oblivion is fucking amazing.

 

[Onemic]

Favourite metal band by far and one of my favourite bands in general

For me it's

Leviathan>Remission>Blood Mountain>The Hunter>Crack the Skye

 

[Veal]

My dream is to see Mastodon, High On Fire, Red Fang, Queens of the Stone Age, and Boris all in one show. And then die.

 

[Xanadu]

great band, best on earth? please

 

[Creamium]

Really need to get into Opeth. Saw them live this summer and I liked it quite a bit. So many styles in one gig. Went from prog to death metal to acoustic.

Edit: My favorite track by them: Forget Not

this is pretty good.

edit: I thought, 'this is good, but it's got no balls'. Then the second half of the track happened.

Favourite metal band by far and one of my favourite bands in general

For me it's

Leviathan>Remission>Blood Mountain>The Hunter>Crack the Skye

You can't just leave that there without explaining yourself.

great band, best on earth? please

As in: currently active? For me it's pretty close.

 

[Xanadu]

As in: currently active? For me it's pretty close.

i dont even find them to be the best band in their genre (progressive metal right?)

that goes to opeth for me, and i really didnt enjoy hunter. but man is leviathan epic

 

[Rawket Lawnchair]

Listened to them back in the Remission & Leviathan days. They were too prog for my taste, but I am glad they got big enough.

 

[Daigoro]

I shall do that. Mastodon should be known for their songwriting skills and not their technical skills, so yeah.

that makes zero sense to me.

You can't just leave that there without explaining yourself.

he's right. it's easily bottom of the pile and wore itself thin pretty quickly for me. doesnt compare at all to their first three and The Hunter is better. great concept, but their least interesting album musically by a long shot for me.

no idea why people rate is so high

 

[Yager]

I recommend Red Fang you like Mastodon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Vcoq-QRo4

Pretty awesome band, yes. I saw both Mastodon and Red Fang lat year in Barcelona. Man, they sounded awesome, really tight. They played like 23-24 songs without taking a break. I can't wait for their next album (and tour; hopefully they'll come back).

 

[Star Falcon]

They are hit and miss with me. They absolutely crush at times, whereas other songs i kinda just get bored and tune out. Leviathan is definitely my fav. of their albums - Iron Tusk is so good! I haven't heard their latest album, but of the others:

Leviathan > Remission > Crack the Skye > Blood Mountain

Blood Mountain had 1 or 2 good songs but generally i found it to be pretty tedious.

 

[Mother Green]

Amazing band, easily one of my favorites. So many good bands from Georgia; Kylesa, Baroness, Black Tusk, Mastodon. There must be something in the water. I have yet to see them live though.

 

[EvilKatarn]

Mastodon, right alongside Gojira and Electric Wizard, is one of the few metal bands I still frequently listen to.

I saw them live here in Estonia. 2012 summer I think.

Caught these.

Y'all need to check out Call of the Mastodon if you haven't already. A compilation of their earlier stuff which is just as great as their five main studio albums.

 

[Ranger Taffles]

Incredibly fun to listen to these guys. I remember the first track I heard was Blood and Thunder and since then I've become a fan of theirs. Never gets tiring honestly.

 

[Illithid Dude]

Crack the Skye is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I don't like their other stuff, no matter how hard I try. It's just too... heavy. Even in Crack the Skye's heaviest moments, there is still a certain levity, a certain tonality that keeps me engaged.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

I do dig me some Mastadon, and I'm not a fan of metal at all. They just rock, s'all.

Also, whoever recommended Red Fang:

 

[Kelthink]

Presentation wise, they're stellar. One of the stiffest live acts I've ever seen though, nearly no crowd interaction at all. A massive shame given the quality of their work.

 

[beato_angelico]

best band in metal? maybe, I love them.
best band in the world? no way.

 

[gabbo]

Love Crack the Skye. Played it endlessly in 2009/2010, and have love for their first three albums as well. The Hunter less so. Too many tracks, and the best ones sounded like CtS cuts that didn't make it.

 

[batbeg]

I really should check them out more sometime. The first time I ever got high my friend directed me to the Crack the Skye website on his laptop and I just watched entranced for I don't even know how long. Super talented dudes.

 

[Demon Ice]

this is pretty good.

edit: I thought, 'this is good, but it's got no balls'. Then the second half of the track happened.

Hahaha yup. Love it.

They have other songs that are heavier all the way through but Forget Not is such a journey I love it.

 

[Tenks]

Like Mastodon. Like Between the Buried and Me more if I'm wanting prog.

 

[Gr1mLock]

I heart mastodon

 

[Kade]

Like Mastodon. Like Between the Buried and Me more if I'm wanting prog.

Same boat.

 

[Xanadu]

Like Mastodon. Like Between the Buried and Me more if I'm wanting prog.

ew

 

[Cptkrush]

I've never heard more than a few songs from Mastadon, so I'm gonna check them out after seeing this.

Why is Sweden such a Hotbed for amazing Metal?

I dunno, but they gave us my metal album of the year so I'm quite happy with that.

The Ocean - Pelagial

 

[beato_angelico]

the ocean are not swedish.