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Mastodon appreciation: the best band on earth | 'Once More 'Round The Sun' out now

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High Road sounds like Black Tongue's slightly more accessible cousin. Which is great for me, I find them way more interesting as they've gotten more concise and melodic.
 

Cptkrush

Member
Finally got had a chance to give these guys a proper listen, haven't heard their first LP but everything from Leviathon on has just blown me away. Why I didn't find this band sooner is just beyond me.

On a side note, do they layer acoustics over their tracks or are they just picking really fucking hard all the time?
 
The new song is just balls-out awesome. I love it, really really love it.

I am always amazed at how bands and even some solo artists can pump out creative stuff- so regularly. Like, just when they feel like it. I love Brann on the mic. So awesome... it's STRAIGHT Mastodon with a little, almost like, 70's 80's screamy metal awesomeness. Like early Sabbath. Fucking awesome.
 
Leviathan is a masterpiece and in my opinion still their best album. The rest of their work is of an incredibly high standard. Saying that, I haven't listened to The Hunter as much of the rest of their discography, though Black Tongue was a brilliant opener for the live set I saw a couple of years ago.

I hope the new release revisits the rawer sound of their first two albums, though this is probably optimistic given that they've seemed to follow a consistent trend towards prog-rock with every consecutive release.
 
Leviathan is a masterpiece and in my opinion still their best album. The rest of their work is of an incredibly high standard. Saying that, I haven't listened to The Hunter as much of the rest of their discography, though Black Tongue was a brilliant opener for the live set I saw a couple of years ago.

I hope the new release revisits the rawer sound of their first two albums, though this is probably optimistic given that they've seemed to follow a consistent trend towards prog-rock with every consecutive release.

Agree with every word here. Leviathan is a masterpiece, my 2nd favorite metal album of all time, with only South of Heaven by Slayer besting it - and widely seen as being one of the best metal albums of all time by lots of folks. LOOOOOVE Blood & Thunder, Seabest, etc.

Can someone tell me where to start with Baroness? I have High on Fire covered, and love them. Knowing that I like Leviathan's hardness but also the melodic direction that Mastodon has taken recently, can anyone give me some little primer on Baroness?
 
Saw them for the 5th time last night and they where great here is the set list from what i remeber

  • Hearts Alive
  • Divinations
  • Crusher Destroyer
  • Capillarian Crest
  • Black Tongue
  • Bladecatcher
  • Crystal Skull
  • Trampled Under Hoof
  • Siberian Divide
  • Naked Burn
  • Megalodon
  • Oblivion
  • Octopus Has No Friends
    Encore:
  • ???( new song)
  • ???( new song)
  • Aqua Dementia
  • Sparrow

Also Gorjira was great as well and same with Kvelertak.

If the show isnt sold out where you live GO!
 

RDreamer

Member
I like them quite a bit as well. Crack the Skye being my favorite. They lead me to Baroness whom I like even more.

I feel like it's hard to go back to Mastodon now (specifically The Hunter). I feel like Baroness did a similar sound on Yellow & Green, but infinitely better.
 

Valtýr

Member
Everyone has said they moved from Mastodon to Baroness.

Except I tried and found out that Baroness has only made 1 good album. Everything after Red is complete garbage.
 
Valtýr;109948600 said:
Everyone has said they moved from Mastodon to Baroness.

Except I tried and found out that Baroness has only made 1 good album. Everything after Red is complete garbage.
I'm not liking Baroness either. Just from what I've heard.
 

MadSexual

Member
Saw them for the 5th time last night and they where great here is the set list from what i remeber

  • Hearts Alive
  • Divinations
  • Crusher Destroyer
  • Capillarian Crest
  • Black Tongue
  • Bladecatcher
  • Crystal Skull
  • Trampled Under Hoof
  • Siberian Divide
  • Naked Burn
  • Megalodon
  • Oblivion
  • Octopus Has No Friends
    Encore:
  • ???( new song)
  • ???( new song)
  • Aqua Dementia
  • Sparrow

Also Gorjira was great as well and same with Kvelertak.

If the show isnt sold out where you live GO!
I'm going to the Pittsburgh show on the 9th. Really happy to see so much Blood Mountain on the setlist. That's my favorite Mastodon album and they largely skipped over it when I last saw them on the Crack the Skye tour (with Dethklok).

Not sure how I feel about the new direction yet. I did enjoy The Hunter, but I like rougher music, so they are moving away from attracted me in the beginning. They're still making the best "fun" metal around, though, so I'm sure they'll still have a place with me.
 
Valtýr;109948600 said:
Everyone has said they moved from Mastodon to Baroness.

Except I tried and found out that Baroness has only made 1 good album. Everything after Red is complete garbage.

I enjoyed the Red and Blue albums, Yellow and Green lost me though.
 

hayguyz

Banned
I restarted listening to Mastodon because of this thread. Sometimes I just want to tell the drummer to calm down. I don't need to hear a fill every single measure.
 

MadSexual

Member
I enjoyed the Red and Blue albums, Yellow and Green lost me though.
Same for me. I found them for Blue and retroactively got into Red. Blue is still one of my favorite proggy rock/light metal albums. Y&G was just too "indie"-inspired for me to really take to. It's well done, but not what I connect with.

The Mastodon parallels are mostly obvious at first because of the vocal style, but they really aren't very similar bands beyond that. Totally different scope and approach.

I restarted listening to Mastodon because of this thread. Sometimes I just want to tell the drummer to calm down. I don't need to hear a fill every single measure.
Don't you dare. He's the single best thing about the band right now.
 
I restarted listening to Mastodon because of this thread. Sometimes I just want to tell the drummer to calm down. I don't need to hear a fill every single measure.

Yes, yes you do.

Same for me. I found them for Blue and retroactively got into Red. Blue is still one of my favorite proggy rock/light metal albums. Y&G was just too "indie"-inspired for me to really take to. It's well done, but not what I connect with.

The Mastodon parallels are mostly obvious at first because of the vocal style, but they really aren't very similar bands beyond that. Totally different scope and approach.
Blue was how I found out about them too, the vocals were the only similarity I found, the music for Baroness was always more laid back, Mastodon was aggressive. Still enjoy both, though Baroness less since Y&G.
 

RDreamer

Member
Valtýr;109948600 said:
Everyone has said they moved from Mastodon to Baroness.

Except I tried and found out that Baroness has only made 1 good album. Everything after Red is complete garbage.

Whoa there, let's not say things that are completely wrong here.

Yellow & Green are fucking amazing albums.
 

Tnetennba

Member
That's one hell of a setlist. Good to see them getting away from playing 10 or so tracks from The Hunter as well. I like it and all, but they were leaning a bit too heavy on it for a while there.

Valtýr;109948600 said:
Everyone has said they moved from Mastodon to Baroness.

Except I tried and found out that Baroness has only made 1 good album. Everything after Red is complete garbage.

I've heard this a few times from different folk. Yellow and Green are a more dramatic departure than even The Hunter was so I can understand disliking them if you're going through their whole back catalogue at once but they're both fantastic and really grew on me after a while, and the live EP they did not too long ago gives the songs on it from Y/G a bit more bite than the album tracks.

If you liked Red and none of the rest you should check out their EPs if you haven't. They've got a similar sound going on, a bit less polished than Red but still really good.
 
I restarted listening to Mastodon because of this thread. Sometimes I just want to tell the drummer to calm down. I don't need to hear a fill every single measure.

Nope. Wouldn't be the same band. I wouldn't like them nearly as much. But I know what you mean in a weird way. I may not agree with you, but I get it.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Yellow and Green have some really good tracks, but not on the level of Blue and Red. Some of the Y&G tracks completely tank live, like Little Things. Songs that do hold up nicely: Take my bones away, March to the sea, Sea lungs, Eula, The Line Between

Blue is allround amazing
 
Awesome band, got into them pretty late on. Infact this picture sums it up perfectly...

9Ihj8Pf.jpg


Managed to see them play Crack The Skye in full, amazing album in the live setting with the videos in the background. Then two other times, brilliant every time.
 

Dopus

Banned
Not sure if I could rank the albums. I like them all for different reasons. That said, I think I've listened to Crack The Skye the most. Hopefully the new album will be as good as the others but the new song didn't really stick out to me all that much.
 

Syuurin

Neo Member
Apparently they're going to be in Chicago next week (?!), but I've no idea who I could drag to the concert with me. What do.

Is going to concerts alone a thing people do...?
 

MadSexual

Member
Apparently they're going to be in Chicago next week (?!), but I've no idea who I could drag to the concert with me. What do.

Is going to concerts alone a thing people do...?
I've done it. Even traveled alone for one, but that's definitely not as much fun. It's not like you can really talk during a set anyway, and why would you want to? If I lived in a city where bands I liked actually played I'd do it all the time.
 

eagledare

Member
Awesome band, got into them pretty late on. Infact this picture sums it up perfectly...

*awesome image*

Managed to see them play Crack The Skye in full, amazing album in the live setting with the videos in the background. Then two other times, brilliant every time.

My god that is so perfect.
 
I'm just finding this topic today so I'll throw in my two cents on some things:
I disliked the Hunter at first, but it has really grown on me. I think it might be my brother's favourite, actually. Mine is still a toss-up between Leviathan and Blood Mountain.

On Baroness:
Got into them because of Mastodon. Liked Red, and I regard Blue as one of the best albums I've ever listened to. Y&G was such a terrible, terrible follow-up. Like, I wanted to cry I was so disappointed.
 

Gr1mLock

Passing metallic gas
Awesome band, got into them pretty late on. Infact this picture sums it up perfectly...

9Ihj8Pf.jpg


Managed to see them play Crack The Skye in full, amazing album in the live setting with the videos in the background. Then two other times, brilliant every time.

Dat Brentface doe
 

cripterion

Member
I grew tired of their sound after listening Blound Mountain too much, I haven't listened at all the the last 2 albums, just a quick go at Crack the Sky and it sounds pretty good :D

I used to listen to their Leviathan album so much, but quickly Gojira replaced Mastodon for me.
 

Dom Brunt

Member
I've kinda given up on Mastodon after The Hunter, what a huge, massive disappointment that album was. But I'm still going to see them at Sonisphere in Finland and that setlist posted earlier gives me hope, they'd better stick to it. I can't sit (stand) through yet another gig of them playing nearly all of The Hunter and a couple mandatory older hits. I was nearly bored to tears the last times I saw them live.

I can't say I have the faintest hope the new album will be anything I'd enjoy but ah well. They've definitely peaked for me a long time ago, Remission has always been my favorite and imo they were at their best live during Remission and Leviathan. They're still fun to see live usually (provided the setlist isn't shit).

I restarted listening to Mastodon because of this thread. Sometimes I just want to tell the drummer to calm down. I don't need to hear a fill every single measure.

Nah, the only problem I have with him is that he's singing too much now. I don't think his vocal style suits their music, it's not gritty or raw enough. Then again, nothing about The Hunter is gritty or raw lol. At the same time, Brent should absolutely stop singing, at least live. Troy seems to have to help him out with his vocal parts a lot whenever I've seen them live, it's quite sad. Let's hope Brent's got his shit together at Sonisphere heh.
 
I've kinda given up on Mastodon after The Hunter, what a huge, massive disappointment that album was. But I'm still going to see them at Sonisphere in Finland and that setlist posted earlier gives me hope, they'd better stick to it. I can't sit (stand) through yet another gig of them playing nearly all of The Hunter and a couple mandatory older hits. I was nearly bored to tears the last times I saw them live.

I can't say I have the faintest hope the new album will be anything I'd enjoy but ah well. They've definitely peaked for me a long time ago, Remission has always been my favorite and imo they were at their best live during Remission and Leviathan. They're still fun to see live usually (provided the setlist isn't shit).



Nah, the only problem I have with him is that he's singing too much now. I don't think his vocal style suits their music, it's not gritty or raw enough. Then again, nothing about The Hunter is gritty or raw lol. At the same time, Brent should absolutely stop singing, at least live. Troy seems to have to help him out with his vocal parts a lot whenever I've seen them live, it's quite sad. Let's hope Brent's got his shit together at Sonisphere heh.
Good and well stated criticism, even if I disagree with almost everything except that they are still fun live. They really really are. I like Brann on vocals. He sounds fuuuucking awesome and better than Hinds or Troy ever has in my opinion - in High Road. But Leviathan is my favorite and probably always will be - but I reserve the right to love them for the reason I still appreciate "And Justice for All" & prior Metallica. But I haven't given up on them by any means like I have with Metallica. Perhaps not even fair to mention them in the same sentence unless it's a sentence that reads "Metallica is opening for Mastodon on tour, and wiping the sweat off their balls." The Hunter was a little bit of a let down for me too. So was Crack the Skye to a lesser degree... but both were still passable albums with really nice production and art and cool narrative. I like to see a band stay hard if they came up that way. Like Slayer (their new song notwithstanding because I think that new single is everything I hate about Slayer lumped up into one song, with the quasi-rap delivery, "dumb" lyrics and shitty Kerry King "guitar" "solos").

Based on High Road and that leak, I don't think they sound soft. My girlfriend haaaates metal. I showed her High Road. It's definitely metal on the levels of other stuff I've shown her. So it's not like they're changing genres or something, like the YouTube comments indicate.
 

Syuurin

Neo Member
I've done it. Even traveled alone for one, but that's definitely not as much fun. It's not like you can really talk during a set anyway, and why would you want to? If I lived in a city where bands I liked actually played I'd do it all the time.

Fair enough. I tend to think of such things as fundamentally social experiences--having someone to talk to afterward about how awesome a concert was is kind of important to me--but I might have to just go for it in this case.
 

Suite Pee

Willing to learn
The Hunter was pretty bland, but they're a really great band otherwise. That new song (High Road?) that they posted recently seemed like more of The Hunter.

edit: Crack the Skye was a letdown at first, but then I saw them play the entire thing live, forcing me to really listen to the songs. I think I like it more than Blood Mountain now (but less than Remission and Leviathan, of course).
 

MadSexual

Member
Fair enough. I tend to think of such things as fundamentally social experiences--having someone to talk to afterward about how awesome a concert was is kind of important to me--but I might have to just go for it in this case.
I guess it depends a lot on what you take from the live experience. I enjoy concerts like I enjoy plays and films. I don't really like "participating" (moshing, singing crowd-surfing, etc.). I fight my way to the front to better take in the performance. I like watching the instrumentation, especially. Seeing a band actually playing their guitars and drums is very interesting to me as a musician. It's often educational. So that's obviously something that doesn't require a partner for.

I do like having someone for the trip, however, as I almost always have to travel at least an hour and a half to the nearest shows.
 
At the same time, Brent should absolutely stop singing, at least live. Troy seems to have to help him out with his vocal parts a lot whenever I've seen them live, it's quite sad. Let's hope Brent's got his shit together at Sonisphere heh.

the guy needs to go to whoever helped keith buckley go from awful to pretty-damn-great.
 
Saw them for the 5th time last night and they where great here is the set list from what i remeber

  • Hearts Alive
  • Divinations
  • Crusher Destroyer
  • Capillarian Crest
  • Black Tongue
  • Bladecatcher
  • Crystal Skull
  • Trampled Under Hoof
  • Siberian Divide
  • Naked Burn
  • Megalodon
  • Oblivion
  • Octopus Has No Friends
    Encore:
  • ???( new song)
  • ???( new song)
  • Aqua Dementia
  • Sparrow

Also Gorjira was great as well and same with Kvelertak.

If the show isnt sold out where you live GO!
Shit. Both times I saw them 95% of the set list was from the hunter(which I don't like at all). That set list would have been infinetly better.
 

CassSept

Member
Wow, I didn't know people hated The Hunter that much. It's not as consistent as their previous albums but still, All the Heavy Lifting and Bedazzled Fingernails is among their best. Title track and Sparrow are great too. Black Tongue and Curl of the Burl are different from their usual output but they're not bad either.
 

CalhounBurns

Neo Member
Been meaning to listen to Baroness for a while but after reading this thread yesterday I've gone through their albums a few times. Red is ok, I really like Blue and not really fussed on Yellow&Green. Each to their own and everything but I really don't think they come close to the near perfect brilliance of Crack the Skye or Leviathan.

Like a lot of people it seems, The Hunter wasn't my favourite Mastodon album. Overall the songs just weren't as good as previous albums though I think Bedazzled Fingernails is one of their best tunes to date.

Super excited for Once More 'Round the Sun.
 
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