The Strange History Of MASTODON (from death metal to the Grammys)
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2023
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The strange history of Mastodon! I talk about Mastodon's early history (Lethargy, Relapse Records, "Remission"), "Leviathan," "Blood Mountain" and "Crack The Skye," Mastodon members Brann Dailor, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Troy Sanders, "The Hunter," "Once More Round The Sun," "Emperor Of Sand," "Cold Dark Place" and more in the history of Mastodon.
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0:00 Intro
2:30 Early years of Mastodon
5:22 "Leviathan" & breakthrough
8:11 "Blood Mountain" & "Crack The Skye"
11:34 "The Hunter"
13:23 "Once More Around The Sun"
14:50 "Emperor Of Sand" - Розваги
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NO!
Thanks for mentioning saints row man! Thats where i know mastodon from. Not from the first game, tho. Colony of Birchmen caught my attention in Saints Row 2
you should start uploading your live stream highlights bro
@DeadShot! he does, on his second channel he posts most of the livestream material….wasn’t sure if you knew that
nothing ironic at all about punk rockbeing essentially a promo code. .
I live in Georgia and both of my bands practice at Mastodons studio Ember City in Atlanta, it's a really low-key building in West Atlanta industrial area, half of it is a rental rehearsal spot, and I've talked to these guys a handful of times. Incredibly cool guys and humble, they're all super involved in the scene here still. Big love for Mastodon.
Consider yourself lucky
Brann came into the bar/restaurant I work at on New Year's Eve
he had on a silver sequined suit
absolute fucking legend lmao
I seen them in Atl at Lakewood during the Mayhem Yager tour in 06 on the main stage with Slipknot disturbed dragonforce
Howdy neighbor haha
When they shut down Thunderbox in Atlanta the dudes from Mastodon knew a lot of local bands were out of a rehearsal space so they repurposed half of their studio to fill the gap. One of the coolest things they've done outside of making records.
Can't understand how anyone can hate Hushed and Grim. One if their best if not their BEST work so far IMO. Every single song is memorable and feels like it will be considered a 'classic' in 40 years time
I worked for Relapse when they put out Leviathan and then the Warner Bros buy out. The bonus check I got at Christmas was huge because of that album. We had to literally sit in a circle of boxes full of CD's and Vinyl over the weekends to fill preorders. Its insane the love they had before blowing up
Always liked stories like This.. that era, when sales dropped, somehow this underground music was selling, without the machine... The Band Breather Resist, told me about them.. Jake from Converge also.. that First album.. takes you somewhere.. like,, Since By Man,, push to panic.. Cheers from Southern California.. @∅
For me, Crack the Skye is a really special album. A once in a lifetime masterpiece sort of achievement.
Agreed!
Knew about mastodon since colony of birchmen, but this album with the track “divinations” is what made me a fan. It was played briefly as an adult swim bump along with the visualizer of the album cover, and it was the coolest thing I ever saw/heard.
@Osama bin Diesel I found Mastodon watching Adult Swim before school. I love the reference in your username btw lol.
It is a 10
@Osama bin Diesel Rock Band?
Crack the Skye is still my favorite album by them, and personally the band just became another level once Brann started singing. His voice really puts it all together with how different it is from Brent's and Troy's. All 3 of them together though just make this perfect triangle of vocals.
I love how diverse their discography is. They have an album for every mood. I think they struck the perfect balance of prog and brutal on Blood Mountain, but I go back to all of their albums frequently. Brann’s drumming is genuinely masterful, delicious, crushing, and smooth simultaneously.
Absolutely. Every album is unique and yummy it it’s own way. Such a unique band with a sound like no one else. Love that there’s 3 singers and they are each super talented. My man Bill Kelliher is riff lord par excellence 🔥🔥🔥
I love that Each member is so crucial to the band. If anyone left the band would be finished. I’d just like to point to Brent’s solos. They get better and better with each album.
Agreed, man - the album art, songs, lyrics, musical styles - they're true artists.
I love the subtle tension in his drumming. He has that marching band style precise control over the snappiness and timing of his hits. It just sounds so sharp, alive but still crushingly heavy. Brilliant drummer.
Colony of Birchmen popped my cherry.
Emperor of Sand was my introduction to Mastodon. What a phenomenal album.
Emperor of the Sand is a great album but damn they took 100 steps back with Hushed and Grimm. That’s a terrible album.
@Aaron Baker it’s been so up and down since “Crack the Skye”(a veritified all time Metal masterpiece10/10) that’s where their creativity and consistency peaked imo….luckily they still are capable of good stuff,(Emperor of Sand was a pleasant semi return to form)….it’s not like Metallica where you lost hope for anything good decades ago….but yeah so up and down since CTS
@Aaron Baker Finally someone gets it! Hushed and Grim is objectively boring lol. Every song is slow, there are like 2 riffs in everyone of them, nothing is as complex as in the previous albums and it feels like Brent Hinds isn't even a part of Mastodon anymore. I really think this was their last album with him 'cause he's gone full on country music by now.
Same here. I'm practicing the solo for "more than I could chew" from the album hushed and grim.
Phenomenally disappointing.
For me, Cold Dark Place is one of the best things they released. something about those 4 songs that just sounds perfect. Blue Walsh is one of my favourite tracks.
100% agree.
For sure.
great song.
It's getting cold outside.
The thing about Brann's drumming is that it's just SO entertaining to listen to.... He's one of those drummers where you can enjoy just focusing on his parts just as much as listening to the album as a whole..
Yeah, absolutely!
The distinct guitar riffs on top of the almost jazz style drumming, somehow fitting into metal, is something only they can pull off….. the guitar and drums are so distinct that literally no other metal band sounds like them at all, they somehow fit this weirdness into metal and it works
Brann is one of the best drummers in metal without a doubt. The Hunter is the album that hook me in.
Fantastic second vocalist as well
@Jeremy’s Iron ikr, hes amazing on vocals too
He can do an amazing King Diamond too
I would say one of the best in the entire rock world.
i’d even go as far to say he’s one of the best drummers period lmao
Crack the Skye is easily one of the best Prog/Metal concept albums to exist. Every single song is so well done on every front
The Hunter got waaay better with time. Aged like wine. Title track is mesmerizing.
Metal fans have always been picky eaters. No matter the subgenre. The Black Album had some objectively well-written and composed songs (except for Enter Sandman), and everyone acted like Metallica had killed their mothers.
Also: the idea of Finn listening to a 90 minute double album is hilarious 😂
The idea of Finn’s newborn boy growing up into a prog fan is hilarious, also congrats Finn
I really loved Hushed & Grim, one of the saddest and most emotional albums I've ever heard...
It really is beautiful. I cried.
I think it's the best they've done since Crack The Skye
I've been rocking with them since Leviathan, own their entire discography and have seen them live. One of my favorite bands over the course of the past 15 years.
Mastodon has to be my favorite band to come out in the last 20 years. Their ability to release an album that just so happens to coincide with real life traumas that I am dealing with is uncanny.
Bill Kelliher is right up there with James Hetfield when it comes to all time great rhythm guitarists in metal.
so mediocre at best?
@BigDaddyJeff lmfao try learning the melodic break in circle of cysquatch and then try capillarian crest
@Alex Brown 1. These riffs were written by Brent
2. I think he meant it in a way that when you're "up there with James Hetflield" you are mediocre because Hetfield just straight up writes boring riffs. His riffs sound like something a beginner would write but no one can write like Bill Kelliher
@BigDaddyJeff saying hetfield is mediocre, is mediocre itself.
For me, it’s Kirk Windstein, Bill Kelliher and Jerry Cantrell top 3 rhythm guys all time.
These guys are hardworking bad asses. I was super lucky enough to meet the band back in the early 2000s when they toured through Michigan multiple times to bring their music to the masses. They crushed it live and were super nice. They toured their asses off and worked hard for what they got.
That's a shame. I had the exact opposite experience with them in 2014 and it really turned me off of them. I don't know what it was, maybe it was just a bad day but they seemed very standoffish.
Can’t believe you didn’t mention their appearance in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie. Legit one of the best things they’ve ever done.
I was gonna say that but glad I checked if someone else had first
Also their song "Island" appeared in Pixar's Monster's university lol
"Cut you up with a linoleum knife" awesome song and one of the best movie soundtracks.
@Jonathan Porterhilarious video accompaniment too
The hunter is such an underrated record.
Agreed. It got me into the band and I love the simpler structures and psychedlic elements.
Their performance of the Sparrow in the aquarium is top notch
Agree, it's an awesome album.
It just has to live in the shadow of Crack The Skye, a hard act to follow
These guys have not a single bad album, it’s just incredible considering also that they had no change in the lineup and still have new great ideas
My favorite band; I've seen them live 22 times (with the 23rd coming up in May). That being said, I don't think they've ever topped Leviathan, the closest thing to a perfect album I've ever heard.
I went to a local record store in mid to late 2000’s and bought Leviathan. In a week I was hunting for their releases. My favorite band of all time. Followed my Floyd, RUSH, and such. The music speaks to me. It’s musically brilliant. Stellar talents at each instrument. Composition is on point. Hard to pick favorite album.
Blood Mountain is the album that got me into them. Was super weird for me at the time as I was like 14, but still my favorite album of theirs to this day.
I'll always have a soft spot for The Hunter. You sorta can't go wrong with any of their albums. There's always something to suit the mood depending on which one you listen to. For my money, Crack the Skye is their best work, and it definitely deserves a mention in any discussion about the best metal albums of all time. It's truly a masterwork.
I love everything they've done as a band, and over analyzing is pointless to me. Plain and simple, they evolve and get better with every single release. I've seen them close to 19 times, and this last tour with Gojira was AMAZING! Go Mastodon Go!
Amazing band with an amazing career. Insane diverse sound and greats riffing all around, what’s not to love?
Mastodon have never made a bad album. Maybe the latest one is a bit too long admittedly, but Mastodon is legendary. They’ve grown on me a lot through the years.
Mastodon is definitely the band that really made me step back and say, "Wow, what did I just listen to?" back in 2006. I've loved all their changes. No band owes me anything so I feel happy whenever they create something new for me to listen to. I think their next album might be very short and concise. I know Bill has talked about how he loves what Turnstile has brought to the mainstream so I think the idea of a shorter Mastodon album could come to fruition.
Leviathan and Brann's drumming is what drew me to Mastodon, Crack the Skye is still my favorite album of any band.
I remember when my friend showed me Leviathan in high school and I didn't get it at first. Going on 20 years later, no other band has ever meant something personal to me. I'm proud of what Mastodon continues to accomplish, the humanity and positivity they've injected into their music. They're something special.
I got into them around blood mountain, but for me, mother puncher is still their best track. Such brutality and precision. Their newer stuff is still fantastic, toe to toes is a great track.
Mother puncher is a awesome song for sure, I really dig trilobite also
Hushed and Grim is for sure my favorite Mastodon album. I love how many roads they turn down musically. For me, albums like The Hunter and Leviathan (I know, blasphemy), have less replay value as the sound of those songs get a little tiring towards the end of the listen. Crack the Sky is a close second in my opinion, but Hushed and Grim just sounds so pristine and fluid, it really doesn't feel like a double album when I listen all the way through.
I'm so happy to see you covering them. They have been with me since Remission and they have grown with me through the years. Every single time they release a new album, their lyrical content parallels where I'm at in my life at the moment. I bought "The Hunter" on my way to on Occupy rally and the opening track blasted someone for stealing the light and the purpose. When I was living in my Tahoe trying to make it in Colorado, they released "Once More 'Round the Sun" with bangers speaking to me like "The Motherload" telling me the universe has my back and that I can have whatever I want. They are hands down one of the greatest bands ever to me. Tattooed on my forearm are the lyrics to "The Sparrow" which are simply "Pursue happiness with diligence".
I toured with them twice with my old band Priestess, listen to both our albums and you can hear that at least Brann's drumming rubbed off on us haha. Magical lovely dudes they are
No way! I fucking love Priestess!!! Been listening since the myspace days. Thats super cool dude!!
Seen them 7 times and will be seeing them an 8th time in May. One of the most underappreciated bands in music today
I don't think Mastodon has ever made a bad record. Sure, fans have their favorites but each album is a work of art and represent a different period in the artists lives. They also stand out from the rest in their creativity and amazing musicality.
Once More Round the Sun is probably the "worst" and it has Asleep in the Deep.
I'm from Atlanta. My high school hardcore band Object of Aggression opened for them at Masquerade in 2002. I've watched all of this unfold. Highly accurate video! I see the guys around town pretty often. Check out Bill's hardcore / grind side project Primate. It has Kevin Sharp from Brutal Truth on vocals. We have played a few shows with them. Check us out too by the way! We have a new record coming out soon.
Love this history review of Mastodon! Finally, going to see them on their tour with Gojira and Lorna. Total bucketlist band for a while now. I was also an artist on Relapse around the time of 2008 to 2010. Mastodon is one of my favorite bands since Leviathan. Over the years I have gone back to listen to the old and new. Mastodon and Dillinger were still on the label when we came on. Shortly realized out of the 4 labels we could have chosen while still on Tragic Hero Record; Relapse was not the one. Our band name was From Graves of Valor, which was later changed by our singer to Graves of Valor, along with changing the sound. We had members of Through the Eyes of the Dead. Do you remember our bands? If so, probably at least TTEOTD, who were on Prosthetic at the time. Anyways, I believe there's enough of a following of both bands and still to this day, that you could make a short about them and or us. Mainly interested if you knew of us or their band and what your thought are/ were during that time. Love your channel! Your thought processes and observations line up with mine completely. Rock on Finn! 🤘
It is insane Brann is one of the best drummers doing this all while also being one of the main singers in the band. He has been getting more and more time in each album singing, and it gives me crazy Ozzy vibes each time.
While I miss their heavier days, they have never disappointed me and I truly have loved all their albums and evolution. Just wish they would do like a 5 song throwback album.
Thanks for this video, I love this band so much. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid when remission came out and it’s just so special to be able to listen to your favorite band evolve and move forward like they have in a positive way.
Thanks so much for the shoutout!!! Great video. Mastodon is one of those bands that continues to put out fantastic music. Hushed and Grim took me a little while to warm up to, but now I really appreciate it.
It’s impressive they went from a Social network to a Metal band within months
Stoked to see you do this video! Mastodon is hands down my favorite band. I love their entire discography! A couple corrections (respectfully): They released “Call of the Mastodon” before “Remission”
Brann is pronounced like the word “Brawn”
🙏😎
I discovered Mastodon through March of the Fire Ants on Headbangers Ball in like '02 or '03. Leviathan is still in my top 10 metal albums of all time. Unfortunately I don't like their new stuff as well but am still going to see them and Gojira in April. Going to check out Lethargy now, I didn't know it existed until this video so thanks, Finn.
The Hunter is far from their worst album. As a matter of fact, it's their best, and actually one of the best ever recorded. Nothing else is like it! Mastodon rules!!
Brann is such a fantastic drummer, hands down one of my favorite drummers ever.
Really great commentary. I have loved Mastodon for over twenty years, and I think part of it is because they are willing to take those risks. They have evolved as a band, while I've evolved as a listener. I enjoy all of their albums, although The Hunter is not my favorite. There are some great songs on that record, Curl of the Burl being one of them, but coming on the heels of Crack the Skye did not do it any favors. Crack the Skye is one that sticks with you. It really is a masterpiece. That was never going to be easy to follow. I'll never forget the first time I heard Oblivion. It's somehow heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Hushed and Grim is not to everyone's taste, but it grows on you. You can really hear their grief at the loss of their friend and manager. I feel like sometimes metal music loses some of that authenticity, so it's good to go down that road once in awhile. I'm excited to see where they go from here. Can't wait to see them with Gojira this spring- they're absolutely amazing live. They're all great at what they do, but Brann is a wonder.
Mastodon are certified legends and imo have never put a foot wrong, this includes both the newest album and The Hunter, both incredible albums
Their behind the scenes videos about the making of their albums are really cool insights into the band. Definitely one of the most musically wide ranging bands out there.
I absolutely love this band and how I got into them was actually something you didn't mention - their song "Linoleum Knife" they did for the ATHF movie. While it's meant to be a typical metal song with goofy lyrics, it kicks ass. And from there I slowly started unraveling what is now one of my all time favorite bands and I'm not a metal head at all. Going to see these guys with Gojira in May. I cannot fucking wait.
In my opinion, Mastodon are in a class all by themselves. I love the journey they have taken us on over the last 20 + years. Mastodon is like a mans best friend, in good days or bad, their music is always there to lift you up.
Seeing them with Gojira and Lorna Shore.
It's going to be incredible seeing 3 of my favorite drummers at once. We all know Gojira can rock a stage like no other so I'm hoping Mastadon dials it in as perfectly too!
Dude I saw them in LA and I actually thought Mastadon absolutely nailed it that night that show was so insane
I love everything Mastodon does. You're absolutely right that their "worst" is still amazing.
I also love that you chose the best part of Last Baron to feature. The first time I heard that song, I played it repeatedly mostly to hear that groove.
I've always loved every mastodon album. I like how it's not just same old. They always add new and different elements.
Thanks for shedding light on Today Is The Day, such a criminally underrated band.
The Hunter is my personal favorite album of theirs front to back, very calm riding vibe. There are better songs on other albums, but all the way through, this one takes it for me.
Honestly having every band member behind a mic is so awesome. In Mastadon's case especially cuz it gives the band almost like a shape shifting element. Just love these guys! Great video 🤘🤘
Bill doesn't really sing anymore. And he never did leads.
Also, MastOdon
Love Mastodon they are one of the greatest bands of the modern era and I will love them to the day I die
I absolutely love The Hunter and during the most difficult year of my life, I ended up getting lyrics from All the Heavy Lifting tattooed on my arm to remind me that things will eventually get better. Big feels for that album for me.
I think Voivod would deserve a video. It's weird not seing them being mentionned anywhere on this channel considering how much of a pioneer band they are, while still having one of the most unique and inimitable sound even into a 40 years long career. Many major bands have credited Voivod being a major influence (Meshuggah and Mastodon amongst others).
Other than that, thanks for this amazing video covering an amazing band!
I discovered Mastodon right before Blood Mountain came out, they instantly became one of my favorite bands and I met one of my best friends too because of them.
So glad to see Mastodon is getting attention it well deserves.. This band marks a very significant period of my life and holds a very special place in my heart.. Love this band so much!!
Crack the Skye, the sickest. That album embodies everything I love most in heavy music. And it's got this mystical, delirious, halucinatory feel to it that permeates the whole album and makes it even more special.
Crack the skye blew my freaking mind. It's one of my top 10 albums and oblivion is one of my favorite songs. The album just kicks ass beginning to end.
They DEFINITELY deserve recognition for bringing disco structure to metal without fans realising.
Over numerous albums, they use a repeating pattern that can be found on everything since Crack the Skye, it's very reminiscent of some patterns used by Benny & Bjorn.
Not to mention the piratical lounge music vocals of Brent, they emulate Sinatra after being possessed!
Thank you 😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
As a fan from the Remission album I love Hushed and Grim. (and everything else) As someone said, they have an album for every mood and they're all A+ albums. This was a great rundown.
Even stranger is that Warner Bros. heard Leviathan and thought to sign them. The fact that they are on a major label is still impressive and makes me love them more for pushing the boundaries for commercial acceptance.
I was lucky enough to win a vinyl copy of their first EP. So raw and vicious. The drums are more forward in the mix, which sounds killer.
Finn it is so cool that as much as you pick on prog music (for good reasons I might add) you can give mastodon their flowers and appreciate them. One of my all time favorites. Brann has seriously influenced me as a drummer.
One of my favorite bands of all time. And I absolutely love that they change their sound & style on each new album. It always takes me a few listens to 'get it,' and that's what I love about them: it's never the same thing twice. And of course their musical chops are undeniable. Their riffs are undeniable (TY Bill K). Their dedication to pushing their own limits (which then pushes the listeners' as well) is undeniable.
Mastodon has always been a band on the periphery for me. I’ve been aware of them, heard a handful of songs that I liked, but never dove in to their catalog. I’m going to see them in a week with Gojira and Lorna Shore and based upon everything I’ve heard, I’m expecting a really good show.
Mastodon without question has to be my favorite band of all time and it's always cool to see I'm not the only person who loves them. I found Leviathan when I was in high school and that album, Crack the Skye and The Hunter got me through some pretty low points there and then in the first couple years of college. Not only that, but it was through Mastodon I found Dillinger Escape Plan and Red Fang, and all of the bands John from Baroness has done album art for. Seriously, you want a good collection of metal, just listen to any band that's gotten him to do their album art.
Yeah they got me into Red Fang as well. Red Fang is great I hope they keep making music. And yes I just bought a shirt of theirs the other day the merch and imagery is fantastic
Finn you finally covered my favourite band of all time, didn't think you would be into them as they're quite proggy. The first 3 albums are my fave, I think it's a nostalgia thing but also it was before they calmed down a bit from Crack The Skye onwards. They're a weird band but I fucking love them, I still put on Leviathan or Blood Mountain for a cover to cover listen every now and then
Hushed and Grim is a fantastic album. I saw Mastodon on their tour with Spiritbox and Ghost and it completely reinvigorated my love for this band from high school and listening to Blood Mountain. Picked up a vinyl copy of the record immediately after the show and now I am super excited to see their co-headlining tour with Gojira. Great band!
I was working at a college radio station when I got to hear their first EP, "Lifesblood," which has since been re-released as "Call of the Mastodon." I first saw them live during Remission. I love the journey and evolution of the band.
Definitely in my top 5 favorite bands.
Discovered them about 10 years ago, and instantly fell in love with their sound.
They are sick live. Their albums are all good with enough diversity. Great band.
The band also had a cameo in the DC movie, Jonah hex. What many don't know, they composed nearly the entire ost for that movie.
When "the hunter" was released, it didn't leave my car stereo for almost 2 years.
You're right about the videogames.
"SplatterHouse" was the best hands down.
Ive been with them since remission. Had a friend that was going to college in Orlando during their first years and was like "Hey you gotta check out this band I just saw at a small club" Then the only time I saw them live was when they played Crack the Skye in its entirety at the Aragon in Chicago (same show where the live album was recorded)
Going to see them for my 2nd time in August with Gojira and I can't wait!!!
I heard Toe to Toe's and was blown away, an instant fan. I listened to them for over 20 years but that song made me search their entire catalog and listen to them for days at a time. The lyrics made me feel like they knew what a deal with the devil actually looks like. I worry about them and hope they're okay, it's just that their stories are very vivid and cover a dark subject matter. I just think a night out bowling with Killswitch Engage might perk up their spirits- those guys are super positive.
Got into them heavy with Blood Mountain. Saw them live three or four times in like 6 years, always amazing, especially the Crack the Skye tour where they double-headlined with Dethklok. Surprised you didn't mention their relationship to Adult Swim, being good ol' Atlanta boys who've collabbed really all over the place. We all know Linoleum Knife from the ATHF movie, right?? Cedric from Mars Volta and Homme from QotSA doing backup vocals on Blood Mountain was a big deal too. For me, the biggest difference between the concept era and what came after is the consistency of each album, for better and worse at once. I think it's a 'higher highs, lower lows' kinda problem. I can listen to Leviathan, Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye straight thru with no skips, but I am not sure how many of those songs individually are superior to The Motherload or Blasteroid. Then again, Blood and Thunder, The Wolf is Loose, Crystal Skull, Oblivion... they never made an album without a skull-crushing single or three.
Tony Hawk's Underground was what introduce me to them, and the cover art for their album Leviathan was a huge influence on my art style back in college. They'll always be one of my all-time favorite bands!
For me it was “Colony of Birchmen” on the Krunch Radio in Saints Row 2
I listened to Emperor of Sand again after a couple years and it’s probably one of if not their best. Really great album!!
I understand why people might not love The Hunter, but for me, it’s my favorite album by then from beginning to end.
Sharing the vocal burden is a smart move - especially as you get older and the voice changes/can become fragile. They manage it so well too. Blood Mountain and Crack The Skye are my favourite albums by them, but there isnt a bad album in their discography imho.
I've been a die-hard fan since I first heard March of the Fire Ants on XM Liquid Metal.
It has been an unmitigated joy to follow the trajectory of their musical growth, and I love each album even more than the last. I kind of understand some fans falling off along the way, as their sound has indeed changed from record to record...sometimes significantly. But as I've grown older and gained more experience and more scars, I've always found that Mastodon has grown along with me.
My only complaint about H&G is that it's searing emotional impact absolutely demands your undivided attention. It's not "riding in the car" music, it's "sit down with a good pair of headphones and devote an hour and a half to it" music.
I can't fucking WAIT to see what they do next.
Love their newer stuff. They really captured the Alice in Chains sound so well.
Love this band. Favorite album is Once More ‘Round The Sun.
They're all insanely nice, real dudes. Excited to see what they do next
I first heard them when Remission came out. At the time I was fully immersed in the hardcore scene. IE hardcore and only hardcore was what I listening to. They were definitely one of a handful of bands that got me listening to other forms of music again.
I’ve been onboard up until this last one. This might be kind of harsh, but to me their last album was very “Mastodon by numbers.” To the point that I really think they’ve run their course. Hopefully they surprise me and drop a banger next, but I have a really hard time seeing that happen.
It took me a while to get Mastadon, but once I did I found them so unique and it was interesting to hear it unfold. It’s like System of a Down uniqueness, sometimes jarring at first but then really tragically beautiful.
Awesome presentation of the Mastodon history, hats off! I found Mastodon, which nowadays have evolved to be my favorite band of all, with The Hunter. Due to the fact, that specific album means the world to me! And I'd say my all time favorite track by Mastodon is on that album. The Sparrow.
This was a long time coming, but what a great tribute. I'm not at all surprised that it came from you, Finn. Thanks so much for posting.
I’m not wild about Hushed and Grim, but the rest of their discography stands with anybody, IMO. They hit so many different styles with stride and fluidity. To me, Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye are absolute masterpieces. Even with some of their longer songs (as you mentioned), particularly like The Czar, they are so dynamic and musically sound, they don’t even feel like 10 minute songs. Top 3 favorite band for me, and I’m glad you did a video on them. 🤙🏼🔥
The hunter is their best, no question
@steve MacDonald I agree, the entire album from start to finish is banger after banger.
I happened across Mastodon in 2003/2004 when I went to see Death by Stereo in Philly and these guys were headlining. Been recommending them to folks ever since. My favorite show was their Once more around the sun era when they played with Graveyard and Clutch. Amazing show.
Brann Dailor is the best drummer in modern rock. Crack the Skye and Blood Mountain are two of my absolute favorite albums. They are the 'Mars Volta" of metal.
saw them open for some screamo bands, to a crowd of like 25 people, when they were touring on their first ep, lifesblood, in 2001. wild that they are now such a huge band. Brann is a generational talent on the drums.