Not metal enough? Not different enough? Not GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? HUH?
I personally love them. The vocals aren't special, but for catchy metal they're some of the best songwriters I've ever heard. And their drummer is off-the-wall crazy, something like Neil Peart on a PCP binge. They entertain me album after album. Love how they slowed things down a bit on "Crack The Skye". The title track from that album is monumental, especially due to Scott Kelly's (Neurosis) guest vocals.
I simutaneously loathe and abhor the majority of prog metal, tbh... part of the reason why Mastodon never really did it for me, aside from a couple songs off of Leviathan (Blood and Thunder does kick ass, I admit).
I never quite considered them prog metal. Always thought they leaned more towards metalcore? Meh. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. Or the butt.
I'll admit, they do get a little prog-y with the extended passages and what-not. It's probably that, combined with their overt catchiness, that appeals to me. I love the way they balance the two.
^^ Ha, Butt, they aren't necessarily even 'prog-metal' per se, when you consider that fans and music writers have mostly referred to Mastodon as a major act of the supposed
New Wave of American Heavy Metal (NWAHM)..
And that is a pretty broad tent of many other similar/related bands, (metalcore and its cousins included). Mastodon just do their own thing. Do Opeth fans like them? Just wondering while I'm writing all this.
I certainly (and perhaps very surprisingly to those that know what my mainstays in metal are
) enjoy Mastodon's first three albums---mainly Leviathan and Blood Mountain. The three-way vocals seemed rather unnecessary to me, initially, but they sort of 'work' for them and the music they play. Farted is right about the drums being a particular highlight of the band. Very inventive and catchy, yet aggressive and edgy,at once. The drumming always kept the band in touch, with me. Their music, overall, seems to constantly ebb and flow for me, in the sense that, I really dig certain very cool, interesting parts, while there are other moments when they can be sort of ordinary and dull. Can we perhaps call Mastodon an 'acquired' taste? It certainly felt that way for me.
I was hopeful about Crack the Skye and bought it expecting to be nicely fulfilled by another worthy Mastodon outing. But no, I found the album a definite let-down owing to its strangely, overly subdued, almost soporific feel to most of the songs. In an apparent effort to be introspective and artsy on this latest disc, they probably ended up disappointing many of their fans by ending up with an extremely lacklustre, forgettable record. I'll be content with Leviathan and BM, for now.
'Acquired" taste indeed. They really don't fall into many pre-existing sound profiles, so it takes a certain mind to be able to fully appreciate what they do. Even many of their fans, such as yourself, admit to only liking certain peaks in the valleys so to speak, and in that regard they are very much one of those "love 'em or loath 'em" bands.
I agree that their first three albums are the best: I am particularly fond of Remission, both because it was an intro and is the most raw and uninhibited album they've done. "March of the Fire Ants" gets me revved everytime I hear it. But, my favorite song is probably either the title track from Crack The Skye (so damn epic) or "Colony of Birchmen" because Josh Homme has a way with me I'll never quite understand, and his guestwork on the chorus got under my skin the instant I first heard the song.
For some of those "very cool, interesting parts" (imo), try these:
"The Wolf Is Loose" (Blood Mountain): Around 2:45 the song shifts tempo, the vocals are downtrodden and the whole thing oozes awesome before it rips back into high gear.
"Bladecatcher" (Blood Mountain): This song is just...strange. But melodically sound and catchy all the same. Definitely the most off-the-wall thing they've attempted as a band.
"Siberian Divide" (Blood Mountain): Around 4:15, after the real chaotic bit wraps up, this riff is just so fucking ear-grabbing that I find myself coming back to this track just to skip to this moment.
"The Czar" (Crack The Skye): the whole song is interesting if you ask me. For some unexplainable reason, it reminds me of Led Zeppelin.
"Crack The Skye" (Crack The Skye): for one of the most anthemic and powerful performances in metal history! At least that's what my ears get from it.
"I Am Ahab" (Leviathan): for every moment where Brian Dallor lets all hell break loose on the kit.
"Megalodon" (Leviathan): For the funky southern-styled guitar solo around 1:20 in and what that transitions into. Fuckin' awesome sauce.
"Naked Burn" (Leviathan): I love metal you can sing along to, and this is that sort of metal song.
"Hearts Alive" (Leviathan): At over 13 minutes, it's certainly the most ambitious thing they've attempted.
"Joseph Merrick" (Leviathan): Uber-creative instrumental, reminds me of Ozzy for some damn reason.
"March Of The Fire Ants" (Remissions): Holy shit listen to those fills. Fucking fuck.
There's plenty more mixed within the albums, but these are just some of the moments that make me a big fan.
I'm not a fan. I've heard some of their stuff that I liked and everyone has been going batshit insane over their new release Crack The Skye. So I checked it out and couldn't stand a single song off it.
It may not be prog metal, but there's still a lot of progressive influences in Mastodon's music. That being said, I got Blood Mountain as a gift a few months ago and like it quite a bit. I might get Leviathan sometime.
Well, right now, I'm listening to a song from an album which the wiki calls one of progressive metal and I fucking love it (although it sounds more rock than metal to me).
I'm sersly thinking of DLing all of that artist's albums...
I haven't noticed any 'Hate' for them here. But I also haven't seem much mention of them here.
I just can't seem to get into them. I hear some short parts that last for like 10 seconds that I think sound really cool. But then the sections they really spend a long time on bore me. Something about them reminds me of Neurosis. But I like Neurosis.
So, I got Crack the Skye today. I haven't listened to it yet due to NDoS, but I'll try it out tomorrow. If it's anywhere near as good as I've heard, I'll be happy.
(06-06-2009 09:41 PM)mntwinsfan Wrote: [ -> ]So, I got Crack the Skye today. I haven't listened to it yet due to NDoS, but I'll try it out tomorrow. If it's anywhere near as good as I've heard, I'll be happy.
I've listened to it several times, and it's really good. Is Leviathan worth buying?
Absolutely. It may be their best album. Just note that Crack the Skye is a pretty big shift in what is typically known as "The Mastodon Sound". It's more stretched-out, developed, and I guess you might say "progressive" than their prior albums. But you'll probably end up enjoying "Leviathan" and even "Blood Mountain" more.
(06-15-2009 12:52 PM)Farted Wrote: [ -> ]Absolutely. It may be their best album. Just note that Crack the Skye is a pretty big shift in what is typically known as "The Mastodon Sound". It's more stretched-out, developed, and I guess you might say "progressive" than their prior albums. But you'll probably end up enjoying "Leviathan" and even "Blood Mountain" more.
Okay, thanks. I actually already have Blood Mountain, which I really like.
Leviathon is a fucking masterpiece!!
I love how Crack The Skye sounds, but I can see why people don't like it, it's kind of... ...soft, for a Mastodon record.
My first thought upon hearing it was something along the lines of "They must be buying better drugs now XD".