I Am Listening To Every Mastodon Album In Chronological Order
- Thread starter la szum
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I’m going to do this soon as well, 2 more weeks until they’re here with Gojira and Lorna Shore!!!!
Fortunately, you don’t have 40 years worth of me being a hardcore Mastodon fan like I was with the Ryche thread. Only the last 5.
Hands down my current favorite band and something really, really remarkable would have to come out and knock them out of that spot. It’s exactly what I want in a modern metal meets 70’s prog band and the further they go down the prog route, the happier I am. They went from a band where I didn’t care a single bit about the vocals to being enamored with the lyrics and vocals from Crack The Skye onward.
A recent interview with Brann said he’s missing the shorter, banger tunes and after Hushed And Grimm’s length, he wants the next album to be a bit more to-the-point, but none of that means much until the guys are in the studio writing together. The last couple of albums have primarily been him and Bill doing the bulk of the writing, Brent‘s just been coming in after and doing his thing over them.
They’re just a refreshing take on two genres of music I love dearly. Even when they’re doing chugging metal, it doesn’t sound like any other chugging metal band. They definitely have their own sound and their ability to change it up album to album while still sounding like Mastodon is badass.
I don’t think that’s far off base at all. He’s reigned himself in over the years. My dad was saying a couple years ago, “I think these guys would be as big as Avenged Sevenfold if the drummer would stop doing some many fills” hahaha, probably also helps A7X that they’re easy on the eyes while Mastodon looks like they walked around with actual mastodons and didn’t even need wardrobe/makeup for their Game Of Thrones appearances.
But yeah, it’s like the dude is going to fly off the rails with every fill, but still comes in perfectly. It’s like Keith Moon holding the sticks for Bill Buford.
I also get a kick out of how he busts his own balls for making a career entirely out of single stroke rolls. There’s a vid of him when he was a teenager playing in a high school band in his parent’s basement, huge kit and he’s just tearin’ it up. Dude used to be a speed metal freak. He also does PERFECT Ozzy and King Diamond voices.
Fortunately, you don’t have 40 years worth of me being a hardcore Mastodon fan like I was with the Ryche thread. Only the last 5.
Hands down my current favorite band and something really, really remarkable would have to come out and knock them out of that spot. It’s exactly what I want in a modern metal meets 70’s prog band and the further they go down the prog route, the happier I am. They went from a band where I didn’t care a single bit about the vocals to being enamored with the lyrics and vocals from Crack The Skye onward.
A recent interview with Brann said he’s missing the shorter, banger tunes and after Hushed And Grimm’s length, he wants the next album to be a bit more to-the-point, but none of that means much until the guys are in the studio writing together. The last couple of albums have primarily been him and Bill doing the bulk of the writing, Brent‘s just been coming in after and doing his thing over them.
They’re just a refreshing take on two genres of music I love dearly. Even when they’re doing chugging metal, it doesn’t sound like any other chugging metal band. They definitely have their own sound and their ability to change it up album to album while still sounding like Mastodon is badass.
Brann's drumming has always had that "falling down the stairs and landing on your feet" vibe to his grooves.
Not in the same ballpark, but kind of reminds me of a Meth'd up Keith Moon.
I don’t think that’s far off base at all. He’s reigned himself in over the years. My dad was saying a couple years ago, “I think these guys would be as big as Avenged Sevenfold if the drummer would stop doing some many fills” hahaha, probably also helps A7X that they’re easy on the eyes while Mastodon looks like they walked around with actual mastodons and didn’t even need wardrobe/makeup for their Game Of Thrones appearances.
But yeah, it’s like the dude is going to fly off the rails with every fill, but still comes in perfectly. It’s like Keith Moon holding the sticks for Bill Buford.
I also get a kick out of how he busts his own balls for making a career entirely out of single stroke rolls. There’s a vid of him when he was a teenager playing in a high school band in his parent’s basement, huge kit and he’s just tearin’ it up. Dude used to be a speed metal freak. He also does PERFECT Ozzy and King Diamond voices.
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JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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Great choice. Probably one of the, if not THE best bands that benefitted from some polish to take off the rough edges of their early material 
hemmelight
Roadie
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- 571
Love Mastodon! Crack the Skye is a prog-rock essential at this point.
In terms of their "poppier" stuff, I always liked "High Road" a bunch. My favourite song of theirs might be "Sleeping Giant".
In terms of their "poppier" stuff, I always liked "High Road" a bunch. My favourite song of theirs might be "Sleeping Giant".
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But yeah, it’s like the dude is going to fly off the rails with every fill, but still comes in perfectly. It’s like Keith Moon holding the sticks for Bill Buford.
Yup, and let me sing like a Fallen Angel over top of it all. Easy!
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Hey, they groove in their way, no doubt about it
Are any of these "first time listens" for you?
It's been an hot minute for a few, but most of their catalog I have beaten to death.
They are one of the GREAT bands of our time. Full stop.
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Oh, and let me sing like a Fallen Angel over top of it all. Easy!
He does it pretty f*cking well, too!
Their live vocals have improved TREMENDOUSLY over the years. That used to be their Achille’s heel until Brann started singing more.
This is a pretty decent sounding vid-
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- 14,780
Hands down my current favorite band and something really, really remarkable would have to come out and knock them out of that spot. It’s exactly what I want in a modern metal meets 70’s prog band and the further they go down the prog route, the happier I am. They went from a band where I didn’t care a single bit about the vocals to being enamored with the lyrics and vocals from Crack The Skye onward.
So very true, and so well put. I guess I can end the thread now.
They are everything I miss about some bands who veered hard in other directions. I also think they have
grown in a massive way without losing touch with their roots. That's hard to do.
I am getting way ahead of myself, though.
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- 9,655
Probably my fave song off of Remission. You can literally hear in this one song all the elements
that they would build upon, and then expand upon, in future releases. Change at 1:31 is right in
Mastodon's Wheelhouse. It's their Money Shot.
That’s actually one of the things that eased my way into them, those sections reminded me of Petrucci doing similar stuff in a bunch of DT songs, he‘s usually just doing something happier sounding.
I didn’t actually turn into a fan until Crack The Skye, I heard their previous stuff and it was still too caveman for me, it wasn’t until I heard “Colony Of Birchmen” that I actually liked one of their songs and wanted to listen to more. Shortly after that I saw the video premier of “Oblivion” from Crack The Skye and that was it, I was sold 100%. Love it all now, but I’m still really unfamiliar with the first couple of albums.
TSJMajesty
Rock Star
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- 5,812
Hmm, I've never heard them, but it sounds like I should. Anything in particular I should start with, especially you guys who know my tastes?
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The Crack The Skye album is a great start. Their early albums are a lot rougher around the edges,
and they were not fully developed as a band vocally during that time. The Hunter album is also
a decent place top dive in, as it is probably their most streamlined and straightforward album.
and they were not fully developed as a band vocally during that time. The Hunter album is also
a decent place top dive in, as it is probably their most streamlined and straightforward album.
- Messages
- 9,655
Crack The Skye, you’ll get your prog fix with a concept album! Crazy story with that concept, too. The crazy dude, Brent, dreamt it up while in a coma after getting his ass knocked out by one of System Of A Down’s security guards, dude was laid up in the hospital for long time, almost didn’t make it. Wrote this whole storyline about astral traveling, Russian czars and ghosts in space and sh*t. There’s
After that I’d probably say Once More Around The Sun, which is what la was saying about a more straightforward album, but a bit more proggy than The Hunter. It’s not the DT kinda technical/shred prog, more the 70’s “We’re gonna go on a little journey” kinda prog, like Yes or Rush. If anything, I’d say Mastodon is 10x more Rush + Metallica than DT are/were/
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I love early mastodon and crack the skye is a master piece. I don't think the albums after that are bad per sey, but none of it has hit me even close to the same ways as CtS and earlier
Warmart
Shredder
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- 1,875
@TSJMajesty - you've never heard the song Blood and Thunder? That one has some pretty deep exposure so you've probably heard it - but maybe not. It's on "Leviathan", which is many people's favorite Mastodon album, but it can have a "barrier of entry" with the gravely caveman vocals. That album is based on the book Moby Dick, and they tried to sound like a highly motivated (or highly terrorized) 19th century whaling crew boss (I guess?).
Mastodon are masters of riffs, built in unique ways - that you have to experience yourself. Brent Hinds brings in some banjo style and country-ish playing and it "just works"!
Mastodon are masters of riffs, built in unique ways - that you have to experience yourself. Brent Hinds brings in some banjo style and country-ish playing and it "just works"!
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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- 16,486
Blood Mountain was my full album start with them where I liked everything I heard. I love it all through Once More Round the Sun. Even the Hunter. Some great stuff before and after but that is my sweet spot 
TSJMajesty
Rock Star
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- 5,812
Nope, but I just put it on.
AND Silverburst LP Custom??? Yeah, guess I've been living under a rock. (I've owned mine since 1982-ish. Thought I knew every all the major players who used that guitar, but I didn't.)
