Monster Mastodon

[Life Eats Life]

Good stuff here.
Insane how long they’ve trudged on through
crunching bones & swallowing souls…
We need dudes.

 

[Warmart]

I know they're totally different, but for me, they filled the void left by Rush. Am I dumb thinking that?

 

[Bob Zaod]

Good stuff here.
Insane how long they’ve trudged on through
crunching bones & swallowing souls…
We need dudes.

Been a fan of theirs since their first album dropped. Great live band too.

 

[DrewJD82]

Random trivia- this song was written about Brent’s friend, Toes, who passed away.

Caught an interview with him recently (they don’t publicize them anymore) where they asked how they wrote this one and Brent said he was noodling on it backstage when Brann, the drummer, told him he was digging it and had some vocal ideas and bam, a Mastodon song was born.

The more I learn about how these guys write the more stoked I am with them. It’s very much 4 dudes on the exact same page, even if they all use different words to fill the pages. The last couple albums have been mostly Bill and Brann writing the bulk of material with Brent just kinda doing his thing over the top, but by the time it’s done everyone is so woven into a song you can’t tell who wrote what, as where a band like Lamb Of God, if it’s a bluesy kinda riff, Mark wrote it, if it’s a straight metal riff, Willie wrote it.

 

[la szum]

Best Metal Band On the Planet. Full Stop. And more than just a "metal" band.

Quite honestly, no one is even a close second in my book.

 

[Warmart]

Best Metal Band On the Planet. Full Stop. And more than just a "metal" band.

Quite honestly, no one is even a close second in my book.

I don't know if I'm just very happy you're here again or if it's because I'm in complete agreement, but YES, YES and YES!!

I can't think of anyone better. Not that I'm very good at finding new bands these days. I was brought up browsing record stores, and there were radio stations that rocked (or had later night metal shows). Now I can start a Spotify channel off of Mastodon, for example, and I'll get some similar stuff. I just figure nobody is better - and I'm good with that, I guess!

 

[la szum]

Also just love, love that Brann is a single Bass/Kick user. Double bass is so overdone in "Metal"
anyways. I almost think the limitation forces groove and creativity on a drummer in that context.

It so works.

 

[Warmart]

How is it possible that one band even frikkin' exists with BOTH a sharp drummer AND bassist, and I think they actually came together in Georgia! Makes me wonder how the space time continuum hasn't ruptured.

I mean, as guitarists we all know (even noobs like me) that we are way smarter than drummers and bassists, but sheesh - I'm not so sure with Brann and Troy. They must've started on guitar or something ?

I know Brann and Bill are from NY, but they all came together in GA.

Mind blowing stuff.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Brendan O Brien is such a good match for those guys. They've done cool stuff with other producers too but O Brien is a match made in heaven

 

[la szum]

Non-typical, non-stereotypical lyrics. Thank you baby Jeebus!

When I was able to put music on and play it again this week what did I play first. Yup..

 

[Warmart]

Non-typical, non-stereotypical lyrics. Thank you baby Jeebus!

When I was able to put music on and play it again this week what did I play first. Yup..

Leviathan or HaG? Inquiring minds want to know! Be a tough call for this one.

 

[la szum]

I needed The Motherload in my life.

 

[Warmart]

I needed The Motherload in my life.

Had to take the High Road, 'eh?

 

[DrewJD82]

Lamb Of God and Mastodon are out on their metal cruise right now I completely forgot about, but Randy did “Blood And Thunder” with them last night. They always close with that song and the last couple times I’ve seen them I’ve headed to grab a beer or to my car during it, usually well burnt out from the pit by that point, but if I saw Randy walking out while that intro rolled I’d be in the pit before the distorted guitars kicked in!!

 

[DrewJD82]

Brendan O Brien is such a good match for those guys. They've done cool stuff with other producers too but O Brien is a match made in heaven

Very much agreed. They do pretty damn good at picking a producer for the album they’re working on. Brendan’s done two with them now. I’m not sure if there’s a better bells and whistles producer out there, that dude knows how to deliver the ear candy.

Botrill doing Hushed And Grimm was killer choice as well, the dude was able to deliver the exact mood of that album.

Also, just found this out recently, but you can rent out their studio, West End Sound, it’s only like $600 a day and it’s got a bunch of Bill’s amps and cabs in there to use.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Very much agreed. They do pretty damn good at picking a producer for the album they’re working on. Brendan’s done two with them now. I’m not sure if there’s a better bells and whistles producer out there, that dude knows how to deliver the ear candy.

Botrill doing Hushed And Grimm was killer choice as well, the dude was able to deliver the exact mood of that album.

Also, just found this out recently, but you can rent out their studio, West End Sound, it’s only like $600 a day and it’s got a bunch of Bill’s amps and cabs in there to use.

Botrill knocked it out the park, I was kind of fearing the worst for some reason (I guess it felt like they were cutting back on studio costs by doing it “in house”) but they delivered something amazing and he was an awesome fit. I love his work generally, his stuff with Tool is timeless so it’s cool to hear how he approached Mastodon.

I do still slightly prefer O Brien though - gets them into AWESOME studios, and brings in his insane gear collection. As good as Botrill is, O Brien is like….. George Martin level producer for rock music, I’m not sure anyone really compares (closest are maybe Rob Cavallo and Howard Benson). The fact he’s insane at mixing too just takes the piss.

 

[DrewJD82]

Botrill knocked it out the park, I was kind of fearing the worst for some reason (I guess it felt like they were cutting back on studio costs by doing it “in house”) but they delivered something amazing and he was an awesome fit. I love his work generally, his stuff with Tool is timeless so it’s cool to hear how he approached Mastodon.

I do still slightly prefer O Brien though - gets them into AWESOME studios, and brings in his insane gear collection. As good as Botrill is, O Brien is like….. George Martin level producer for rock music, I’m not sure anyone really compares (closest are maybe Rob Cavallo and Howard Benson). The fact he’s insane at mixing too just takes the piss.

Picking favorite producers for me is like picking a favorite Mastodon song; there’s too many greats ones that all have something special to them. Overall, I definitely prefer the O’Brien approach to production with the bells and whistles, it’s because of him that I layer the shit out of my own stuff.

I always think of Mudvayne’s The End Of All Things To Come when I think of Botrill and he did the same thing on that album he did with HaG, created a cold, dark mood with the sparse production. They’re complete opposites in the ‘size’ of the sound, like the Mudvayne album wants to implode on itself while HaG is big and open, but both albums are ‘cold’.

 

[Jarick]

Brendan O Brien is such a good match for those guys. They've done cool stuff with other producers too but O Brien is a match made in heaven

They remind me a lot of Soundgarden, so yeah a perfect match in my mind.

 

[la szum]

I don't think Brendan ever Produced a Soundgarden album that I know of, did he?

Their best work was Terry Date and Michael Beinhorn, as I recall.

 

[la szum]

And everyone knows Brendan's best work.