One of my top 5 favorite metal bands, and certainly my favorite metal band that kicked off after 2000.
The band formed in 2000 in Atlanta and the band’s early sound is best described as sludge metal, with hints of progressive metal and hardcore. Around 2002 or 2003, I saw the video for “March of the Fire Ants” from the debut Remission, and was instantly hooked. Remission is dense, abrasive record, but not relentlessly so. The band was already incorporating quieter intros and bridges in between the heavy, complex riffing. With their second album, Leviathan, Mastodon became top tier. Leviathan is still my favorite Mastodon record, and many consider it one of the greatest metal records of all time.
Subsequent records, particularly Crack the Skye, have made the progressive metal aspects more obvious, and the band’s recent releases, while still intense, have a more refined, less furious approach.
I’m a sucker for in-studio behind-the-scenes videos, and this one by Mastodon is a detailed overview of their recording sessions for 2016’s Emperor of Sand. Long and thorough, the band covers the general concept of the record, some of the personal issues that helped define the songwriting, and there’s a good chunk of video from the recording sessions.
The first few minutes are an emotional beginning to this story. Nearly every band member dealt with a family member’s death or cancer fight, and the band describes how these issues had a huge impact on the writing and the story behind the songs. (Skip to the 46 minute mark for more details about what the band was personally going through.)
If you only watch a portion of the video, check out the section at the 11 minute mark, where you get a good view of drummer Brann Dailor bashing out his drum parts.
This video by Rick Beato is one of a series of videos called “What Makes This Song Great?” I’ve been dipping into Beato’s videos for a while now, and I’ll definitely be sharing more of my favorites in the future.
Beato digs into Mastodon’s song “Stargasm” and breaks downs how all the parts add up to a complete song. Beato seems to have a multitrack version of the song, so he can isolate the tracks. It’s fascinating to hear the complimentary guitar parts. He also notes a few times where drummer Brann Dailor and bassist Troy Sanders are locked in on some killer grooves.
And for the guitar players…
I recently stumbled across “Stuff Mastodon Does,” a video by Ben Eller. At first, Eller seems like he’s trying to be just another not-so-funny YouTuber but I kept watching and found his dryness and sarcasm entertaining. Turns out that Eller does a lot of different guitar videos, including one covering his favorite Zappa riffs.
In “Stuff Mastodon Does,” Eller covers the tricks Mastodon uses to create their unique sound, including how they build harmony guitar parts and tuning waaaaay down.
Warning, this video definitely isn’t for everyone! But I’m amused by it, so thus, I’m sharing.
