Metal Reviews

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I love this album. Good job with the review.

Solid album I must say. Would probably rate it somewhere around 80-85.
I'll have to check out their previous records as well.

It's damn good. Highlights for me would be The Wolf Is Loose and This Mortal Soil

Despite Mastodon not really being a good "artsy" band (they're way better at writing chunky riffs than overusing 12-note instrumental breaks) and their clean singing sucking, I still think this album is pretty solid. This album just feels like a continuos switch between totally cool parts (like pretty much the whole first song) with totally lame parts (99% of the time there's clean vocals). 70/100

Well, Leviathan's "modern classic" status is something I just can't get my head around, because it's kind of a dull album.

This is totally different though. The same kind of sound, just with an inventiveness and variety of ideas that seemed totally beyond them on the last record.

Bladecatcher is awesome

Listened to 'The Wolf is Loose' and really liked it, but is the rest of the album as good. Sounds like it might be one of the few highlights (along with Crystal Skull)?

I think there are many tracks on it better than that one, personally.

The rest of the album is just as good. Actually, after more thought, I would probably put "Sleeping Giant" above "The Wolf is Loose". I always put only three "killing songs", unless there is less. This is not to say that the other songs on the album suck, I just like to list a top three. Another great song is "Colony of Birchmen".

I've had this for awhile, and it's pretty solid. Not anything great, but worth a listen now and then. I'd give it an 85/100...I don't think sludge is my type of music.

Am I the only one who finds the drums slightly annoying? (see beginning of "The Wolf is Loose")

Bladecatcher and the other vocal effects took a bit of time for me, but I really like this album now. 86 at least.

Why I think Capilarian Crest is the best song on the album. This is one strong contender for album of the year for me. 95/100 Mastodon is the best of all these "new and famous" metal bands.

I took this with me on vacation (heh and am still on vacation, but cant break my internet addiction) and have to say that I agree with the review. Really awesome effort from these guys.

95/100

With this album, Mastodon have just surpassed Dragonforce as my favourite band of the moment. They are more technically solid than their last outing and are now, in my eyes, serious contenders for Band of the decade. There is something I've noticed about them though...

Although this is probably just my imagination, Mastodon really remind me of a Heavy Metal version of Tool in sound. Also compare the similarities of those bands in their releases- an ok, but not hugely great, EP came first (Opiate & Lifesblood), then a good, but raw, first full length (Undertow & Remission), a hugely regarded as a 'classic album' followed (AEnema & Leviathan) and finally a widely progressive sounding third album that takes about twenty listens to fully get! (I haven't got 10,000 Days yet, but for those who like both bands take note!)

For me, Blood Mountain (like Lateralus) is an album that demands and deserves at least that many listens before you get the full scope of it, and believe me it is well worth the patience. The review of this album is about the most spot on review I've ever read on this site, so well done on that chaps!

Finally, I tip my hat to Mastodon for not becoming 'chart friendly' for their first major label release and progressing into an even more strange and unique band. Only advice to them is to stay away from Josh Homme!

*still doesnt get why people are calling this album prog*

*wonders why some people don't see the difference between releasing a progressive album and being prog*

Well, straight from the all-knowing Wikipedia:

"Progressive metal is a genre of heavy metal music which shares traits with progressive rock including use of complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing. The high level of musical proficiency is often combined with a lyrical counterpart in the form of epic textual concepts, resulting in lengthy songs and concept albums. "

If you agree with this definition, then yes, this album is progressive to some extent. Odd time signatures? Check (courtesy of Dailor). High level of musical proficiency? Check. Textual concepts? Check (this is a story album, for those unaware). Calling this album prog is not that much of a stretch.

I guess, but I found it odd how practically everyone was calling Mastodon prog metal, when the adjective isn't even mentioned around stuff like Protest the Hero or Converge, who are just as progressive if not more so.

EDIT: oh yeah, i was also confused because to me the main thing that seperated Mastodon from bands like Burst, The Ocean, or Keelhaul was that they were less proggy/more straight to the point/more riff based than the rest of them

How are Converge progressive, assuming we're calling, say, Isis, progressive?

Well, Converge and Mastodon both broke fairly new ground, so in that sense you could say they were progressive bands. Isis on the other hand play half-arsed sludge bollocks.

Har har I insulted Isis again.