Metal Reviews

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I owned this and Lifesblood... 5 songs long, Lifesblood is better. And this album isn't worth diddly in my eyes.

I believe I've heard these guys before, but the kid who was playing them for me was playing nothing but garbage quasi-brutal nu-metal. One of those 8 or 9 CD's was Mastadon, but the way you describe them had me thinking I should probably remember which band was Mastadon. But I can't, because it sounded just like the rest of that crap.

The review never states what kind of vocals the band uses. In fact, the review doesn't even decsribe how this music sounds at ALL. The genre is perhaps the most basic of all - Heavy Metal. How about a little more information on what I'm about to get myself into next time, eh?

Despite the big yellow caution tape clearly shelfing this album in the possible "risk severe ear bleeding" category (along with the frighteningly bad and over-hyped Slipknot Vol. 3) I will go ahead and find myself a sample or two.

I realised lately that I spend a lot of time arsing around on Helheim and I don't spend much time talking about my favourite past time, er... Metal. So after looking through the reviews I thought I'd add a few pence about some of my favourite bands or albums (shame about the archieve ones that don't allow comments, but hey-ho and hint-hint!).

Anyway, to start, I thought I'd give a few words on Mastodon, who, for me, were the darlings of last year. I've said alot about Blood Mountain in it's relevant thread (which I also thought was album of the year), so now I'll whitter on about Remission, their first full length. It's always hard to precisely describe Mastodon's sound. Heavy Metal is what I'd say, but they certainly do draw on a load of influences (check out the doom feel on Mother Puncher for example), so this album sounds like a band trying to wade their way to their own unique style.

This album is following on from Lifesblood (renamed and repackage as 'Call of The Mastodon' here in the UK), and is quite similar to their debut EP in sound and style. I did think that the album started off a bit weak (Crusher Destroyer is a bit annoying and repetative to be an album opener), but grows as a whole with deverse 'epics' like 'Ol'e Nessie' and 'Trainwreck' which is my favourite song on the album (Kinda builds and explodes into a, erm, trainwreck I guess!).

What is most notable about Mastodon's earlier stuff is the absolute madness of Brann Dailor behind the drums. The guy just sounds like he's jamming all the way through this album and the band have built the songs around the madness. A lot of the time it distracts, but I find it quite ingenious and challenging, probably a reason why they're getting a big name for themselves these days. Also, back when this was released, Nu-Metal was the hot topic, so you get a refreshing feel of a band trying something against the grain, with the technical fills or breaks (as opposed to dumbing, down tuning trend of the time).

If you have Leviathan, you may have been guilty of banging your head to riffs like the outro to 'Sea Beast' or the middle of 'Megalodon', you'll recognise similar moments here, as they seem to be learning the the usage of having a killer riff thats gets the head shaking.

The difference between Leviathan and this album is that this one is far rougher and not as easy to get into. It is a fine album, preferred by many of my friends to Leviathan and deserves respect and the effort of a few listens. On the down side the vocals are generally poor and one-dimensional. Troy Sanders isn't the greatest frontman around, his style is to just shout angrily. I think the diversity of his effort Blood Mountain is a sign that he is aware of this therefore something that he is trying to rectify.

Overall I'd give it 85/100 because I find it a bit too trying at times and those vocals spoil rather than compliment. But a damn fine effort from a band that I predict will be annoyingly huge in years to come.

It's pretty good, the Mastodon album you can play when you're sick of Mastodon. Didn't play anything off it when I saw them, which was a shame, as was their terrilble sound, and the fact that everyone but me and a few friends were standing completely still because some over-zealous secuirity guards took Tool's "No Moshing" rule to the extreme and kicked out a guy 2 songs in for merely headbanging.

P.S Funny how the security guards completely failed to enforce the rule during Tool's set

AH, you saw them I Cardiff last year me thinks. I had a few mates who went and they said it wasn't the best Mastodon gig they'd seen due to the atmosphere. I guess that's why!