Mastadon Love?

Psychbass · #1 10-07-2008, 10:29 AM

I have a serious (not trolling) question about Mastadon.

I own two Mastadon CDs (Leviathan and Blood Mountain).

I purchased Leviathan on the recommendation of so many people going ga-ga over them and it was an ok CD. Some good guitar playing, horribly bland vocals, bass that waffles between boring and excellent in short spurts, and drums that are both cool and annoying at the same time.

It grew on me a bit, but still nothing I'd go nuts over (My taste tends to run more into the Opeth, Megadeth, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Dream Theater route).

So I bought Blood Mountain to give them a second chance. It's a better CD than Leviathan, especially in the bass and drums department, but the vocals are still gargled and boring, and the songs are just shy of forgettable.

The problem is that I still don't see what's so great about them. People worship them like they are the second coming of metal, but I think that they might be decent if Brent would shut up and they'd hire a decent singer. Can anyone please point out what makes them so amazing? I really do want to know if I'm just missing something, or if I just don't like stoner rock (which is probably the case).

I'm willing to give them another chance, but their CDs are coming out of my car, and going back on my shelf.

Seth

Deluge Of Sound · #2 10-07-2008, 01:23 PM

You probably don't like Stoner Metal (although it's a real strech to call Mastodon Stoner Metal...)

I happen to love Mastodon, and I can't stand Opeth, Nightwish, or Dream Theater, so I'd say you're just more into the technical side of metal... The Maiden half, rather than the Motorhead half.

Psychbass · #3 10-07-2008, 01:26 PM

Good points. I was hoping that I was missing something, because I wanted to like them, but I just don't. Anyone want to buy some Mastadon CD's?

I only called them stoner rock because I've heard them described as such and they sing in a similar vein to other stoner bands that I've heard (Monster Magnet, Kyuss, and Fu Manchu, even the Melvins) and I just can't get past the vocals. Sounds like he has a half-pint of phlegm in his throat.

Oh well. Can't like them all.

Bassenstien · #4 10-07-2008, 01:30 PM

I wasn't too big on Mastadon till i saw em live on the Leviatan tour. After seeing them live and hearing that they bring something kinda different to the table I started to like them a bit.

Deluge Of Sound · #5 10-07-2008, 01:36 PM

Yeah, I saw Mastodon open up for Slayer on the Jagertour...2004? Anyway, Leviathan had just come out, nobody knew who they were, so they came out on stage and tuned up, made sure amps were on... stuff that, at most high-profile metal shows, a roadie or a tech would do. So Brent takes out his flying V and gets some friendly flak for it from a couple of the guys up front, starts playing it, unplugged, behind his head... that whole showboating thing. Soundcheck comes and goes, everyone still thinks the band is about to come on stage, and Boom! The lights go down and they leap into Blood & Thunder. Completely killed it, the whole crowd (and this was a Slayer crowd, not known to be fans of opening acts) was totally into them. One of the coolest concert experiences of my life, hands down.

Wyattlulz · #6 10-07-2008, 01:37 PM

WHITE WHALE
HOLY GRAIL
that is all I have to say about Mastodon.

Matt Till · #7 10-07-2008, 01:49 PM

I have given them multiple shots as well, they just don't do much for me. I agree the songs are "forgettable," they really don't give me much of a reason to keep listening.

Willy2911 · #8 10-07-2008, 01:56 PM

I don't care for Mastadon - I love Maiden and Slayer - - I think I have good taste
But Maybe I am wrong and Mastadon can Hang???

plastik-bass[?] · #9 10-07-2008, 02:01 PM

I love Mastodon personally. I don't know why really i just love them I think they brought a little something new into metal, although I'm not really sure what it is.

I own all of there studio albums too.

Then again I also love Opeth and stuff like that too.

ishouldbeking · #10 10-07-2008, 02:09 PM

I've come to love Mastodon, but I didn't get it at first. They seem to fall into a unique niche... they started out in the much punkier-hardcore side of metal, which probably alienated a lot of early listeners, and then they seem to have slowly incorporated more of the epic / power / maiden vibe into their sound, while maintaining that hardcore fury. And then on the last album they made a major push into stoner rock and prog. I'm a fan of pretty much every genre they tap, so it makes sense that I like them, but I'll admit, I really didn't get it for a long time.

I actually saw them right around when Remission came out and wasn't very impressed. They had had an EP out for several months, and some people in the hardcore and grindcore communities (Relapse fans, i suppose) were raving, so i was slightly excited to see them. They came out to the campy theme song to Return of the Living Dead, which I thought was kind of awesome, but kind of corny at the same time... and then they launched into some of the Remission material, but it really did nothing for me. They were kind of sloppy, and without knowing the songs in advance it was pretty hard to wrap my head around. I've since seen them a few more times and they've gotten MUCH better live. But they still seem to retain some elements of their punk/hardcore roots as well as something of a 70's rock band vibe rather than your typical metal bands. I dunno, they're weird, but I like 'em. Clearly they're not for everyone though, which is astonishing when you consider how popular they've become.

Baryonyx · #11 10-07-2008, 02:39 PM

I love Mastodon, and this is coming from someone who hates pretty much all metal. But you started to wrong way round, you need to get Remission. IMO, one of the finest metal records of all time.

Bassenstien · #12 10-07-2008, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris2112

I love Mastodon, and this is coming from someone who hates pretty much all metal. But you started to wrong way round, you need to get Remission. IMO, one of the finest metal records of all time.

I agree that Remission is my fav of thiers.

()smoke() · #13 10-07-2008, 02:49 PM

as for the singing, it's just personal preference i suppose...i'd like dream theater a lot more if they were sans vocals

jollygiantchris · #14 10-07-2008, 04:14 PM

Sounds like you just like more proggy stuff man (although some of the stuff on blood mountain is fairly proggy). Mastodon's singing is indeed awful but it fits the music they are playing and TBH most metal bands nowadays have bad vocalists seems to be something of a trend.

The first Mastodon CD I bought was Leviathan and i absolutely love it (especially hearts alive) but over time I've come to like Remission the most.

bstringkyle · #15 10-23-2010, 11:39 AM

If you Do not like those, try the new Mastodon album, Crack the skye.

Marco A. Mayer · #16 10-23-2010, 11:45 AM

Remission and Crack the Skye are my favorite Mastodon albums.

zachoff · #17 10-23-2010, 09:16 PM

I like Leviathan more than Blood Mountain but I also can't stand Dream Theater and Opeth so that might be something.

f'nar f'nar · #18 10-26-2010, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psychbass

...I think that they might be decent if Brent would shut up and they'd hire a decent singer.

Since when did the quality of a singer matter in metal?

I love Mastodon! Are they the second coming of metal? Nah, probably not although Crack the Skye was one of the best metal albums released in a long time.

I think that Mastodon are the sort of band that you either understand or can't quite feel. Though I don't really care who likes them and who doesn't I actually feel a small amount of pity for those who don't

YYZDMV46&2 · #19 10-26-2010, 08:31 PM

Give Crack The Skye a chance. Ironically, Troy Sanders daughter, Haley, goes go my school.

lowend219 · #20 10-26-2010, 08:34 PM

Crack the Skye is a very different album than the rest. consequently its also my favorite.

i also love Opeth...sorry guys....