Sometimes I’m just not satisfied unless it’s thunderously loud, relentlessly heavy and contains an occasional foreboding yell. I refer, of course, to my music. Unfortunately, with pop-rock and R&B reigning supreme, there seems to be little room on the music scene for the rapid, pulsating sounds of a heavy metal band. This was not always the case, however. In the late ’80s and early ’90s MTV aired “Headbanger’s Ball,” a show dedicated to the metal genre. The “Ball” got the axe in 1995 only to be revitalized in 2003 with a significant demotion to MTV2. FM radio also provided a forum for metal on the famed KNAC before the station faded to black in 1995; it has since been revived in an Internet only format. Today, surfing the radio waves reveals very little in the tune of metal, save the occasional Skid Row track on Jack FM, which doesn’t count, and a two-hour show on Indie 103.1 every Sunday evening. Since metal as a genre went the way of the Atari about ten years ago, the facts remain: new metal bands are hard to find, talented new metal bands even harder and fueling my craving for a window-shattering metal instrumental is near impossible. Enter, Mastodon.
Mastodon is a four-piece outfit from Atlanta featuring Brann Dailor (drums), Brent Hinds (guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (guitar/vocals) and Troy Sanders (bass/vocals). At first glance they may appear to be nothing more than tattoo-bearing, scruffy-bearded head bangers who, if brought home to dinner, might cause one’s mother to wonder where she went wrong. However, a closer look reveals that they are Grammy nominated musicians who have opened for metal masters such as Tool and Slayer; therefore, dismissing them as devil-worshipping screamers is as inaccurate as it is shameful.

I was fortunate to see Mastodon live this week when they stopped in Los Angeles to play the Wiltern Theater. They appeared before a backdrop of their latest album cover on a modest stage set up while colored lights roamed the room. I was amused by the diversity of the crowd which consisted of an equal number of clean-cut preppy types as it did stereotypical hard core “metal heads.” As fantastic as I found the show to be, the live show is not what is particularly noteworthy to me about Mastodon. To me, the lure of Mastodon is found in its instrumentals and they are just as powerful and intense through the CD player as they are live, in surround sound.

Mastodon’s music is characterized by heavy dueling guitars and fast, driving, persistent drumming. The double bass drum, indicative of most metal, is artfully used by Dailor to provide intensity; effects pedals and the rhythm guitar are critical in creating ambience. At any given time, four people are simultaneously playing distinct, rapid and intricate rhythms on different instruments, coming together to create a sound that is intoxicating. “Blood Mountain” (Reprise Records, September 2006) brilliantly highlights the band’s technical skill through instrumentals that consistently propel the music forward. The music is sophisticated, complex and compelling, taking you in directions impossible to anticipate. The track that recently earned the band a Grammy nomination for “Best Metal Performance,” “Colony of Birchmen,” is exceptional. It is heavy yet melodic and features guest vocals from Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. “Sleeping Giant,” a stellar track, builds for two minutes, first with a slow psychedelic guitar arrangement steadily increasing in tempo in concurrence with the folding in of the rhythm section until the singing begins. “Pendulous Skin” is largely instrumental and, similar to “Sleeping Giant,” contains guitar patterns reminiscent of Pink Floyd with a slow steady drum beat in the background. “Hand of Stone” is an ass-kicking heavy tune with vigorous drumming and echoes of Metallica.

The vocals run the gamut from a sinister roar to a pleasurable harmony. Throughout virtually the entire record, Mastodon refuses to allow screaming to overtake the music. On the flip side, squeamish listeners may not take to two of the twelve tracks as they contain the very inaudible garble that people fear when they hear the term “metal.” “Circle Cysquatch” features some Darth Vader type vocal effects that are silly at best, and “The Wolf is Loose” launches directly into a screaming bout without warning. That said, music is a medium through which we express what we think and feel through lyrics and melody. I believe there are some innate emotions that can best be expressed through screaming; therefore I am tolerant of, and at times enjoy, a hearty howl. What’s more, the music that supports the “singing” remains electric. However, I understand some people prefer their music sans yelling and Mastodon delivers for them as well.

Although this article touched only on the newest release, I recommend all three of Mastodon’s full length studio albums as worthy of accolades. I praise Mastodon for filtering new blood into the metal genre and adding talent, vitality and intensity to a music scene that can be fraught with repetition. “Blood Mountain” has sold over 65,000 copies showing that I am certainly not alone in my enthusiasm for Mastodon. I urge all rock fans including those who don’t traditionally consider themselves “head bangers” to give Mastodon a listen and for those whose turn-ons include volume, speed and intensity, throw any Mastodon album onto your IPOD and enjoy the ride.

By: Megan Karasch
Live Photo By: Ryan Russell © 2005: ryan@ryanrussell.net

Coming Soon: Staff writer Nikki Wantz reveals more on the scene inside the Wiltern at the Mastodon show.