Mastodon - Leviathan
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Free Music Notes for Leviathan
Free Music Review: Great concept, great artwork, mediocre execution
Hit: 2 Stars
Several things initially turned me on to this CD. Firstly, the artwork (both inside the CD and out) is outstanding. Second, what a concept - who could resist a metal album about Moby Dick?
So i bit on the bait, dropped the ~$12 or so, and got the CD (with the extra "enhanced" CD that really isn't worth your time).
The first song, "Blood & Thunder", really is a good piece of work. The singer's voice actually sounds like Captain Ahab, and you get a strong sense of the paranoia Ahab had as well as the pounding of cold seas against a ship hunting the white beast. Good stuff.
However, after that, the album drops off. There are some decent moments that come to the surface, but, overall, it gets boring. The "other" singer (sorry, haven't checked out their names) really, and i mean *really*, sucks. He has a drony voice that sounds like it should be on some teenie bopper chick band - definitely not suited for the "rip your head off and replace it with a zombie head" metal genre (i.e. doom rock or doomish rock).
It's too bad that this album couldn't let loose and really punch. i get the impression that the guys in Mastadon listen to Matchbox 20 and Collective Soul (or the like) on the side - that has to be where the softness comes from. i'm totally serious too... so much of this album feels like a pillow hitting your face instead of a baseball bat, and an annoying pillow at that.
Anyways, if you are a fan of doom metal or just raw unadulterated rock, i would recommend checking out High on Fire's "Blessed Black Wings" over this (if you haven't already). Get this one if it's in the bargin bin.
Free Music Review: Eh...
Hit: 3 Stars
Overrated in its own right, the fourth (yes, fourth!) rerelease of Mastodon's latest opus 'Leviathan' is simply a grab for cash now that the band has become marketable. Musically it pales in comparison to 'Remission' and, especially vocally, falls short. Worth buying if you don't have it, nothing to shell out the extra cash for.Free Music Review: Refreshing
Hit: 5 Stars
Where can one begin on Mastodon?? I think Epic would be a good place to start. This album impressed me... alot. Epic metal is a metal I like to hear. Just the idea that a metal band decided to write a concept album was enough to sway me in. I, like many others I know, are torn between the rock of the past and the rock of today. Mastodon bridges this gap. Of course it's going to be compared to Metallica, every metal band thats come out in the past five years that has any talent does. That's not particularly fair or accurate to this band. No it does not sound like Metallica, there is obvious influence but who the hell plays metal today with out taking something from one of Metallica's classic albums. A combination of Rush and Metallica?? No not at all, the influence is there, but they are making music that is venturing in a new direction. The only thing that troubled me about this album was the vocal production, everything sounds perfect except for the vocals. If some of the newer metal sounding vocals bother you, (Lamb of God, Trivium, Shadows Fall etc) you may be somewhat turned off by this album. The vocals are not as extreme as the afore mentioned bands, they sound more like Phil Anselmo on Reinventing the Steel or Far Beyond Driven, meaning that he yells but its understandable and tollerable. If your curious to what this band sounds like, listen to the song "Megalodon." That tune is one of their better ones on the disc and pretty much sums up their style. If you like it, the whole album will probably impress you as it did me. Free Music Review: A fine metal album indeed! (The best of our generation)
Hit: 5 Stars
Let me think... It was about 4 months ago I sat in a small Pizza shop in Savannah GA, staring at my waitress' shirt. It showed a large elephant-like skeleton with the large words: MASTODON hanging over it. I promptly asked her what band that was, being the constant ambitionist music discover I am. "Oh, they're a metal band from Georgia. I used to know their drummer when they played around here." I sort of brushed it off though. I don't usually listen to metal anyway. Maybe metalcore, or hardcore but not just metal.
Well, I got back home a couple weeks later and after 3 days of relaxation it finally came back to me. *hey I should check that band out on Amazon!* Ten clicks and minutes later I was listening to a sound clip of the song "Crusher Destroyer" from their debut LP "Remmision" that came out in 2002. The funny part was, it didn't sound like metal to me, or at least not genuine metal. It had a genre twist to it. You know? That kind of music that Metal critics will find impossible to pidgeonhole due to the excess use of different styles in the music. I liked it also because, it wasn't personal. The lyrics were just art. Stories about things that the band found interesting. It was clear that Mastodon was a band in it for the love of music, not money or fame.
So off I went to buy Remmision for 6 bucks on ebay. A great deal BTW! It was one of the most musically literate LP's I've ever purchased. This band has only been around for a few years and has out only 2 full length albums, but they sounded like pros in that 2002 release. It's no wonder that I was excited about buying Leviathan, the 2nd album recording 2 years after. For such a small band by metal standards (4 guys) they make a monster of a sound. Which might just be the secret behind the name Mastodon. Remmision got a solid 3.5 and later I decided to give it 4. Let's see about Leviathan shall we?
Given that Remission was a mix of songs about oddjob topics like mythical beasts, trainwrecks, and massacre; using an entire album to cover the story of moby dick was no surprise for many fans. The artsy metal-mix form of Mastodon is a given for narrating stories that involve themes such as corruption, sea, and violence. If you want a good description of Mastodon's sound then simply think of the sea. (always changing currents and turning in different directions) Mastodon's sound cannot be pinned to one genre. Black metal/hardcore/thrash... all these are pulled off great with no single genre dominating.
One thing that Mastodon has that most other bands don't is raw skill. They simply rock. All the men behind the intruments are masters of their own. Especially Brann Dailor, one of the finest drummers in music today IMO. The guitar acrobatics really shine on this record. I believe many other guitarists for years to come will try to mimic the elements used in the guitarwork of this CD. it's just that good. Even Troy, the vocalist/bassist manages to howl out screams and still keep a sickly beat on his 4 string.
I'm not done bragging yet. The band also has an image to die for. Think this over... Around 2004 these guys come out of nowhere from the metal underground, touring like crazy. They love their fans and rock out every show they play. Nothing is impossible for them. I can easilly see Mastodon being the new face of metal in just a few years. Despite the fact that half the members have been chugging music half their lives, these guys are still young. The simplicity of it is mind numbing though, it shouldn't work but it does.
I am also aware that this Album got unanimous raves across the metal board. Everybody who listens to Mastodon who likes metal, will instantly become addicted to them. It's that simple. There's simply nothing wrong with Leviathan. Even if you hate this style of music, you still can't say it sucks. Because despite your taste, you must recognize the talent present.
A lot of people will pick this up after listening to previous Mastodon and assume it's quieter. However, Mastodon is only fooling. Sure, the screams aren't the same and not as hard as before, but the overall feel of this CD is MUCH heavier than Remmision. Vocally it's way more talented, due to the constant variation provided by Troy and co.
THE BOTTOM LINE---Mastodon is one of the most talented bands of our generation. They are everything a great band wants and needs to be. I don't care what kind of music you like, everyone should own this CD. If you like it, then get Remmision. it's also quite good.
Only one qualm I have for the entire CD. it's about production. usually, Mastodon production is VERY well done. But, don't get me wrong though. It's still great, exclusing one minor detail. In a lot of songs it seems like Troy's vocals are pushed in back of the guitars. It's almost like they were ashamed of him and wanted to partially cover his voice. I suppose it was to better realize the mammoth guitarwork on the record.
Free Music Review: You must purchase this album. You WILL purchase this album!
Hit: 5 Stars
The best album by what's being touted as the best band these days. In between near incessant touring both in the US and abroad, the guys have managed to create an album that is not listened to; it is experienced. I saw these guys open for Fear Factory and I was hooked. As other reviews mention, Brann Dailor is one of the best drummers alive and tends to be the focus of a live performance. Brent and Bill supply an awe inspiring guitar dual that is brutal in it's incessant intensity, and very effectively mates with the thunderous assault of Dailor's drumming. Credit must be given to Troy's vocals, too, as it was the vocal "melody" from I AM AHAB that was constantly going through my head for the week after I saw them. Thus I went and got Leviathan, and have by now almost worn out the disc. It's true that Mastodon is not for the feint of heart or the meek. Brutal, crushing, perfectly orchestrated musical chaos touches on the nearly overwhelming aural barrage that is Mastodon. The perfect example is HEARTS ALIVE. Thirteen plus minutes that builds like a storm from a slow, rolling beginning that evokes images of the sea to the flaming hot solos toward the end that drive like the winds of a hurricane. All in all, I cannot say enough good about this album, and highly recommend it to any musicians (be in awe, friends, for they are GOOD). You will like it. If you don't, you need to get outside of the box.