The Adult Swim Tour stormed into Seattle last Saturday and was headlined by the almighty Mastodon and Metalocalypse’s cartoon band turned real live band Dethklok. (see my previous blogs on High on Fire and Converge who opened the night) I was really surprised and at first pissed off when all of sudden I noticed that Mastodon was onstage after Converge and not Dethklok. I was outside getting some air and booked it back into Wamu Theater and realized they had already torn into their most recent masterpiece “Crack the Skye”. This would mark my fourth time seeing Mastodon and the second time I have seen “Crack the Skye” played in its entirety, the first being at Neumos back on April 22nd. It’s a phenomenal record and even better experienced live.My buddy Jerry made a great point during the show that night. He mentioned how cool it was that we were seeing Mastodon in their prime. This really struck me as a pretty powerful statement, and he was exactly right. Mastodon is at the absolute top of the metal heap, and they are the most respected and important nu-school metal band playing today. I can’t think of another nu-school metal band that can even hang with them on so many levels including live performance. As I list in my head popular and respected nu-school metal bands like High on Fire, The Black Dahlia Murder, Shadows Fall or even Behemoth, nobody has reached more people than Mastodon. No other current metal band has written four consecutive records, let alone four records at all that have earned as much praise as Mastodon’s “Remission”, “Leviathan”, “Blood Mountain”, and 2009’s “Crack the Skye” have; each one of these records stands on their own merits as exceptional metal releases.
Mastodon can do no wrong at this point, and that is backed up by their live show. It’s a massive metal joy ride especially on the astral adventure that is “Crack the Skye”. The bands chops are at their peak and you can tell how tight they are jelling, because it looks almost effortless for Brann Dailor, Brent Hinds, Troy Sanders, and Bill Kelliher to create the orchestral, precise, expansive, complex, and most of all ridiculously heavy music of “Crack the Skye”. Another thing that makes Mastodon such a powerful band in concert is their collective ability to poke and prod so many musical senses, at the same time impressively showing that they are at the root of it all a massively heavy band.
After finishing “Crack the Skye” Mastodon took a short intermission. During the encore they brought it even more by ripping through a few select fan favorites from their earlier works including “Cycle of Cysquatch” from Blood Mountain, “Aqua Dementia” from Leviathan, “Where Strides the Behemoth” and “Mother Puncher” from Remission. They closed the night triumphantly with an unbelievable ode to one of the greatest bands of all time, a cover of “The Bit” by the Melvins. Mastodon recorded “The Bit” for a 2005 Melvins tribute album entitled “We Reach: The Music of the Melvins”, which also features notables High on Fire, Isis, Pig Destroyer, and EYEHATEGOD.
After Mastodon I realized that it was a great idea that Dethklok was the closing headliner, that way I didn’t have to sit through their whole set. I watched the first three songs, and mildly enjoyed it. I can see why it’s a popular program, as metal is probably as popular as it has ever been in the states. I just can’t get into it, I’m not a fan of cartoons and when you have three excellent bands who have worked years to hone their craft and deliver it in a way that electrifies a crowd like High on Fire, Converge, and Mastodon did last Saturday, I am unable to give Dethklok the time of day. Plus, I wonder how they are able to go on each night after Mastodon; a very tough act to follow!
Side Note: I’m thinking the best thing that could happen in 2010 as far as music goes would be a Mastodon/Melvins tour, who’s with me? Check out my videos of “The Czar” and “The Last Baron”, and a video of Mastodon covering "The Bit" in 2005 I found on YouTube. Cheers!
Setlist:
1. Oblivion
2. Divinations
3. Quintessence
4. The Czar
5. Ghost of Karelia
6. Crack the Skye
7. The Last Baron
Encore
8. Circle of Cysquatch
9. Aqua Dementia
10. Where Strides The Behemoth
11. Mother Puncher
12. The Bit (Melvins Cover)
Man, I cannot stop thinking about Mastodon. What an incredible band! Excellent write up.
ReplyDeleteThanks dude! I know it was an amazing show, I wish every show was like that. \m/
ReplyDeleteMy sister in-law dated and was engaged to Brent for 10 years or so. When she visited this summer...all I could do was gush on Mastodon.
ReplyDeleteSeriously great band, one that deserves every bit of press they get.