Formerly the "Can One Listen to Too Much Mastodon?" thread, henceforth known as "The Metal Thread"I first became somewhat worried when I started to resemble GBT, who would not seem out of place amongst some of the gentlemen on the Mastodon roster (notably, Brent Hinds and Troy Sanders, pictured below):
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/9890296_brenthinds-tattoo.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/TroySanders9519_123227702947_5748157947_2.jpg)
I've been listening to the latest album,
The Hunter, ever since it was released on Tuesday. Actually, to be precise, I've been listening to
The Hunter and comparing/contrasting it, in my mind, with the much lauded, previous studio album, 2009's
Crack the Skye. Mastodon has publicly stated that
The Hunter would prove to be a departure from the style of
Crack the Skye (drummer Brann Daillor has likened the new album to
Leviathan from 2004), which made progressive rock/metal enthusiasts salivate and, oh, I'm terribly sorry...excuse me for one second. *wipes mouth*
Ahem, I was about to note that I'm not entirely convinced that the departure that
The Hunter makes from
Crack the Skye totally unmoored the Mastodon vessel from its previous anchorage. In truth, I think it does more to further any manner of mainstream success aspirations that the band might have
to state publicly that the new album differs significantly from the previous album; however, I think that, if one listens closely enough (though, not too closely, lest one invite serious hearing loss), one can detect many of the trademark sludge-psychedelic, progressive tendencies characteristic of both
Crack the Skye and its predecessor, the equally excellent
Blood Mountain (2006). (None of this means to suggest that there is anything wrong with either
Leviathan or
The Hunter, both of which I admire.)
To be brief, I think 'tis clear that singles like "Curl of the Burl" (clocking in at a nice, neat, palatable 3:40) gesture toward hopes of appealing to an even broader audience. One can also trace elements of the music in other tracks--e.g., "Octopus Has No Friends" (IIRC), with its uplifting vocal chord progressions that remind one of a Foo Fighters number--that manifest characteristics appealing to that oxymoronic "mainstream alternative" audience. However, it would be incorrect to assert that
The Hunter, as a whole, marks a conscious attempt to repackage the Mastodon sound into a more widely accessible, commercially successful product. Later tracks on the album--perhaps the entire second half of it--are intricately layered with atmospheric keyboard sounds (organs, synths, even samplers) to an extent not even attempted on
Crack the Skye (which features what I assume is a synth flute solo, hitherto unheard of in the Mastodon discography, in the outro to "Quintessence"/intro to "The Czar"). Some of these later tracks feature extended, bluesy (though highly distorted) soloing and other psychedelic indulgences (e.g., "Creature Lives," perhaps the
kookiest Mastodon track ever, opens with a series of vocal and SFX samples and synth modulations).
In short, if you liked
Crack the Skye, IMHO, you will probably like
The Hunter for similar reasons. To use a Yes analogy (because who could resist using a Yes analogy in casual conversation?),
Crack the Skye is to
Close to the Edge as
The Hunter is to
Going for the One.* Does anyone else have any thoughts on the new album?
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
* In other words, the change between albums seems to involve the marked shortening of song lengths whilst maintaining the same level of song craftsmanship AND exploration of new possibilities to add to the band's repertoire.
Mastodon is right in my wheelhouse, but for some reason I can't get into them. How would you compare these last two albums to the newest album by the Sword, who are moving a little more "proggy" themselves?
I will preface myself by admitting that I have only a glancing familiarity with The Sword. With that said, I will offer that The Sword seems to owe its entire existence to Black Sabbath (whereas Mastodon evokes equal parts hardcore punk, King Crimson, AND Black Sabbath). Given that The Sword is writing music in the 21st century and not the 1970s (but, all the while, writing music which references the heavy metal of the 1970s), music marketers seem to want to call The Sword's music "stoner metal," whereas Black Sabbath was simply producing seminal heavy metal (which would become the template for much "stoner metal"). Certainly, there is a strong similarity in choice of guitar tones between Black Sabbath, stoner metal like The Sword, and Mastodon's eclectic brand of "sludge metal" (I prefer to think of Mastodon as highly technical progressive metal), featuring heavy detuning and distortion. However, that may be where the similarities between The Sword (and Black Sabbath) and Mastodon end. Whereas (the limited amount of music that I have heard by) The Sword seems to rely on relatively straightforward, unswerving "four on the floor" 4/4 time (played at various tempos), Mastodon rarely adheres to any one time signature for an entire song, sometimes stopping on a dime (and leaving change), turning into, e.g., 5/4 time, then 5/8, then back to 4/4, etc. (To be fair, I have noticed that The Sword will periodically use both 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures in the course of a single track, but the transitions between time signatures are never quite so rapid nor as frequent as those found in Mastodon's music). Mastodon also makes use of a greater range of vocal styles, from clean melodic and harmonised singing to raucous shouts/screams, whereas John Cronise seems content with one vocal style that is at least remotely inspired by Ozzy's (though, perhaps, with less whine). Mastodon also seems more willing to experiment with instrumentation seldom heard on typical metal albums (e.g., the banjo on "Divinations" from Crack the Skye) than The Sword.
I should correct myself by adding one other point of convergence between the sounds of these two bands by noting their willingness to experiment with psychedelic/atmospheric touches (e.g., the intro to "Astraea's Dream" from The Sword's Warp Riders). Nevertheless, to my ear, albums like Crack the Skye (or, for that matter, The Hunter) and Warp Riders sound very different. I would explain myself better, but 'tis growing quite late and I must bid this thread adieu for the night.
SOMETIME LATER: I, personally, would come to these two bands and their respective albums looking for distinctly different listening experiences that make use of some similar timbres and orientations. One could seek the following (which is in no way an exhaustive list of qualities) in both acts: doom (a.k.a., the Black Sabbath legacy), referential classic rock riffage and bombast, sci-fi/fantasy and horror themes, massive amounts of hair. However, if I want to listen to an album that is largely down-tempo and earnestly wallowing in the distortion and heaviness of its own sound, I'd reach for an album by The Sword (or Madder Mortem, a very talented progressive doom metal band from Norway). If, on the other hand, I want to listen to an album which varies rapidly between up-tempo and down-tempo passages (drawing on both punk and Black Sabbath-stamped metal influences), offers a bit of time signature variety, incorporates psychedelic guitar effects and atmospheres, etc., then I will reach for Mastodon.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Would you believe there was a "Mastedon" back in the late 80's & 90's, a Christian rock band led by John Elefante, who was the lead vocals for Kansas? :)
Ye ole elephant theme catcheth on, I reckon.
I like Opeth for some of the reasons you like Mastadon. Its weird that I can get into Mastadon. I'll give Blood Mountain another few tries.
I dont consider myself a mastodon fan but I do really enjoy them. I would say the threshold for too much Mastodon is pretty high.
I don't have any of their stuff yet, but I did chance to catch them live at a music festival over the summer months and they fairly tore the place up I have to admit. I mean, they're no Uriah Heep now, but I was quite impressed. :P
Quote from: freegentile on October 01, 2011, 03:47:34 AM
Would you believe there was a "Mastedon" back in the late 80's & 90's, a Christian rock band led by John Elefante, who was the lead vocals for Kansas? :)
I teach undergraduates: I'm prepared to believe anything.
Quote from: Xenolith on October 02, 2011, 06:14:45 PM
I like Opeth for some of the reasons you like Mastadon. Its weird that I can get into Mastadon. I'll give Blood Mountain another few tries.
I wonder if it's the punk influence that marks the difference. If you like Opeth and want to know if there's anything of value to Mastodon, why not listen to
Crack the Skye, which, arguably, has even more in common with your typical Opeth album than
Blood Mountain (e.g., it is markedly more melodic and less angular than previous Mastodon albums)?
Quote from: lugaru on October 03, 2011, 06:29:05 PM
I dont consider myself a mastodon fan but I do really enjoy them.
C'mon in the deep end, lou. The water's fine... :o
Quote from: The Phantom Eyebrow on October 04, 2011, 06:08:46 PM
I mean, they're no Uriah Heep now, but I was quite impressed. :P
Aye, but Mastodon has the same bombast in spades and has made its fair share of literary and historical allusions.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Woot! I just secured tickets to see Mastodon at the House of Blues (Boston) on November 21! :thumbup: :kommandorox :gauntlet: :jeyrox :penguinspin
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Quote from: ow_tiobe_sb on October 07, 2011, 12:51:57 AM
Woot! I just secured tickets to see Mastodon at the House of Blues (Boston) on November 21! :thumbup: :kommandorox :gauntlet: :jeyrox :penguinspin
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
No $%#^, I might have to get in on that. When I say I'm not a "fan" I mean I love the band, but if you play 10 seconds of any song, odds are low I'll guess it (unlike Dark Tranquility for example that I can guess any song in seconds).
btw ow_tiobe_sb, I thought about you when I read this article... a New Yorker article on Black Metal. I'm not sure if you are the black metal type (I still listen to a lot of black metal bands) but hearing descriptions of black metal in "New Yorker" boilerplate is really cool and weird.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2011/10/10/111010crmu_music_frerejones
Quote from: lugaru on October 07, 2011, 01:32:43 PM
I'm not sure if you are the black metal type (I still listen to a lot of black metal bands) but hearing descriptions of black metal in "New Yorker" boilerplate is really cool and weird.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2011/10/10/111010crmu_music_frerejones
You certainly weren't kidding: "The most accelerated version of the black-metal beat—in which cymbals and multiple drums are hit with the rapid and even force of a sewing machine, which almost erases the idea of drumming as time-keeping—is called the 'blast beat'[...]." A
sewing machine? Really? I would have reached for "machine gun fire" first, for 'tis called "blast beat," after all, not "stitch beat." :rolleyes:
Nah. Most black metal doesn't appeal to me. I briefly flirted with some recordings by a now defunct progressive black metal (or is it "blackened doom metal?"--these genres really become unhelpful as categorical tools at times) band from Brazil, Avec Tristesse, because I admired the music enough (and still do) to try to ignore the distracting screams often coming from the vocalist. It didn't work out. Growling, I've found, can be performed in a nuanced, expressive fashion in the right hands, er, vocal cords (viz. Mikael Åkerfeldt--who has a terrific range of growls--or Vurtox (a.k.a., Andy Schmidt of the terrific German extreme progressive metal band Disillusion)). Screaming, on the other hand, IMHO, appears to be flatter in its range of possible deliveries and just leaves me cold and repulsed. I understand the argument that asserts growling/screaming is used to signify extreme intensity; however, my understanding of intensity, insofar as it applies to vocals, is that its signification needs to fit within a vocal continuum, from strictly clean to the dirtiest, most guttural extreme vocalisations. Screaming seems to exist within a sphere of its own, using a different vocal function (perhaps something akin to an animal call, which is the category some scientists might put the human scream into) that gives it presence but seems to sacrifice variety of tone qualities. Intensity can also be achieved just as easily through clean vocals, IMHO, but I know that some opt for growling/screaming because they deem it necessary to signify the hallmarks of certain extreme metal genres.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
I like some of the proto-black metal groups like Celtic Frost and Venom. I kind of like Venom because I'm pretty sure everything they do is done tongue-in-cheek, but they won't admit it. I want to buy into the fantasy while I'm listening to the music, but it stops there. Some of those groups are a little too freaky for my taste.
Yeah, when it comes to the "dark and demonic" in music it either has to be REALLY cheesy or completely absent. I'm a big lyrics guy which means that there is a lot of metal that does not appeal to me because of the braindead passages, while a lot of stuff that should not appeal to a metal head (like The Postal Service and The Cure). Examples if just wonderfully cheese black metal is Old Mans Child... mostly about allowing yourself to be possessed by demons so you can win on the battlefield in grand lord of the rings sounding settings. Kind of awesome, really. Likewise some old Cradle of Filth is just funny and dark and gruesome, it reads more like extreme little horror vignetes. If they take this stuff seriosly I kind of feel bad for them but as entertainment it is pure gold.
Great metal lyricists for me include Michael Stane from Dark Tranquility, who writes more about melancholy and disatisfaction. Also I go back and forth with my love for extreme vocals... there are bands where Operatic or soaring vocals can seem inauthentic and at other times they are awesome. For me the best thing is bands with multiple vocalists or vocal styles.
And on the subject of extreme vocals... I've got a major crush on this girl right now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De26XtRUCg4
(let me know what you think).
Quote from: ow_tiobe_sb on October 07, 2011, 03:13:20 PM
Nah. Most black metal doesn't appeal to me. I briefly flirted with some recordings by a now defunct progressive black metal (or is it "blackened doom metal?"--these genres really become unhelpful as categorical tools at times) band from Brazil, Avec Tristesse, because I admired the music enough (and still do) to try to ignore the distracting screams often coming from the vocalist.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Oh man, you made my day by referencing Avec Tristesse, I was very impressed with them. I agree that nuance is very rare in black metal, compared to the regular vocalists and even death metal vocalists. My favorite singers tend to be people who stradle multiple styles, from death to pretty far out there operatic, such as Devin Townsend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXfnr0pxQQI&ob=av2n
That said I also love Pain of Salvation, which is soaring hard rock vocals, but damn, he really goes places with it. But very often I will listen to a prog band lay down some REALLY heavy tracks and have the atmosphere ruined by an almost cherubic prescence (like some latter Dream Theater, the band got heavier and Labrie could not keep up). For me stuff like Death Magnetic by Metallica is nearly perfect... despite some recent bad albums Hettfield can really back up those proggy thrash beats on the new album. While it is still new new album, before the one with Lou Reed drops.
I thought you were going to link to an Arch Enemy video. I have a heavy metal crush on that girl, but only like the KISS song they remade. I'll have to check out Straight Line Stitch at home because I don't want audio here at work. She is pretty hot.
In the interests of keeping the discussion going through limitless expansion, I have renamed the thread "The Metal Thread." Having "Mastodon" in the thread title seemed to narrow, given the current conversation. :D
As far as female voices are concerned, I tend to prefer two types: the typical, clean, operatic voice and what I like to call the Janis Joplinesque alternative (e.g., given to really belting out the lines, evocative of something raw and (seemingly) untutored). I can give two examples: Julie Kiss of To-Mera (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU26_Z5_YLo) and Olivia Berka of (the now defunct) Polaris (http://www.myspace.com/polarismusic/music) (a Boston-area band), respectively. While Ms. Brown is clearly very talented (and, obviously, is able to carry a tune, even when the back of her top seems to have disintegrated :o), I'm not strongly disposed toward her vocal performance, as I prefer only occasional extreme female vocals to punctuate particular phrases, not entire verses. :ph34r:
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
SLS kicked butt. I'm going to check out some of their CDs.
This is a question that really intrigues me, and I would like to pose it here:
What 2-3 bands (or particular albums) are your go-to musical sources to put you in the optimal mood (whatever that might be for you) during the following scenarios?
1. The morning commute.
2. The slow evening at home.
3. Before "the big event," whether it be a football (American or otherwise) match or that presentation you need to give to your colleagues.
4. After a frustrating experience.
5. When you want to drown out the sound of Hanson playing over the supermarket audio system.
Just curious. Here are my answers:
1A. Pagan's Mind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5bKPCF321M&feature=related) (either Celestial Entrance or Enigmatic: Calling); Manticora (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stxeF6tYicc) (Hyperion) (great band, goofy video of a song not from the Hyperion album); and, of late, a toss-up between Protest the Hero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgB1HFZIh3c) (Kezia) and Canvas Solaris (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feF-rDWbeYs&feature=related) (Cortical Techtonics).
2A. Rishloo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11zQt81IBAI) (Feathergun); Opeth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1OlEAFj6PU) (Morningrise); and Eniac Requiem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R14vS88mc5A) (Space Eternal Void).
3A. Communic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaSm9HV-Rys&feature=related) (Waves of Visual Decay); Scale the Summit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04j5GqHPKPc&feature=related) (Monument); and Mastodon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srSNhoIvjLs) (Blood Mountain).
4A. Twisted into Form (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag09devmNzk&feature=fvsr) (Then Comes Affliction To Awaken The Dreamer); Disillusion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNrJAPNwQe0) (Back to Times of Splendor); and Evergrey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv1viHfXvU8) (In Search of Truth).
5A. Opeth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF3SiEBYN0w&feature=related) (Ghost Reveries); Nevermore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go_UibhfCn0&feature=related) (Dead Heart in a Dead World); and 'Neath (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbWMnvAFz4A) (The Spiders Sleep).
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Wow. I've heard of maybe two of those groups. I'll have to look for some of them on Youtube.
I'm going to include Led Zepplin and Rush as "metal bands."
1. Normally I listen to sports radio, but I'd probably listen to one of the first couple of Judas Priest albums because they are sort of mellow and trippy. Not too distracting.
2. Rush's Caress of Steel. One of my all-time favorite albums.
3. I'm all over the place on this one. Maybe Pantera, specifically the song Cowboys from Hell, but another contender is Anthrax's song Cadillac Rock Box. Maybe the Grand Conjuration by Opeth or Crazy Train by Ozzy. I love those songs and they get me pumped up. In college I used to listen to Pink Floyd before playing football, so in a way it really depneds on if I'm passively watching or actively taking part in the big event.
4. This is where the mighy Zep comes in. I can pop in any album and get transported to a much better mental place. Usually this is Middle Earth (not the movie version).
5. Although they are not my favroite band, I think I'd opt for Ride the Lightning by Metallica. Solid album all the way through.
As I thought about my answers I realized that I normally only listen to metal when category 2 applies.
I'm pretty mainstream as far as music goes.
[Randomness]
May I present, Lugaru, if he had a death/black metal band logo:
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/Lugaru-DML.png)
Xenolith, reimagined as a pagan metal band logo:
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/Xenolith-PML.png)
[/Randomness]
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Quote from: ow_tiobe_sb on October 14, 2011, 05:35:15 AM
This is a question that really intrigues me, and I would like to pose it here:
What 2-3 bands (or particular albums) are your go-to musical sources to put you in the optimal mood (whatever that might be for you) during the following scenarios?
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Mm... I feel like I derrailed the hell out of this thread but that said, I do love talking metal with the few fans on this forum.
1. The morning commute.
Stuff I've listened to "to death" so I need not pay attention to enjoy it.
Iron Maiden, Metallica, Dream Theater. 2. The slow evening at home.
AKA cooking, doing chores, reading, computer time.
Pelican plays a type of "elevator metal" without lyrics that is slow and doomy but with lots of skilled playing and changes of theme. I put "Pelican" into pandora and get a lot of great bands with no singers.
Also:
Aghora/Cynic for cool trippy metal that is relaxing and
Theater of Tragedy for slow, doomy, operatic background music.
3. Before "the big event," whether it be a football (American or otherwise) match or that presentation you need to give to your colleagues.
I'm gonna call this either my "I'm going nowhere on a piece of gym equipment" or my "I'm falling asleep at work and need to wake up" music.
Nevermore - Dreaming in Neon Black super heavy album but nuanced and who cares how nihilistic the lyrics are, they are a trip.
Old Mans Child Absolutely ROARING black metal, big, dumb and cheesy, tons of fun.
Arch Enemy All those lyrics about revolutions got me spinning the wheels on my stationary bicycle. Great, high energy stuff with really "pretty" guitar solos.
4. After a frustrating experience.
Comfort food metal, or else some big dumb "I am Angry" american stuff depending on my mood.
Dark Tranquility because I know most songs by heart.
Devin Townsend he alternates between big dumb angry self parody and extremely cerebral auto biographical metaphor... he has an album for every mood.
Pantera They distill and bottle "I want to punch some dude".
5. When you want to drown out the sound of Hanson playing over the supermarket audio system.
Emperor You are playing Black Eyed Peas? WELL I AM THE BLACK WIZARDS!!!1!
Strapping Young Lad songs like $%!+STORM punch the wall harder than I could.
Mercenary very versatile band, all around good metal. Gives me something cool to listen to while I watch videos of pop stars shake their butts at my gym.
6. Just listen and geek out to it.
Maudlin of the Well A weird mix of folk, jazz and death metal.
Spiral Architect A proggy, fairly pretencious, inspired by a mixture of Ayn Rand (with songs like Fountainhead) and Black Sabbath. But mathy, in a good way.
King Diamond King Diamond albums are like cheezy audiobooks of 80's horror films. Listen to Abigail with the lyrics printed out.
Those are pretty cool logos. Xenolith looks great. I love it.
Hmm. More bands I'll have to check out. Thanks lugaru.
Both
Aghora and
Cynic have received a good deal of rotation on my iPod.
Spiral Architect, I should add, is rather jazzy, to the point where, I believe, Øyvind Hægeland (the vocalist) does a heavy metal version of scat singing. I really like the mix on
A Sceptic's Universe, for it takes genuine pains to give the buoyant bass a constant presence (whereas the bass guitar often gets lost amid the other guitar tracks and the boom of the kick drum in the mixes of other metal bands). If you like
Spiral Architect, you might like
Twisted into Form.
I have yet to find a way to appreciate
Maudlin of the Well (or
Kayo Dot, for that matter). While I typically value the eclectic in music, I just find
MotW annoyingly eclectic.
One cannot go wrong with
Led Zeppelin, though, to my ear, they typically sound like an extended blues/hard rock outfit more often than they sound incredibly metallic (compared to, e.g.,
Black Sabbath). They do a bit of everything: (hard) rock 'n' roll, folk, blues, symphonic rock, etc. In a similar vein, to quote
Fanboys, "
Rush is variety." :thumbup:
[More Randomness]
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/BrutalEyebrow-DML.png)
[/More Randomness]
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
It looks like Spiral Architect is on the top of my list. I'm a fan of any kind of "proggy" music, so I'd probably like them. I agree that Zep is more of a heavy blues band.
The Eyebrow rocks. My favorite albums is "Sand in my Eyes." :)
Aye, Sand in My Eyes is a classic. :jeyrox Who could forget tracks like "The Shortest Hair (Has Been Plucked for You)," "A Unibrow Divided," "Brows Without a Face," "Capillose Crest," and, my personal favourite, that groundbreaking hardcore-rap-metal-klezmer-fusion number, "Browz-n-the-Hood?"
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
:lol:
Brows without a Face... hahahahaha
Someone should stop me. Now.
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/DeadGentile-DML.png)
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
FYI, I recently came across a rather talented group, East of the Wall (http://www.myspace.com/eastofthewall). They produce a very artful variety of progressive sludge/post-metal that I find difficult to take out of rotation. I am now hooked on their latest album, The Apologist (released earlier this week), which is absolutely superb. It mixes abrasive, highly technical metal passages with richly layered, contemplative, atmospheric sections, sometimes incorporating a series of tracks into an interrelated suite with a tremendously progressive sensibility. You can audition tracks from their previous studio album, Ressentiment (http://beta.mflow.com/album/east-of-the-wall/ressentiment) on mflow.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Thanks for the heads up. I haven't had time to check out all of these groups yet, but I will.
I've been in a heavy Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin mode for the last few weeks. I just realized I don't have Volume Four. D'oh! From the first Black Sabbath album to Sabotage, the crew really takes off in some weird directions. I'm curious about the last few albums with Ozzy. I've never heard them, and I know they've recieved bad reviews, but I'm curious. I like Coda, Kiss Unmasked and Dynasty, so atypical stuff is okay with me.
I've also been listening to the new Opeth CD which I'm going to say is not metal at all, but I like it.
So tonight I found myself listening to songs by artists you both have presented in this thread. None of it hit home with me, but I really appreciate learning about these groups. Spiral Architect was inded my favorite, but I thought they were too frenetic. I ended up listening to Utopia "Communion with the Sun" to sooth my jangled nerves. Strapping Young Lad was anything but, by the looks of 'em. :0
Right! I am at the House of Blues as I post this. Red Fang rocked out. I barely survived The Dillinger Escape Plan. Mastodon is up next. More to come.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and World Braker
That post has a Blair Witch style effect... "and that was Ow_Tiobe_Sb's last post... he did not survive Mastodon".
Sorry, lou. I tried to post a review of the concert over Thanksgiving several weeks ago before RL nearly swallowed me whole; however, the forum somehow ate the post that took me an hour to compose (and then I simply did not have the time to recreate it). I will try to recall the most salient details of the event and record them here for anyone who is interested.
In the meantime, I have been listening to the following rather satisfying local acts:
The Proselyte (Bandcamp Page (http://theproselyte.bandcamp.com/)) - This Boston-based progressive stoner/sludge metal act's recently released Sunshine is a real treat with its southern-tinged harmonised vocals and hard-hitting riffs.
Black Pyramid (Myspace Page (http://www.myspace.com/blackpyramidkills)) - Progressive, doomy, psychedelic heavy metal from Northampton, MA that tips its hat to Black Sabbath and then motors farther down a bleak and trackless path toward mystical, hopeless subject matter. Check out their recently released LP, II.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whilred Braker
Glad to hear from you, I was starting to feel a little guilty about the joke I made.
I need to check those bands out... I've actually been going backwards and listening to a lot of old stuff from when I was in highschool such as Theater of Tragedy or Amorphis.
O.M.F.G! O.M.F.G! Opeth and Mastodon--*huff* *puff*--at the Orpheum Theatre--*huff* *puff*--Boston--*wheeze* *groan*--April 5--*huff* *wheeze*--tickets on sale Feb. 3 @ 10:00 AM! *expire in unrecognisable heap*
I simply must go! :jeyrox
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Well holly #%%^#.
I've always wanted to see Opeth again, the time I saw them was at Berklee college of music, only doing "clean vocals" songs. Great, but not nearly as rocking as I would have hoped. This will surely make up for it... now to see if I can convince a few friends.
Quote from: lugaru on February 01, 2012, 03:46:17 PM
the time I saw them was at Berklee college of music, only doing "clean vocals" songs. Great, but not nearly as rocking as I would have hoped. This will surely make up for it...
I hope you are not disappointed, lou, especially if the group is touring in support of
Heritage, which is certainly not your typical, hard-hitting
Opeth album.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
P.S. It looks as if the new tour of North America is intended to support both
Heritage and
Mastodon's latest album,
The Hunter:
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/mastodon-opeth-ghost-tour-poster.jpg)
P.P.S. The opening act for the tour promises to be good fun: a Swedish, theatrical psyche-death-ic metal act named
Ghost.
Spoiler
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/ghost-press-logo.png)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/ow_tiobe_sb/3540309157_photo.jpg)
WOOT! :thumbup: Just scored a ticket to the show* in the reserved orchestra section, a mere two thin rows from the stage!
Egads! I must truly want to go deaf... :ph34r:
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
* Tickets went on sale through the Artist Arena website (http://opeth.artistarena.com) today at 3:00 PM EST. To purchase these tickets, one must register an account with Artist Arena.
Only band I really listen to these days is Maximum The Hormone (http://www.maximumthehormone.jp).
Quote from: Kommando on February 01, 2012, 08:20:25 PM
Only band I really listen to these days is Maximum The Hormone (http://www.maximumthehormone.jp).
I take it that this band serves up a healthy dose of irony with its music, does it not, Komm?
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Heritage is my favorite album yet. I am going to see if I can get a ticket for the Denver show.
Good luck, Xeno! If anyone is interested in sampling Ghost's music, there is a smattering of it posted to the band's Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/thenamelessghouls). The theme from Sweden for this tour seems to be clean vocals with a heavier emphasis on traditional progressive rock/70's psychedelic rock sounds (which you won't get from Mastodon very often, unless the band intends to incorporate more tracks from Crack the Skye into the set list than it did for the initial Hunter Tour in late 2011). What I would really like to see is some interplay between Opeth and Mastodon, e.g., the time Mikael Åkerfeldt sang lead vocals on "Repentance" during Dream Theater's Chaos in Motion Tour (a moment that was captured on the tour DVD). I could easily see an exchange of vocalists happen on a number of songs from either band, just as easily as I could see Brent Hinds of Mastodon filling in for Mikael or Fredrik Åkesson of Opeth, or vice versa. 'Tis one thing to invite the members of Red Fang and The Dillinger Escape Plan to return to the stage to serve as the choir for Mastodon's final number of the evening, "Creature Lives"--as they did during the Hunter Tour--'tis quite another thing to play a more central role in performing a rendition of another artist's song (and I would prefer to witness the latter).
*crosses fingers*
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
I'll check out ghost and I'm pretty psyched... getting at least 2 tickets later on today but probably 4 since I think I know another couple who wants to go and I can resell them later if that does not work out.
When I saw Opeth at the berklee college of music it was a mostly accoustic show, but they did play "Face of Melinda" (an alltime favorite of mine) and this old man in front of me, started slowly at first, to rock his head back and forth. Me and the metal heads behind him where like "OMG this 80 year old is instinctually headbanging". You could tell he was the sort who has seasons tickets and goes to any and every show, but he was rocking to Opeth.
Ghost is pretty much a King Diamond cover band, ok... softer, more 70's, maybe trippier... but yeah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjkatWc0XXI
The sound like a heavy metal version of the band that sang all of those songs on Scooby Doo Where Are You? :angry:
Opeth's "Blackwater Park" is Free Song of the Day on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/music) today. Go get it, if you don't already own it. You won't regret it.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
*burys his head in his hands* WHy must Tiobe hate me so with this stuff?!?!?! What?!?! Does Nocture count as heavy metal or something else?? Never am sure what these bloody sections mean.....
Quote from: Deaths Jester on March 28, 2012, 04:09:59 PM
*burys his head in his hands* WHy must Tiobe hate me so with this stuff?!?!?!
"Hate" is too strong a word, D.J., when, in truth, I simply cannot stand, the sight, smell, or thought of you.
I am not familiar with "Nocture," so I cannot comment on the band; however, if you meant "Nocturne" (from Dallas, TX), then, yes, I believe they do play a type of (industrial) heavy metal--not my particular cup of tea, mind you, but that is no reason why you couldn't discuss the band in this thread.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Quote from: ow_tiobe_sb on March 29, 2012, 03:48:04 AM
Quote from: Deaths Jester on March 28, 2012, 04:09:59 PM
*burys his head in his hands* WHy must Tiobe hate me so with this stuff?!?!?!
"Hate" is too strong a word, D.J., when, in truth, I simply cannot stand, the sight, smell, or thought of you.
I am not familiar with "Nocture," so I cannot comment on the band; however, if you meant "Nocturne" (from Dallas, TX), then, yes, I believe they do play a type of (industrial) heavy metal--not my particular cup of tea, mind you, but that is no reason why you couldn't discuss the band in this thread.
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
Wow...and to think you once were a friend with me against the evil that was Prev..and now I find you're in bed with him! So heartbreaking and backstabbing!!
I think the band I was mentioning was Nocturne...not sure if ti was the Dallas based group though...will have to do research into the group more...and what type of tea do you prefer?
Alrighty...after searching...the band I mentioned is the Nocturne from Dallas...didn't know they were so close to me...now what should I speak about them..hmmm..unsure...
Tonight's the big night: Opeth and Mastodon at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston! I hope to be able to post telegraphic reviews of the acts as they conclude via my trusty cellular phone. :thumbup: :jeyrox :moribundi2
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Whirled Braker
See you there!
Quote from: lugaru on April 05, 2012, 08:54:32 PM
See you there!
Excellent, lou! Now you can set the story straight when my reviews stray toward the effusive. ;)
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Blackwater Blasteroid
P.S. Just spotted Brann Daillor, Bill Kelliher, Mikael Akerfeldt, and Martin Mendez. :thumbup:
Ghost was good theatrical fun, but, egads!, what a nose that vocalist has! ;)
EDIT: I am much less sure about this set list based on my memory; nevertheless, here goes.
Con Clavi Con Dio
Elizabeth
Satan Prayer
Death Knell
Prime Mover
Ritual
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Blackwater Blasteroid
I will need to be much more detailed later; however, for now, suffice it to say that Mastodon rocked out, playing practically every song on The Hunter. Let me ask now, what the bloody hell was wrong with the masses of people in the balcony who stayed seated for most of the Mastodon set? Have they no soul?
EDIT: For now (and because 'tis late), here is a set list that is mostly out of order (and I think I forgot one number).
Black Tongue
Blasteroid
Stargasm
Octopus Has No Friends
All the Heavy Lifting
The Hunter
Crack the Skye
Dry Bone Valley
Thickening
Spectrelight
Curl of the Burl
Bedazzled Fingernails
Blood and Thunder
Creature Lives
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Blackwater Blasteroid
If I had to criticise Mastodon at all, I would say that the band could benefit from more direct audience interaction. There was no shortage of that from Mikael Akerfeldt and company. Golden quotation of the night: "Yes, I know you [Boston] have Aerosmith, but we [Sweden] have ABBA." :lol:
(Perhaps Partial) Set List:
The Devil's Orchard
I Feel the Dark
Slither
The Lines in My Hand
Folklore
Windowpane
The Grand Conjuration
Deliverance
More to come...
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Blackwater Blasteroid
"Yes, thank you, I already had dinner... clam chowder".
I went there for Opeth but they where feeling too painfully mellow (although incredibly accomplished) after that Mastodon set, until the last 3 songs, that was down to the ground headbanging bliss. What side where you on? I was on the right of the mixing booth. I looked around and found my current boss (he is a metal head) but no purple top hats. :rolleyes:
BTW did Opeth do an encore? Normally I would stay but while my friend had a ton of fun, we both had to get up at 6:15 this morning so she was DONE and I kind of was too. I honestly dont trust Boston audiences to generate enough noise and excitement to warrant an encore anyways.
Lastly... gawd... concession prices! We each got a beer, and that required taking out a 15 year bank loan.
Sounds like you two had fun. I'm still on the fence about going to Denver for the show.
Quote from: Xenolith on April 06, 2012, 12:29:13 PM
Sounds like you two had fun. I'm still on the fence about going to Denver for the show.
Yeah, since it was not jimmies out death metal and since the audio production for the show was absolutely perfect, I think anyone could enjoy it. Bring earplugs though, I forgot and suffered for it.
And hopefully Ghost will be playing... I have really low standards for opening acts (I've seen amazing bands headlined by local highschool students) and they where just pure fun.
Quote from: lugaru on April 06, 2012, 11:16:51 AM
"Yes, thank you, I already had dinner... clam chowder".
And the response from the wiseguy next to me (who had opened the volley about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Aerosmith) was, "Say, 'Chowdah!'" :lol:
Quote from: lugaru on April 06, 2012, 11:16:51 AMI went there for Opeth but they where feeling too painfully mellow (although incredibly accomplished) after that Mastodon set, until the last 3 songs, that was down to the ground headbanging bliss. What side where you on? I was on the right of the mixing booth. I looked around and found my current boss (he is a metal head) but no purple top hats. :rolleyes:
It seemed to me that many audience members were there for Opeth and not Mastodon (I even saw a fair number of audience members wearing Ghost T-shirts. :huh:). This might explain A) why no one but I saluted Mr. Daillor when he made his way out the front doors to find food before the show and B) why many,
many audience members sat through the entire show until Opeth took the stage. I was rather embarrassed by the latter fact, for, clearly, both Ghost and Mastodon were attempting to put on their best show (despite the fact that Brent Hinds was clearly
altered--not to mention injured and wearing a large walking cast on his left foot--during the show ;)). As for the mellowness, in jest, I actually called out, "Play more Camel!" in between, IIRC, "I Feel the Dark" and "Windowpane," though, thankfully, Mr. Akerfeldt took no notice. ;) I was in the second row in front of the stage on house left (stage right), situated directly in front of Mr. Hinds (guitar, Mastodon), Fredrik Akesson (guitar, Opeth), and one of those cloaked and hooded guitarists from Ghost. :ph34r: I actually spent a good while looking about the audience for a genial-looking fellow holding kitchen knives and accompanied by a comely
butterfly, though I spotted no such gentlemen in the audience. 'Tis a pity. :(
Quote from: lugaru on April 06, 2012, 11:16:51 AMBTW did Opeth do an encore? Normally I would stay but while my friend had a ton of fun, we both had to get up at 6:15 this morning so she was DONE and I kind of was too. I honestly dont trust Boston audiences to generate enough noise and excitement to warrant an encore anyways.
Lastly... gawd... concession prices! We each got a beer, and that required taking out a 15 year bank loan.
I've found that Boston venues are not very hospitable to encores, unless they are built into the timing of the show (which usually must end by 11:00 PM). Though I, too, did not stay, my guess is that there was no encore, given that the Orpheum was threatening to "cut the power" to the show even before Opeth began playing "Deliverance." Unless I am in a pub for a show, I generally do not bother with concessions. At venues such as the Orpheum (or the Wang Center, or The Bank of America Pavilion, etc.), I expect to be ripped off at the stand. Instead, I typically save my cash for a souvenir tour T-shirt (which I got last night :jeyrox) and make my way to my seat.
Quote from: Xenolith on April 06, 2012, 12:29:13 PM
Sounds like you two had fun. I'm still on the fence about going to Denver for the show.
I definitely got my money's worth! I've seen Mastodon twice, now, and both shows were spectacular live. If you're a student of guitar, 'tis worth it just to get a closer, firsthand look at Mr. Hinds's fingering and picking methods, which, I noticed, differ a great deal from Mr. Kelliher's. Whereas Mr. Kelliher is very exact and changes fingerings in a very rapid, though deliberate and accurate, fashion, Mr. Hinds seems to take a non-traditional, more fluid approach to fingering that makes playing lightning-quick runs on, e.g., "Octopus Has No Friends" look effortless. If Opeth came to Boston (proper) more frequently, I would make an effort to see them every time. It just so happens that, whenever I've noticed they are having quasi-local upcoming shows, they have typically been at the Worcester Palladium, which is not a very convenient destination for me.
You won't regret going to the show, if you have the means and the leisure. :thumbup:
ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Blackwater Blasteroid
P.S. I will attempt to post some (blurry, dark) pictures from last night's show later today.
WOW. Saw Rodrigo y Gabriela last night, which is tangentially related to metal (they are metal fans and do metal covers). Think two metal guitar players, who took a left turn into Flamenco and then swam to Cuba to collaborate with an amazing afrocuban jazz band.
Way too much energy, I've never seen a crowd go so crazy in Boston, like the balcony was actually shaking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9W1gu7bsK4&feature=relmfu
I bought a few new albums recently...
Anthrax, Worship Music: I've never been a fan of Joey Belladonna, but he sounds really good on ths record. His voice has matured and it has helped. He brings some pep to the group, which has sounded a bit dull over the last few albums. I think this is their best album. I really love "the Devil you Know," but there isn't a bad song. If you don't like Anthrax then there is nothing new here.
The Sword, Apocryphon: I like the Sword, but this record is pretty average. There isn't anything on it that stands out. They do have a remake of ZZTop's "Cheap Sunglasses" that is fun.
Anywho, just my thoughts.
I finally bought "crack the Skye." It is better than blood mountain.