Blood Mountain, Mastodon's major
label debut is arriving with all the hype that a band of
four workhorse, blue-collar musicians could ask for. Publications
such as Spin and Rolling stone hail them as the new Metallica,
or the saviors of metal, but forget what is really important
when dissecting the band's music. Mastodon make music not
only for themselves, but for other musicians. They are a
band's band, and always will be. What the hell is the point
in making music that only challenges the listener, but not
also the artists themselves?
Blood Mountain is the band's
third full length album, and Mastodon get right down to
business doing lines off Lemmy's forehead while injecting
deep into their flesh all the Corrosion of Conformity, Acid
Bath, Delta Blues, New Orleans Jazz, and everything else
unholy that makes me love living in the dirty south. The
caked mud and whiskey of the guitars, thunder of the bass,
and blood pouring from drummer Bränn Dailor's
knuckles are axiomatic as Matt Bayles (Botch/Isis/Minus the
Bear) takes control of the knobs, and records another album
to add to his growing resume of brilliance. Once again songs'
guitar work have the catchiness that make bands like Pantera
and Slayer memorable for more than just their brutality,
along with the sultriness of artists such as Jimmy Page,
and Thin Lizzy.
Ever since discussions of the albums
conception last summer, I have been anxiously waiting for
this record to come out. I am pleased to hear another breath
of fresh air from a band that has already made sure as hell
everyone knows they are not only going to have great commercial
success, but also write a record so far beyond that of 80%
current bands claiming to be metal...but who fall into a
category reminiscent of the 80's Sunset strip hair metal
tragedy.
Mastodon is making metal for the
sake of musicianship, self-loathing, and recognizing beast
inside all of us, not spandex, hot tubs and prostitutes.
I like hot tubs. Blood Mountain is not Leviathan, it is not
Remission, it is not Lifesblood
it is Blood
Mountain. To compare any of the band's records to one another
is pointless, as the concepts behind each one are different.
The biggest difference between Blood Mountain and the rest
of the Mastodon discography is the addition of more southern
oulfulness of the vocals a la Dex Riggs (Acid Bath), Kirk
Windstein (Crowbar) and Layne Staley, which prior to this
release have not been such a driving force. Southern stoner
metal vocals, like the south's humid summers, hang in the
air for a period of time before drenching one with blood
and sweat. Hack bands like Godsmack and Staind have nauseatingly
murdered this, and it is chilling to hear vocals like this
executed properly. Blood Mountain is what it is: a journey
to Blood Mountain, where there is no such thing as eyeliner
or bat country...and why the hell would there be? |