Mastodon is overated

[errrrrl]

You sir are a poet!

 

[psychodave]

I just listened to a few songs. High Road was cool, that first song was not good at all. lol

 

[Starman22]

I'm just glad a thread was started here about a band other than Dokken or Lynch Mob.

 

[311boogieman]

Yep. Good thing different people like different things.

It would be a pretty boring world if that were not true.

Like for me, I like a few old Dokken songs but never fully understood the hype on George Lynch. Either way, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't create a thread on it.

I'm actually fairly new to Mastodon. I had similar feelings as those who do not like them now. I've been converted

 

[errrrrl]

I'm just glad a thread was started here about a band other than Dokken or Lynch Mob.

 

[BrokenRomeo]

I like them...I prefer the newer, more melodic stuff. Their brand new track is cool...haven't heard any other bands that sound like this.

 

[Les Zombie]

Good band, i like them.
I dont have a problem with the vocals, i dig alot of their riffs.

 

[skoora]

Every song sounds like the combined ramblings of a meth tweaked hillbilly who's drunk on his own shine with odd time signatures seemingly for the sake of having odd time signatures. Meandering schizophrenia like guitar lines, massively forgettable riffs and three horrible vocalists to boot.
After trying desperately to like them for years, the lesson here is just because something's different, doesn't mean its anything special, or even good for that matter.

Thanks for describing it for me. I was struggling to put it into words...

 

[Badronald]

I like them...I prefer the newer, more melodic stuff. Their brand new track is cool...haven't heard any other bands that sound like this.

Wonderfully crafted song. Melody is fantastic. Performance is special.
If someone doesn't like that there's nothing really more to say. Everyone likes their own thing for sure but there is a common ground on good songwriting.

If this is the ramblings of a hillbilly redneck meth head then dammit I love the ramblings of hillbilly redneck meth heads.

And if this truly sucks I'd love someone to hip me to what is good in 2017.

 

[errrrrl]

I like them...I prefer the newer, more melodic stuff. Their brand new track is cool...haven't heard any other bands that sound like this.

I kind of liked that... Thanks. Maybe my problem was I seriously thought they were going to sound all heavy and shit for some reason. But after really listening and seeing them in that vid I now kind of see them as more of a Rush kind of band. I love old Rush.

 

[godgrinder]

Maybe my problem was I seriously thought they were going to sound all heavy and shit for some reason.

They were, just not anymore:

 

[peterc52]

My favourite band of all time.

Overrated, who know who are? VAN HALEN!!!

 

[Racerxrated]

I just listened to a few songs. High Road was cool, that first song was not good at all. lol

Ha ha this.
I'll download some stuff and give it a listen.

Hey, as long as it's heavy I'll like some of it I'm sure.

 

[Mr. Willy]

There's a lot of things I like about Mastodon and several things I don't. Their riffs and creativity are some of the best in metal right now, no doubt about that. Here are the things that irk me with them:

Vocals - while they've progressively gotten better, no one in the band really stands out as a great vocalist. This is a weakness, imho.

Drumming - I may get some flack for this because I realize the guy is very, very good. But, he seems to play the same way in practically every song. He overplays to the point that I feel like his drum tracks could virtually be interchangeable in many songs they do. While amazingly technical and precise, it's too frantic too often.

Melody/hook - they do have moments of nice melody, and they write some very catchy hook riffs, but those moments don't come around often enough. You get those moments usually once or twice, and then they're gone for the rest of the song. You keep waiting and wanting them to come back around, but they don't. It makes me feel like what could have been an absolutely brilliant masterpiece of a song is only half realized.

Production - the new album has some of their best material to date on it, but the production is a muddy mess, imho. The guitars have too much gain, and they're not separated enough, which makes them muddy and less defined. I'd pan the guitars hard right and hard left. It'd widen the sound and make what both guys are playing more distinct. Also, the bass is too forward.

I know this is nitpicking, but I feel that these guys have the potential to truly be one of the all-time greats. Their song writing just hasn't quite caught up to that ideal yet. They do write, arguably, the coolest and most interesting riffs of any modern metal band out there.

 

[LunatiBSW]

I really like mastodon. I wasn't always a huge fan, but lately over the past year. Ive been listening to them more and more. I think their vocals have gotten much better. They also have a really good groove going in most their songs, with some great heavy riffs. I like their originality. They've made it pretty successful for no radio play

 

[Markedman]

Some of the coolest guys in the business!!! When "Blood Mtn." came out, Brann and Brent walked into the bar (Toad''s Place, New Haven, CT) before the show and hung out with the crowd. After the show, Brann gave my son a signed stick.

 

[Starman22]

Reality: it doesn't matter what anyone on RT thinks they are one of the top touring acts right now each member has sponsorships from top gear manufacturers and signature gear and millions of fans.

 

[LunatiBSW]

Reality: it doesn't matter what anyone on RT thinks they are one of the top touring acts right now each member has sponsorships from top gear manufacturers and signature gear and millions of fans.

Lmao.....TRUTH

 

[Bxlxaxkxe]

There's a lot of things I like about Mastodon and several things I don't. Their riffs and creativity are some of the best in metal right now, no doubt about that. Here are the things that irk me with them:

Vocals - while they've progressively gotten better, no one in the band really stands out as a great vocalist. This is a weakness, imho.

Drumming - I may get some flack for this because I realize the guy is very, very good. But, he seems to play the same way in practically every song. He overplays to the point that I feel like his drum tracks could virtually be interchangeable in many songs they do. While amazingly technical and precise, it's too frantic too often.

Melody/hook - they do have moments of nice melody, and they write some very catchy hook riffs, but those moments don't come around often enough. You get those moments usually once or twice, and then they're gone for the rest of the song. You keep waiting and wanting them to come back around, but they don't. It makes me feel like what could have been an absolutely brilliant masterpiece of a song is only half realized.

Production - the new album has some of their best material to date on it, but the production is a muddy mess, imho. The guitars have too much gain, and they're not separated enough, which makes them muddy and less defined. I'd pan the guitars hard right and hard left. It'd widen the sound and make what both guys are playing more distinct. Also, the bass is too forward.

I know this is nitpicking, but I feel that these guys have the potential to truly be one of the all-time greats. Their song writing just hasn't quite caught up to that ideal yet. They do write, arguably, the coolest and most interesting riffs of any modern metal band out there.

As a fan of the band, I agree with all of these points. Especially the production of the last two albums. It's not terrible, but for a band with so much sonic complexity, it could really use some definition and clarity.

 

[rokket2005]

I liked Leviathan, Blood Mountain, and Crack the Skye when they all came out. A few tracks from Blood Mountain are all that I would ever think to listen to these days though. If I want to listen to sludgier proggy metal with a lot more beauty in their music I'll listen to The Ocean over Mastodon 10 times out of 10. If you enjoy Mastodon I'd recommend picking up up The Oceans "Pelagial," it's an amazing album. Anthropocentric and Heliocentric to a slightly lesser degree are also great albums.