Mastodon - Medium Rarities

[ldj]

Once More 'Round the Sun was the best of the post-CTS stuff, though I enjoy them all even if they're not as essential as the first four.

Cold Dark Place was a great little EP as well, and I've suspected the last few years that its release led to his disinterest in the band. He wanted to do a double album, one an upbeat 'happy' release (Once More...) and then a more sombre side, which would be the Cold Dark Place material, when the double LP didn't happen he instead wanted it to be released later in the year to accompany the album, instead it was put on the backburner and randomly released years later.

Maybe I'm reaching but he seemed to lose a lot of interest in the band after how the release was handled, great little EP though other than Toes to Toes which is a bit cheesy.

Also, Halloween is a deadly tune.

[Squigs]

Was gonna say, love Cold Dark Place.

 

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

The kiddie vocal in Aunt Lisa is great. Pure Faith No More buzz.

[Pentagrimes]

The kiddie vocal in Aunt Lisa is great. Pure Faith No More buzz.

100 percent, alsways thought it was a direct nod. Cool song.

[StoutAndAle]

This popped up on youtube a few weeks back, a stormer of a set from the Leviathan era. He had great taste in guitars as well to be fair to him, always had extra style points. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH9nu2I-63g

Thank you for posting this, I had never seen it before so I watched with a few beers last night.

By Christ, they ripped it up.

I stopped being devout and blindly buying their records after "The Hunter" but watching that video (plus listening to "Leviathan" yesterday and "Remission" this morning)  reminded me of all the craic that I had seeing them live over the years.

[Mooncat]

Blood Mountain was always my favourite of theirs. It's by far the least talked about of their classic run of 'elements' albums, but it's always my go-to when I'm in the mood for Mastodon. I will concede that Leviathan is probably better, but there's something very absorbing about Blood Mountain. It's a big, meaty album and the one that most feels like you have to set the time aside for it to go on that adventure.

I never fully got into Crack the Skye but it often seems the one most raved about after Leviathan.

RIP to Brent, one of those truly shocking deaths. They played Belfast a fair few times in the mid 2000s and he was always just hanging around Katy Daly's having drinks with people. Definitely the kind of guy who would have just went off into the night with strangers to go on an adventure.

[The Butcher]

RIP - Tragic death - haven't really followed these guys - 'Blood And Thunder' was one of those popular songs that put me off them until I heard 'High Road' which peaked my interest at the time but never dived in - where's the best place to start? I'd assume the debut onwards judging from the comments here?

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Yeah, could give pointed recommendations, but you really can't go wrong with a chronological go at it.

[Ducky]

Blood Mountain was always my favourite of theirs. It's by far the least talked about of their classic run of 'elements' albums, but it's always my go-to when I'm in the mood for Mastodon. I will concede that Leviathan is probably better, but there's something very absorbing about Blood Mountain. It's a big, meaty album and the one that most feels like you have to set the time aside for it to go on that adventure.

I never fully got into Crack the Skye but it often seems the one most raved about after Leviathan.

Agree with this. CtS left me kinda cold when I first heard it at release and for a good few years afterwards. Eventually warmed up to it in a big way, but would still call it my least favourite of the first four.

Blood Mountain sounds like they threw everything including the kitchen sink down in the studio, and it all stuck. Their best production job too.

Leviathan is home to Aqua Dementia, which is one of my favourite songs full stop.

[Ducky]

Sad if true, but the band has been boring as shit for at least a decade.

Quite the non sequitur, given what the "sad if true" part is about!

I want to come back to this and your comment specifically - mine was completely tone-deaf and poor form.

RIP to the fella, he's partially responsible for some of my most enjoyed music this century, which is a towering achievement and absolutely dwarfs the fact that I didn't enjoy the last two albums much.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

No worries. Think the "is he, isn't he" had me a bit on the rag. It's not even a non sequitur, sure!

[Giggles]

Brann made a tribute to Brent at their gig in Alaska last night. Must have been a tough one to play.

RIP Brent

[Pentagrimes]

Ah god.

Imagine being the guy booing. People are assholes.

[Squigs]

Jaguar God another great Brent track.

[Trev]

Brann made a tribute to Brent at their gig in Alaska last night. Must have been a tough one to play.

RIP Brent

You can hear his voice starting to crack in places, fair play to them for managing through the gig, must have been rough