Mastodon - Medium Rarities

[ldj]

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

[Squigs]

Been listening to Gigantium off H&G all evening. H&G was written in the shadow of the death of their old manager and Branns divorce, those themes run through - it's not a miserable record by any stretch, but this Gigantium is the closer and it's like a release of the tension that has come before. It's a class, class song anyway, but lyrically it feels real apt again. Friend of mine died earlier this year and I spun the shit out of it then and doing the same now. While Mastodon are my all-time favourite band, I'm not here weeping for Brent, he wasn't my friend, but it is just truly gutting for him, the band, whatever future they could have potentially had together years down the line. He fuckin rips a great solo at the end too.

Again, Remission it isn't, but there's some real power in their later stuff, mostly on H&G and Empire of Sand.

[Squigs]

In isolation and prob if you're not invested in wanting to care about new Mastodon it might seem shite and maudlin, but give it an the album another whirl.

[Trev]

Again, Remission it isn't, but there's some real power in their later stuff, mostly on H&G and Empire of Sand.

EoS seems to get a bit of a poor response but I think it's fucking class

H&G took a long time to properly get into, love it now though

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Been listening to Gigantium off H&G all evening. H&G was written in the shadow of the death of their old manager and Branns divorce, those themes run through - it's not a miserable record by any stretch, but this Gigantium is the closer and it's like a release of the tension that has come before. It's a class, class song anyway, but lyrically it feels real apt again. Friend of mine died earlier this year and I spun the shit out of it then and doing the same now. While Mastodon are my all-time favourite band, I'm not here weeping for Brent, he wasn't my friend, but it is just truly gutting for him, the band, whatever future they could have potentially had together years down the line. He fuckin rips a great solo at the end too.

Nicely put. And yeah, ripping, whopper solo on Gigantium 

[Anton Arcane]

Never a band that really clicked with me despite umpteen tries (I must have bought at least half their albums over the years) but he always seemed like a very likeable and cool guy. As did all of them in fairness. In another timeline I could have seen them reforming but I would defer to the opinion of more a studied fan.

I remember though when the first album came out and all the lads were playing the March of the Fire Ants riff, only usually to be tauld off by their drummer for being in the wrong time signature. You just knew even back then that they were going to leave a mark in history.

[Circlepit]

I fist saw them in 2005 and they were brilliant. No frills, just a pure powerhouse.
Crack The Skye and Leviathan are 2 fantastic albums that stand the test  of time.

[Ducky]

Shite buzz. Will stick on Leviathan tomorrow, one of the best albums of that decade.

[open face surgery]

Again, Remission it isn't, but there's some real power in their later stuff, mostly on H&G and Empire of Sand.

EoS seems to get a bit of a poor response but I think it's fucking class

H&G took a long time to properly get into, love it now though

I think EoS is savage. I'll give H&G a lash again at some point.

[CorkonianHunger]

I was big into them as a teenager. Everything from the first EP. I really liked OMRTS too. Wasn't huge on The Hunter. Fell off when they put out EoS.

Got back into them about 2 years ago as the missus was listening to them. Ended up really liking EoS and H&G. Thought they were both brilliant after that. Always thought they put together a varied set every tour as well.

Shame it ended the way it did. I had a feeling a reunion was possible down the line.

[CorkonianHunger]

Some great deep cuts of there's that I never heard much people talk about.

This Mortal Soil
Trilobite
Hearts Alive
Battle at Sea

[Trev]

Some great deep cuts of there's that I never heard much people talk about.

This Mortal Soil
Trilobite
Hearts Alive
Battle at Sea

Great tracks, I'd add

Siberian Divide
Island
Clandestiny
Chimes at Midnight
The Sparrow

[Squigs]

I love the triple header of Dry Bone Valley/Thickening/Creature Lives on The Hunter. I saw them in Brixton in 2012 which ended up being the live album they released and they closed with Creature Lives and they dropped balloons, which was fun. I assumed it was gonna be a set closer for the album tour. I saw them a heap over the following few years and it never appeared again.

Few great shouts there.

[Carnage]

A piece from a lad who knew him:

https://ghostcultmag.com/feature-in-memory-of-william-brent-hinds-july-16th-1974-august-20th-2025/

[Squigs]

Ember City/Halloween/Diamond in the Witchhouse is another great run. I also love Aunt Lisa before those too, but the kiddie-vocal is a real Marmite moment.

Tying back to Brent though, very hard to have such unique personality in your playing, as an entity entirely unto itself almost, separate from the bands sound, but for it to work so well. Takes real craft and skill to make something like the seashanty riff in Megalodon not sound stupid and shit as a bridge between the intro and the Sanitarium "ripoff" riff.