The Wolf Is Loose / An RM Mastodon Thread

[Leatherhead]

I just cannot get into this wave of "pop metal" bands at all (these guys, The Sword, Red Fang, etc.).

Would you call even Remission and Leviathan "pop metal?"

[LoathedVermin72]

I just cannot get into this wave of "pop metal" bands at all (these guys, The Sword, Red Fang, etc.).

Would you call even Remission and Leviathan "pop metal?"

Leviathan is the only album I've heard in full, and yeah.

[BurtReynolds]

It's probably my favorite brand of metal, but I'm not the biggest Mastodon fan.

[Jammer XCI]

Leviathan and Remission aren't pop metal at all, I mean maybe it has more cohesive song structures than Neurosis or ISIS or whatever, but it's still very much sludge metal.

The Emperor of Sand is about as poppy as it gets for 9/10ths of the thing though, it's alright and I probably will go see them next month when they come to town, but it's still nowhere close to the Leviathan - Crack the Skye stretch of albums. I don't even think I like it as much as Once More Round the Sun.

[bada]

The metal genres and what is and what isn't metal has always been ponderous to me. If I had to categorize I would think Motley Crue or Def Leppard as Pop Metal. Maiden, Priest and Metallica would be Heavy Metal and LV's grunt, bark and scream bands would be Extreme Metal. Then I guess you could have a million subgenres under those basic three or bands that move though multiple genres. I'm old though so that thinking is probably outdated. I guess if you were into grunt, bark and scream Metal everything not that would seem poppy.

[LoathedVermin72]

I am by no means a metal purist and I don't care if a band is "real" metal or not (What does that even mean?). I just don't like this particular type of metal in general, and find Mastodon boring.

[bada]

Fair enough.

[perhaps]

I'm really enjoying the new record. Only got really into them a few years ago. Always enjoyed Colony of Birchmen and Cut You Up With A Linoleum Knife.

If I had to rank them:
01. Emperor of Sand (think it's fantastic)
02. Crack the Skye
03. Once More 'Round the Sun
04. Blood Mountain
05. Leviathan
06. The Hunter
07. Remission
08. Call of the Mastodon

Album cover? Leviathan's vinyl version is by far my favorite.