Mastodon - Leviathan - review
Mastodon - Leviathan - review
Tracklist
01. Blood And Thunder02. I Am Ahab
03. Seabeast
04. Island
05. Iron Tusk
06. Megalodon
07. Naked Burn
08. Aqua Dementia
09. Hearts Alive
10. Joseph Merrick
A review by
Deadsoulman October 18, 2004
The first impression is that this album is quieter, but it soons proves to be nothing but a mere impression given by the fact that the vocals are more varied and less annoying than before. There is still this typical hardcore screaming, but the singer (couldn't figure out which one it is) masters his vocal chords much better now, and shows amazingly extended abilities when it comes to clean and almost charming singing. One word about the drums: the revelation of Remission is confirmed. Brann Dailor is a drum-hero. I hope that bands which, in the future, will try and cover Mastodon's songs, will have courageous drummers. There's a good ton of talent in this guy.
We now come to the core of Leviathan. Pardon me if I tell a load of bullshit in the following paragraph, but me poor Froggy not understand what they be saying. So for my atrophied comprehension, this album would be a concept based on Melville's Moby Dick. But I'm not sure at all. Whatever...
I am amazed at how unique Mastodon's music is. It is a blend of genres that seem as far from each other as possible (thrash, hardcore and stoner), but it goes like clockwork, without being messy, repetitive or annoying. On one song you think you're hearing a band a la Down ('Blood And Thunder', which is the successor of 'March Of The Fire Ants', the killer track of Remission), on the other it sounds like Neurosis ('Aqua Dementia', with guest appearance of Scott Kelly of Neurosis), in the middle you have bits a la The Dillinger Escapa Plan ('Megalodon'), some noisy hardcore ('Island') and even melodic passages like 'Seabeast( or 'Naked Burn' (two of the best songs, they are easy when it comes to being melodic).
Lots of influences as you see, but in the end all that remains is Mastodon, a band that sounds like no other, a band that despite bringing a good dose of complexity manages to remain groovy and catchy. I am now struck by a stupid thought: I have just noticed that Mastodon is probably one of the most talented bands of its generation. And Leviathan is one of the best albums I have heard so far in 2004. Deeply original.
Highlights: Blood And Thunder, Seabeast, Naked Burn, Aqua Dementia and the epic Hearts Alive
Written by Deadsoulman | October 18, 2004
Comments
Comments:
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Posts: 170  |
Posts: 170
The best album from 2004 and 9 is nothing for the quality of this album. Highlights without "I am Ahab", "Island", "iron Tusk" and "Megalodon"  This masterpiece don´t have highlights, all the album is a Highlight. By the way, the melodic voices (as the agressive ones) are from the guitarist Brent Hinds, the genious of the colective. (Brann Dailor too of course).
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| Despised Icon
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The whole album is a highlight I would say. I must also say that they had some guts using that idea of being in a party full of clowns in that video for the "Blood And Thunder" song but, regardless of how awkward the idea must seem, at the end the video came out to be pretty grim. The drumming in this album is pretty damn good, as it was in the previous one. I must say that my favorite song would be "Iron Tusk" off this album. I read that the album is indeed based in the book Moby Dick because one of the members (I cannot recall which one) was reading the book during touring so they got the idea from it. I luckily got my hands in the Limited Edition CD which contains the Audio DVD. Good review.
---- Christless
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Posts: 170 Written by Darth Satanious on 22.07.2006 at 08:30 It was Brann Dailor
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Posts: 1023
I would say the highlight is Hearts Alive ^^ well I'm not a big fan of sludge/stoner with vocals, I prefer long, epic tracks which flows through differents riffs and feelings... great!
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Posts: 1464
Extreme awesomeness in the shape of a CD. 10/10
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Jotun_01
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Posts: 4955
Deffinitely this reviews on mastodon make me wnat to get into them.
---- "Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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Posts: 2955
good review. mastodon is spetacular.. i love specially the albuns with well-defined themes. this one. besides good musicially, is extreme original, and that makes it very special.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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Posts: 11957
This is a very enjoyable album, I remember getting it after I saw them life and they were impressive. They don't disappoint on the record. Its very good stuff.
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Posts: 251
Just bought the Ltd DVD edition 2nd hand from my local... good shit. I'd give the album a 9... I prefer Blood Mountain.
---- VICTORY!!!!! (They love it in France)
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Posts: 3531
Incredible Album indeed, Complex, Brutal, Soft, Groovy... Blending all that together pretty much describes Leviathan and to me it is probably one of the best recorded album of our generation. I can say with no doubt that Mastodon will leave a big bloody mark in the metal world... and inspire alot of new artists. They got guts to experiment and blend multiple genres together to prove that every kind of metal is enjoyable... I love this band and I hope they'll never stop making incredible music!
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Lit. Metalhead
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Posts: 1941 Written by [user id=101272] on 29.12.2010 at 03:24 Hardcore, not grindcore.
---- They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end But everybody's only looking out for themselves And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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Posts: 756
Hearts Alive is immensely enjoyable, trying to get into this album!
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