Mammoth metal
Mastodon mix Russian mysticism and elemental magic on Crack the SkyeApril 24, 2009 by Christine Leonard
Drawing inspiration from history, classic literature and bad-ass riffs, Mastodon are a metal force to be reckoned with
The band has even done some soundtrack work. Avid fans of the cartoon series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Mastodon let loose on the thrash-worthy “Cut You Up With a Linoleum Knife” in the opening to Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres. Pursuing such extraordinary artistic avenues continues to be a passion for founding member Bill Kelliher, who equates Mastodon’s increasingly accessible sound to their development as a musical entity.
“We kind of got trapped into a four-album cycle,” Kelliher admits, laughing. “Maybe trapped isn’t the right word — it sort of evolved unintentionally. We later realized that our first full-length, Remission, had lots of fire-oriented tracks on it, like ‘March of the Fire Ants,’ ‘Trainwreck’ and ‘Burning Man.’ We were a pretty fiery band back then, fighting to make a record while working regular jobs. With Leviathan we had the whole aquatic theme. Brann had spent a long plane ride from Hawaii reading Moby Dick and was inspired to explore its themes…. By the time we got to the concepts around the ‘earth’ album, Blood Mountain, our music had a really strong storytelling feel running through it.”
Continuing their mythic journey, the foursome (Kelliher, drummer Brann Dailor, guitarist Brent Hinds and bassist Troy Sanders, who all contribute vocals) have struck elemental gold with their latest offering on Relapse Records. Recorded by the unlikely duo of Bruce Springsteen producer Brendan O’Brien and Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Crack the Skye mingles disparate themes ranging from Russian history to astral projection. Unfurling like something out of one of George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy novels, Crack the Skye’s fantastical plot was conceived and fleshed-out by the Georgia quartet’s drummer, who lost a sister named Skye at a young age. The perfect complement to a larger-than-life sound typified by leaden bass drones, crashing percussion and intricate guitar runs, Brann’s tale revolves around a paraplegic child who travels to outer space, where he encounters the spirit of Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin.
“This time out, we knew we wanted to work with the element of air,” says Kelliher. “We looked at space, wind, time travel, ghosts that fly around in the atmosphere and all the things that tie us to the spiritual realm. There’s a lot of conjuring and talking to the dead, but it’s not blatantly obvious. Our lyrics are open to interpretation; we allow our audiences to draw their own parallels and conclusions.”
The one thing everyone can agree on is Mastodon’s signature cover art, which has been consistently stunning. “From Day 1 our artist, Paul [Romano], has really tapped into our music. The art he produces is fed off the tones of the ideas we use. We are so fortunate to have so many songs and riffs inside us and countless ideas and energies to draw from — it’s a big well of talent.”
Despite the bizarre nature of their artistic leanings, Mastodon’s popularity has exceeded the realms of heavy metal and overflowed into the mainstream. Racking up fans and royalties at a brisk rate, the lumbering behemoth has sunk its tusks into other markets. In addition to licensing songs to two commercials for the U.S. army (let’s not dwell on those), they’ve embraced the video game market, selling tunes like “Sleeping Giant,” “Blood and Thunder” and “Colony of Birchmen” to the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series.
“I understand the attraction to gaming,” Kelliher confirms. “Just like listening to music, emulating playing an instrument lets you go into a fantasy world. I don’t play video games that much — I’m 38 years old and I’m living the fantasy!”
Mastodon performs with Intronaut & Kylesa MacEwan Ballroom
No comments:
Post a Comment