Album Review: Mastodon's "Once More 'Round The Sun"

MASTODON

*Once More ‘Round The Sun*

(Warner Bros.)

The most remarkable thing about Mastodon is the band’s guitar interplay. Serpentine--constantly writhing and evolving in shape and sound--is the most apt description for it, and the band’s sixth album continues to amaze in this way.

“Chimes At Midnight” is a showcase, among 10 other strong tracks, with its chiming guitar intro that morphs into a heavy rocker by way of Mastodon’s unique brand of progressive metal. A Southern rock-tinged version of Iron Maiden is the closest comparison. Bassist Troy Sanders’ vocals on the verses mesh perfectly with guitarist Brent Hinds’ Ozzy Obsourne-like wails on the chorus.

Few other metal bands can match Mastodon’s wide open instrumental arrangements, displayed on the aforementioned song and frequently throughout the five previous albums, but at the same time, the band has taken a slightly more conventional approach to its songwriting on this one. “High Road,” the first single from the album, is a catchy, grungy tune that, besides its extended guitar solo interplay, is fairly straightforward. The lyrics on “Ember City,” sung by Sanders, are relationship-centered, a departure for a band that has fashioned fantasy concept albums about mythical creatures (*Blood Mountain* and *Leviathan*) or time travel (*Crack The Skype*). Perhaps refreshingly, Sanders implores: “And if I want you to stay/What do I say to you?”

An uncharacteristic inclusion of a closing chorus of female vocalists chanting “Hey, ho, let’s fucking go / Hey, ho, let’s get up and rock and roll” occurs on “Aunt Lisa.” It doesn’t ruin the high-paced song, but is evidence the band is striving for more mainstream inclusion of melody and harmony compared to early albums. “Asleep In The Deep” is another surprising head-scratcher that although evolves into a harder sound, starts off almost ballad-like. Even with these moments, every track delivers the energy and unpredictable metal arrangements that are a hallmark.

Listen for the last two minutes of “Halloween” for pedal-to-the-floor guitar riffing between Hinds and Bill Kelliher: scary good.

Bottom line: This is the best full album yet by the smartest and most creative metal band around.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Link to "Chimes At Midnight" audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6zU87xJoBk
Link to music video of "High Road": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aw1WnNVcYw

Link to Mastodon concert review: http://jasonscales.blogspot.com/2014/05/concert-review-mastodon-gojira-kvelertak.html

Two-for-one metal shows reviewed: High On Fire and Red Fang

Here are my thoughts on two heavy metal shows I attended to check out two West Coast bands who recently came through Chicago: Oakland's legendary High On Fire and Portland's upstart Red Fang. I had seen High On Fire twice before, once at Lincoln Hall and once at the Aragon Ballroom as the opener to a Mastodon and Dethklok bill. They are not to be missed. It was a first time for Red Fang. I enjoyed both shows.

Matt Pike of High On Fire at the Empty Bottle

HIGH ON FIRE
May 31, 2014
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Seeing this band at this venue was like watching a dinosaur stomp through your basement. In particular, iconic singer-guitarist-songwriter Matt Pike commanded the stage like few other metal frontmen can. Shirtless and tattooed, he wielded his axe while gruffly declaring his fantasy-laden lyrics: it's like a heavy metal pep rally for the Orcs of Mordor. Highlights included the following tracks from the band's past few albums: "Fury Whip," "Fertile Green" and "Frost Hammer." The low-ceiling, intimate space of the Empty Bottle was filled for the 90-minute, late-night set.
That same weekend, the band took the stage at the Do Division street fest as well as another gig at the Bottle, so you had plenty of opportunity to see the three-piece destroy.
BITE CAFE, an eatery next door affiliated with the Bottle, is in fact a great place for a bite to eat before a show. I highly recommend the bacon gravy poutine and the fried oysters and grits. You can also get the poutine with a mushroom-based gravy. Heads-up: the restaurant is BYO, so come prepared (like I didn't).

Red Fang at The Wire

RED FANG
June 3, 2014
The Wire, Berwyn, IL
This sleek, relatively new venue was the perfect spot for Red Fang, who was touring to support new album “Whales And Leeches” (see separate blog entry for review of that album). The brick-walled, open-air space was packed with fans eager to see and hear this Portland band’s take on grungy stoner rock, similar to harder-edged Queens Of The Stone Age offerings.  The four-piece band was tight, especially on the following tracks: “Crows In Swine,” “Blood Like Cream, “No Hope,” and “DOEN.” 
A small mosh pit developed early in the band’s set and continued throughout, only to lose steam once when someone puked. An employee with a mop bucket quickly took care of the mess.
Like the Empty Bottle, The Wire is small. Unlike the Bottle, it is airy and modern, if also simplistic in design and comforts: a few high top tables are scattered in the front space in addition to bar seating. There appeared to be a small balcony section, but I didn’t look hard enough to find the stairs up there. In general, the place had good sound and is easily accessible off 290 from city and suburbs.

Album review: Mammoth Nation's "Livestock For Sale"

Link to PDF file of published review, in June 2014 issue of Illinois Entertainer magazine. Navigate to page 14, or read review below:
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/illinois-entertainer-june-2014/0320603001401595138

If the success of Elmhurst’s The Orwells (recently hailed in the Chicago Tribune as the next big thing in rock) draws more attention to the young musicians in the Western suburbs, Mammoth Nation deserves a look. On *Livestock For Sale*, the band’s four-song EP (a fifth track is a radio friendly version), “Key This” impresses the most. It’s a Red Hot Chili Pepper-influenced jam with rapid-fire lyrics and extended axe-grinding that would make John Frusciante smile. “Intoxicated Melancholy” is up-tempo pop punk that builds to an anti-climactic alt-rock conclusion. “Underline” further proves the four-piece can write a catchy pop punk tune, and “20-20” has an understated reggae backbone.

Appearing at The Wire in Berwyn June 14.

Link to FB page: https://www.facebook.com/mammothnationIL

P 14 of June 2014 IE

: ignore photo, that's not MN

Album review: Red Fang's "Whales And Leeches"

Red Fang is appearing at The Wire in Berwyn, IL, on June 3--I'll be there.

The album review below originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of Illinois Entertainer magazine, on page 50.
Link to PDF file of the issue: http://www.joomag.com/magazine/illinois-entertainer-june-2014/0320603001401595138

Red Fang has inadvertently recorded the theme song for the past Chicago winter. On “DOEN,” the first track on the Portland band’s new 11-track album *Whales And Leeches,* the singer bellows: “Winter is your doom / sun set comes too soon.”  The instrumentation is high-energy, grungy and doomsday sufficient. Queens Of The Stone Age comparisons abound, with “Blood Like Cream” sounding like a bonus track from “Rated R”-era QOTSA. Red Fang is harder, though, more like Kings Of The Jurassic Age, and therefore similarities to legendary Pacific Northwesterners The Melvins make more sense (although Red Fang’s song structures are infinitely more linear than the Melvins’). Themes of tooth-and-claw survival are explored, with brash guitar riffs and screaming solos to match, especially prominent on “No Hope” and the seven-minute, slower tempo “Dawn Rising.”

7/10

- Jason Scales

Link to David Letterman appearance, playing "Blood Like Cream": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE9Iv56pBXo