THE MASTODON BEARD, LIVE
Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 10:18am by Vince NeilsteinMastodon were damn good last night. It was my third time seeing them this year (!) and nothing is ever going to top seeing them at a 500-cap venue this past May… but I’ll fight you if you say Mastodon aren’t one of the greatest bands of our generation.
Dethklok were actually a lot more entertaining than I was expecting. The idea of seeing a cartoon band live is off-putting at first, but the bandmembers certainly have the chops and the video screen presentation made the whole thing work. It was fun.
Anyway, here’s the official video for Mastodon’s “Oblivion”; I’d post a live video, but the vocals are always embarrassing. Love this video anyway.
Sadly no beards attacked me and took me on magical journeys at the show last night (though Kip’s man-whiskers are looking mighty tough as of late). Did you read Tres Crow’s piece of creative writing, “The Mastodon Beard“? You should.
-VN
They are highly over-rated. Not a horrible band but a highly over-rated one.
I agree
“… I’ll fight you if you say Mastodon aren’t one of the greatest bands of our generation.”
“…I’d post a live video, but the vocals are always embaRaSSing”
Huh? Are you saying the vocalist sucks live?
The vocals at the columbus show were actually good. The first time I saw them the vocals were so bad I left after two songs.
I saw them last May and last month. The first time the vocals were sub-par, especially on Oblivion, but when I saw them last month, the vocals were much better. Both shows were awesome though. They can really play well live.
I saw em on the Leviathan tour and it was one of the best shows I’d ever seen. But now, I’m sorry to say, their live show is boring at best… and the vocals were offensively bad. IMO.
Kinda the same thing as BTBAM. The music’s just too technical for them to play it live AND have a good time. IMO.
Does anyone really go to see a metal band besides Judas Priest or Iron Maiden for the vocals?
I’ll agree, any live vids I’ve seen, the vocals haven’t been great. But I’ve seen them perform Crack the Skye twice now, and both times have been fantastic. Actually being in a live venue def helps cover up some of the imperfections.
Well would you go out of your way to see a band with risible, consistently out of tune vocals? Clearly many do.
It just doesn’t make for a ‘great’ band, I can’t be convinced otherwise.
You have to keep in mind , Fufkin, Mastodon’s catalog is made primarily of harsh vocals and screams. I’ve seen them play when Blood Mountain first came out and they sounded great. I haven’t seen them perform Crack the Skye yet, but I have seen the videos, and… well… But I would say it isn’t an easy task going from “growls coming from the lowest pit of your gut” to “vagina tickling feather.”
Mastodon’s vocals aren’t THAT bad. They’re just not great. The chorus of Oblivion sounded excellent last night, as did all of “The Last Baron”. People on here make it sound as though they sing like the guy from the All American Rejects, which is far from the truth. Watching a video of them playing is completely different than actually being there. When you’re there, the vocals aren’t obnoxious at all, their songs sound great.
its true, the videos make the vocals sound way worse than they do live. theyre actually alright when your there….. that and the band is so tight.
Going tonight. Who headlined?
Dethklok played last, although I believe Mastodon’s set was just as long which would make it more of a co-headlining thing.
mastodon is one of the few bands left that i want to see live that i havent.
but from waht i notice on youtube and by word. they cant sing for shit live.
Somehow I missed seeing this video when it first came out… very cool stuff. Not nearly as cheesy as the Divinations video.
I was at that show! Almost in the front frow when Mastodon played. The energy in the crowd was fucking awesome, and Crack the Skye is incredibly epic live. Only Helen Keller could have stood where I was standing last night and not have said “Goddamn”. They also made some great choices for the non-CtS songs (Circle of Cysquatch, Aqua Dementia, Where Strides The Behemoth right into Mother Puncher, and the Melvins cover). Mastodon haters can suck a whole forest of choads, they are one of the best live metal bands of our time.
And Dethklok was badass. Brendon Small doing all the voices was hilarious, and Gene Hoglan is a fucking monster. Great fucking show. I’m trying to find and extra ticket for tonight’s show that doesn’t cost a trillion dollars from a scalper.
Mastodon are certainly not one of the greatest bands of our generation
I don’t think there are any good bands in our generation.
commit suicide, or stop listening to music.
Who… played… last…. ?
Dethklok. Mastodon played for longer, but Dethklok played last.
I went to the show in Chicago and Mastodon played and sang really really well.
Agreed. Mastodon was bad ass at the Aragon.
to bad the aragon has horribe sound
what about converge???
I was at the show last night and it was frickin EPIC! Whoever didn’t see Mastodon live, can’t say that they aren’t one of the greatest metal bands out there. They literally blew my my mind!
Converge was pretty good too. Really chaotic show. Slight problem was, that there were too many ninja assholes in the pit. But I still had an awesome night!
Oh and Jacob Bannon is probably the most drugged up dude in metal. He was high as a kite.
And Mastodon’s vocals were VERY GOOD.
Jake’s straight-edge/vegan
wow! dude, the energy that Jake has is insane.
It’s interesting that you could think that, though. He’s one of the most enigmatic, bizarre people, not just personally, but on stage especially.
Last night Jacob Bannon made a clear point that one of their songs was an anti-drug song, so I’m not sure he was high as a kite…but Mastodon threw it DOWN. It was my 10th time seeing them and it was the best. They definitely have off nights and on nights, and last night they were at the top of their game. They didn’t seem horrendously wasted this time, Brent in particular seemed very focused for a guy who has such an insane reputation and who I’ve seen completely shitfucked onstage.
word. These dudes just like live in their guitars. Un-fuckin-believeable.
yeah when i saw em in kc, the ninja wannabe fuckers came out of nowhere
i love them, but they do sound terrible live. at least the vocals.
Saw the first Boston show on Tuesday night. Mastodon stepped it up with the vocals from the last time I saw them, really good stuff. Converge was good, High on Fire did not get enough respect from the 14 year old kids and their parents, who made up about half of the fucking crowd. Dethklok was kinda funny, mostly boring.
That crowd SUCKED. There was this fucker in the front wearing a World of Warcraft shirt who turned his back on Converge during their last few songs and flipped them off. I wanted to punch him in the eyes.
I’m guessing the 14 year olds are for Dethklok?
I was there, and I was blown away. I thought the vocals sounded just fine. I still can’t get over the fact that they played all of Crack the Skye. It was amazing. And I was impressed with the video set-up and performance of Dethklok and the actual musicians. PLUS I love High on Fire, so seeing them was a treat.
Mastodon before Crack the Skye is pure shit. Metal without solos? Are you kidding me? If there’s no guitar talent in a metal/rock band, well it quite frankly sucks. New album is ok, but not as “genius” as everyone calls it, in fact far from it. And don’t cal it prog, Dream Theater is prog, this is “proggy” at best. Dethklok is fine. Oh and fight me Vince. Come to Russia and fight me.
He doesn’t have to. You live in fucking Russia. Punishment enough.
Why is it a punishment? I was to the US twice, nothing that made me stay :P
last night was my 6th time seeing mastodon and they were ace, crack the skye was unbelievable again. dethklok was really badass and i was not expecting that kind of a show from them. but there are two words that can really sum up my night, GENE” HOGLAN!!!! motherfucker was destroying shit behind the kit last night.
oh and totally agreed last may’s mastodon show was better than this one, but like two and a half years ago they played starland ballroom in february and that was the greatest mastodon show ever.
Yeah man, I had bullet holes in my clothes just from Gene’s drumming. Hearing Gene Hoglan and Brann Dailor play in one night was fucking fantastic. That starland show was excellent, but last night, I dunno…they really threw it down. Even for someone who’s seen Mastodon 10 times, I was impressed.
i guess its beacause i already saw crack the skye i wanted to hear more other stuff, but ill take any mastodon i can get
Mastodon aren’t one of the greatest bands of our generation. Wait, what generation? The sissy, hide-behind-your-keyboard and crack semi-humorous jokes on online forums generation?
C’mon, punkass. I’ll fuck you up. Fight me.
Menstrating?
You are also on the internet with a fake name and know you have zero chance of getting your ass beat. Dont act like that comment makes you a badass….
I’ve tried, but i don’t get why people love this band so much…???
And people say their vocals suck live. So what good is a band if they can’t do live what they do on record?
Fucking trends. Plus people like Vince tell other people to like it.
anselmo? lol
Can’t wait for this show on the 18th the videos were great and the bands Chimaira and Soilent Green were great and now that Mastodon is co-headlining this is gonna be fucking awesome and if you think Mastodon isn’t fucking great then you deserve to be tossed in a wood chipper. Anyone who can’t hear the greatness that is Mastodon is a complete idiot.
In a comment that will be tucked away in obscurity, I just got back from the Mastodon show and they were amazing for myself. Crack the Skye from start to finish with a 4 song encore to boot. The vocals were not great, but I did not care, considering how the band played felt perfect. Plus the trippy screen behind them complete eye candy for Halloween eve. I do not understand what is the big deal with Deathlok though. There were SO many people to see that band to which I think that no one was there for Mastodon, except for a couple of hundred people. Found it weird, thought they were bigger than the cartoon band. I was wrong.
I think i saw you there. i remember seeing a jew chillin somewhere(not in the GA… soundbooth or VIP ledge) that reminded me of a familiar southpark avatar i saw on this site…
Anyone know if those trippy vids of Rasputin battling demons are from an old movie? regardless, I saw em in Toronto last week, nearly flawless performance, amazingly passionate crowd. Oblivion had a more intense mosh than most of the Converge songs that night funnily enough
just got back 5 minutes ago from the philly show, twas fucking sick.