You guys are talking like being mainstream is a bad thing. I think the progression that the band has had is good for the band. Unfortunately the terrible vocals and choruses in most of the songs in this album is disappointing. Nevertheless I don't think that is exclusively due to a conscious effort by the band to reach a wider audience.

There have been many other bands such as Anathema, Katatonia, Ulver etc who have changed a lot from their heavy origins, but done it gracefully enough to not be called sellouts.

@seerix: yeah, there were a lot of those for the last track but luckily I waited for the full rip

Well I am not sure if I am not more entertained by this version than whatever the real verion is, at least the first part

IMO there's nothing wrong with being mainstream. True most of the bands I like are unheard of to most people but I enjoy lots of mainstream bands and artists in different genres in addition to metal. My problem with the mainstream is when a band changes their music for the worse because they want to appeal to the masses. I'm not sure if that is what influenced Mastodon's decision to go this route musically, and I'm not saying I don't enjoy this album because they've gotten more popular. I don't enjoy this album (although it does have its moments as I mentioned earlier) because I don't like the way it sounds. It lacks most of the qualities that I enjoyed in their previous works. Yes they've been gradually becoming more melodic with each release but this seems like a big departure even from their last album.

hmmm... then maybe you could pm me that file

btw, can i say the... "ultimate horror"?

Just as long as you use the lower case and no bold is used.....because there is only one acceptable meaning for The Ultimate Horror! or THE ULTIMATE HORROR!

P.S. I keep meaning to ask this, but is anyone old enough amongst you that remembers when guitarists could actually play their guitars without looking at their fingers?

hey man, it takes visual precision to slide a chord 3 frets. especially when it's a jazz chord.


but seriously what i don't get is why just about every single band out there sets up on stage the same way. the drums are the focal point of this band, the drummer is widely known as the prime creative force in the group. why is he hidden? the singer has about as much stage presence as the lead vocalist to an ac/dc cover band taking a shit while trying to sound like sabbath-era ozzy.

the other guitar and bass, as you said, kept checking their fingers, maybe it's a way of proving to today's kids that they're playing their instruments for real. dunno. either way, why not setup the drums front and center? let the crowd see what he's doing, setup the guitar and bass off to the sides since they're mainly background anyway.

I always enjoyed Tool's setup, for what it's worth...Maynard in the back left facing away from the crowd next to Danny with everyone evenly spaced in a square grid...makes no one person more important than the other, visually.

I remember Paul D'Amour actually talked to the audience more than Maynard did in the early going (saw them twice for Undertow). Did Chancellor take that over or has Maynard since been the main spokesman onstage?


If you want...it's just a metal version of the Rick Astley song, then a Dragonforce song (or imitation of one) and then a hip hop tune...

EDIT: The bad hip hop tune is actually Brokencyde's "Freaxxx." I saw the video and one of the guys looks like that loser from Tokio Hotel, but with a different shitty hairstyle. It is entertaining one time and only because of the guy screaming through it. I think that Dragonforce tune is probably the real band then.

I honestly have no problem with mastodon becomming popular. The problem i have is that just because a metal band isn't playing small bars to like 100 people they are sell outs.