If Call of the Mastodon represented the Atlanta quartet finding their feet, then their official debut album is the moment that truly stamped their arrival on the American heavy metal scene. While the compilation may lack the overall narrative cohesion and vision of their later records, Call of the Mastodon should ultimately be viewed as the band's first "true" album - a sentiment Kelliher expressed to Loudwire in 2017. Both "Shadows That Move" and "Hail to Fire" bristle with livewire energy that feels almost hardcore-inspired, while "Battle at Sea" and the droning "Deep Sea Creature" point towards the quartet's inclination for distortion, juxtaposition, and thematic lyrical gestures - albeit across a more abrasive vocal range that future albums would wisely temper. However, this sonic adolescence still manages to provide subtle hints toward the band's future potential.įrom the thrash-like precision and murky downstrokes of "We Built This Come Death" to the frantic rhythmic pummeling of "Welcoming War," it's clear that Hinds and Kelliher always had the chops as axemen to rival sludge icons like Eyehategod's Jimmy Bower and High On Fire's Matt Pike. Repackaged out of sequence, the compositions sound less like the towering and imposing beast of their Pleistocene namesake and more like a wild elephant calf finding its feet. Released in early 2006 as one of their final projects with long-time label Relapse Records (and before their big-league step up to Reprise Records and Warner Music), Call of the Mastodon provides a scattershot sampling of the band's early years.įeaturing tracks from the Slickleg and Lifesblood EPs - both originally released in 2001 and remastered by original producer Matt Washburn - this compilation LP showcases a proto-Mastodon still in formation. To fully appreciate Mastodon's turn-of-the-millennium beginnings, it's necessary to jump forward in time ever so slightly. With each member of the group bringing their unique talents to bear across their diverse discography - Dailor's impeccable polyrhythms and smooth melodic croon Hinds' banjo-inspired hybrid picking and wailing growl Sanders' rumbling low-end tone and gruff yell Kelliher's steady rhythms and technical versatility - Mastodon's collective unity has created something greater than the sum of its gifted parts. It's easy to see how this continuity has been fundamental to their success, impressive body of work and growth as musicians. With the exception of original lead vocalist Eric Saner (who left the group in its infancy prior to any formal releases), the core quartet has remained unchanged for over two decades. After relocating to Atlanta and stopping by a High on Fire show in a friend's basement, they quickly forged an easy friendship with bassist Troy Sanders and lead guitarist Brett Hinds over their shared love of sludge metal, classic new wave British heavy metal (NWOBHM), and dive-bar hard rock staples.Ĭontrary to most acts in the genres of metal and rock, Mastodon has never been a revolving door of membership. Presented by, Songbook is an editorial series and hub for music discovery that dives into a legendary artist's discography and art in whole - from songs to albums to music films and videos and beyond.Įven though it sounds like the product of some urban legend, buried deep in the digital detritus of an obscure Reddit thread, the members of Mastodon really did meet at a High on Fire show in 2000.ĭrummer Brann Dailor and rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher were already well acquainted and a fixture of the New York underground scene, having played together in mathcore outfit Lethargy and noisegrind act Today Is The Day.
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