Mastodon is going to be the next big metal band any time now. So far in their career they have released two full albums and an E.P., Lifesblood. This E.P. Lifesblood is the second release of Mastodons work, following "Call Of The Mastodon". The production of this E.P. compared to their later releases is not the best, but the band still plays strong with great skill. The vocals are a little more manic than in the later releases, but everything fits in exactly where it needs to be. The drumming by Brann Dailor is, as always, absolutely amazing. He is one of the best metal drummers out there. The guitars on this E.P. are more of a sharp type and not as heavy and thick as in the later albums.
MASTODON IS:
Brann Dailor: Drums
Troy Sanders: Bass, Vocals
Brent Hinds: Guitar, Vocals
Bill Kelliher: Guitar
Shadows That Move " The first song on the E.P., "Shadows That Move" is a great intro song to this 5-song masterpiece. It starts off with a man speaking angrily, which sets the mood for the song. Then all the instruments come in with a huge explosion. The vocals are great as a growl and they add to the whole song. The guitars in this sing are epic, very heavy and also fast at times. The drumming is amazing as usual with Dailor, and the bass backs everything up well. 10/10
Welcoming War " this is the second song, and it is much faster than the first one. The vocals remain at a growl sound and the guitars play some nifty parts while Dailor just goes crazy on his set. This is a really great song, but not the best on the disk. 7/10
We Built This Come Death " the song starts off fast with strange guitars, and then the vocals come in with a weird effect on them. This song is a good one that takes some listening to for getting used to. I love the background voices on this one. A pretty short song, but great nonetheless. 8/10
Hail To Fire " 4th song, starting off with a man talking about how a man wants his eggs cooked better than they get cooked now. A little strange, but appropriate. This song is a fast one, and a short one two, clocking in at just over 2 minutes. You could compare this song to "Crusher Destroyer" off of their first album, since they are both a two minute mosh marathon of a song. Perhaps this even beats "Crusher Destroyer" in some peoples" minds, and in mine it sure does. 9/10
Battle At Sea " the closing song off the E.P. and it does just that. It starts off slow with a man talking in the background of the guitar playing. Then the drums come in and everything has a very dark feel to it. Everything explodes with the distorted guitars, and the vocals are a deep growl with another scream over them. Very fast drums in the middle and a cool guitar riff along with them. The standout on this song is definitely the drumming; Dailor just does an amazing job with his small set. The song ends with them yelling "wage no war brutal sea laugh at you can't have me". Great song. 9/10
After listening to "Remission" or "Leviathan", you may be a bit surprised with what this music sounds like, but if you are into Mastodon then you definitely need to check this out. Great E.P. out of these guys and is should please you. 4/10
