Q: what's the sole difference between sputmetal and the rolling stone
A: sputmetal actually listens to metal lmfao

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

This band has always been one of the most interesting and skilled bands I've listened to over the years. But sometimes its hard for me not to think of Brann as having that "dude singing in the shower" type of quality. Am I alone in this?

Album Rating: 4.0

Definitely not alone with this. Vocals are a weak point tbh

Album Rating: 2.5

It's honestly the primary reason why I can't get into poppy-don, I'm not mad at this for lacking BrUTaLiTY (or whatever), it's just when a lot of the focus is on the vocals, they need to be damn good.

Album Rating: 4.0

I think the vocals suit the music and also I think the vocals have been so improved since Remission days when I first listened that they tend to get a pass because they always feel improved

Album Rating: 3.0

Appreciate the image, but I knew the vinyl would be even funkier in the splitting up of tracks. Side B and C seem exceptionally short with most of the runtime being between A + D. I definitely imagined how strong of an album it would be if you slapped those two together and called it one. The weird thing for me is, I just don't think it would significantly improve or detract... the middle songs are just kind of there, but that's really just me and how I'm feeling about it. I'm thinking if there was Side A and Side D and you placed Pushing the Tides in the middle between the two it might make a complete feeling album, but one that I necessarily still wouldn't think is better than Emperor of Sand you know?



Pain With An Anchor ----> The Beast ----> Pushing the Tides ---> Savage Lands to the end.



The other thing I was reminded of last night, was take a song like Crystal Skull for instance. For 3:37, (and one could say even just in 3 mins), some serious ground is covered. Sure it's a heavier style but regardless, the amount of variation and phases of the song is impressive that by the end of three minutes it still feels like a complete full song with no wasted space. Set aside Hearts Alive and your epic of your choice on CtS, and consider for a moment that in 5.5 mins, Siberian Divide is probably the densest composition they have ever penned. To me that is the pinnacle of their musicianship and sort of the metric I measure them by. A 3 minute Show Yourself just doesn't compare to any three minutes of Crystal Skull. An 8 minute Gobbler of Dregs just doesn't compare to 5 or even 3 minutes of Siberian Divide. I appreciate that this is their own thing with H&G, and I do acknowledge that this is an album just not meant for me, because there's gonna be some like that. I still dig the band basically as much as I ever have because their ethos is still the same. But I do feel like there just isn't enough fluctuation amid these longer songs to justify the journeys that could have been taken nor enough variation among the songs to have so many of them, but I understand that is just a subjective preference. I know a 3.0 is a lousy score, but it's not just out of straight hating. I still consider it "Good". I had it a 3.5 and it might make it's way back up by the end of the year, but I just don't think it's going to hit the 4 where I have EoS and Remission at respectively.



Hope that's not too much of a long-winded reply, but I'd certainly appreciate any additional thoughts or comments to this.

Album Rating: 4.5

I think you're comparing apples to oranges, in the sense that you compare different compositional approaches. The question is, did the band want to write songs with the same mindset as ''Siberian Divide'' or were they coming from/going to different places?

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah I love Brann but his vocals need to take a backseat. Brent and Troy have tones to their voice that add to things, but Brann's voice is just filler.

Album Rating: 4.0

@Assemblage I really appreciate your analysis, especially about what is "covered" in a certain amount of time. I think I would genuinely agree, after listening to the new album a bunch. I really dig it, and I think it's incredibly dense, but I do think "epic" and "progressive" don't always warrant a longer run time.

Album Rating: 4.0

"Had It All" is surprisingly one of the songs I keep playing over and over.

Album Rating: 3.0

Must apologize for my comments taking up so much room here, I think it's some weird things with the spaces so I'll try and go back and edit the spacing down.



But I most definitely don't want to be all criticism here. I really think the record has a great start to it, but even from early listening it kind gives the impression that the energy is going to "peter out", so for so much of the runtime to remain in that zone is probably where my deepest reservation lies. My favorites are Pain, Sickle and More Than I Could Chew. I think Sickle works great in its placement but at the same time is still setting the expected slow pace of the record. The main riff of Chew is simple but still glorious, and perfect for a fat Brann groove. Brann is Brann when it comes to vocals (laughed at the shower sentiment because it's pretty true) but I was impressed with Troy showing more nuance and restraint and overall trying newer things with his vocals, which I think is only possible through the slower and less musically frenzy approach. I've been wanting to throw Fallen Torches into the tracklist, and I think it might go amazing after Chew, then it can slide into Tides, followed by Savage Lands and the regular closing tracks. This would beef up the middle, give you a sort of quick shot ride and still give the emotional closeout people like. And then there's basically a separate album left of B-Side cuts. I think this would also still have the album feel unlike another Mastodon record and when it comes down to it, it isn't really changing much. The majority of what's there still wouldn't be my favorite Mastodon tunes but I think it would make it approachable for those who feel like I do about it. Also, Fallen Torches fits lyrically and thematically anyway, since it was the first thing they wrote after Nick John's passing. I was hoping for two Scott Kelly tracks on this one, (a bruiser and a mellower) and it would kind of fill that spot.

Album Rating: 4.0

Assemblage is the embodiment of what I DON'T want to be.





Over-analyzation to the point of no longer enjoying the music.

Album Rating: 3.0

Different strokes for different folks, but let's be straight this isn't over-analyzation. It's me describing the basis for my rating of the record and attempting to provide general and simple ideas for possibly an in-depth discussion. Something I think is covered here on the site. This is all stuff that was immediately prevalent for me and comes off as over analyzing just because I'm writing long responses. There's plenty I enjoy without thinking twice about, but this is a place for music criticism and discussion. I mean, are all reviews over-analysation too? Probably. Just rate it and move on lol. Nobody got time for that. To me this is all just, I don't know, basic conversation. But like I said, different strokes.

no think

only rate

Album Rating: 3.5

Exactly

Album Rating: 3.0

"metal is fking dead"



- the guy who hardly listens to any of it



"Savage Lands has a very Anacrusis like chorus, which is quite amusing."



Big if true

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

“” Q: what's the sole difference between sputmetal and the rolling stone



A: sputmetal actually listens to metal lmfao””



My fave Johnny (comments) quote this year.

ty nocte lemme knock that up a notch for you:
cas you have dedicated your entire sput persona to ragging on popular metal albums for elite cred and ignoring anything contemporary in favour of obscure 3.5core from outside a two decade radius; i'm not sure you get a call on whether metal is alive or dead. mayb (just mayb) i'm chatting shit about the goode genre, but at least i'm not holding it in a literal terminal chokehold between the fetid gateposts of boomer thrash PS there are a lot of things wrong with this album but at least mastodon usually know how to write songs

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I was being sincere. I actually like that comment. I don’t want any confusion on the matter.

Album Rating: 4.5

I don’t typically care for guitar solos, but I love Mastodon guitar solos.