When Dethklok – the cartoon metal band depicted in Cartoon Network's Adult Swim series Metalocalypse – announced their forthcoming second album, I wrote about it with some measure of disbelief. How can a caricature of an entire vastly misunderstood subculture be not only musically competent, but legitimately good? I liked The Dethalbum far more than I ever expected. Somehow, creator, voice-actor, songwriter, and guitarist Brendon Small – Berklee College of Music, class of '97 – makes it work. Can he capture lightning in a bottle a second time with The Dethalbum II out September 29?
Mastodon, however, inspires no disbelief or confusion. It only took an EP and two LPs before critics and fans lauded the Atlanta four-piece as metal's next big thing. Two more albums pass and Mastodon finds themselves crowned by many as the Tool of this generation – deftly bending genres and smashing misconceptions with their latest opus Crack The Skye. I first caught Mastodon live following their debut EP Lifesblood, a brief, sludgy, post-hardcore affair that would bare little resemblance to their more recent progressive ambitions if not for their trademark crushing riffs, Brent Hinds' and Troy Saunders' growl-trading, and Brann Dailor's coked-out drumming.
Despite the differences – one band being imaginary, and the other existing (at least somewhat) in reality – these bands have something wonderful in common. Concert info and videos after the jump.
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2009.