[Rclark]

 Just came out today.

 Ten years from now it will be clear that this was one of the greatest bands of 2000- beyond. Period. I own all their albums in special edition version, this one no different. Have yet to watch the dvd.

 This music speaks of epic adventures, Walter Mitty, the curiousity sprung from an ancient, musty book on sea dragons and the occult mysteries of abominable cycloptic monsters.

 Not a 4/4 elevator music love song in the bunch.

 You know what I'm talkin' about. \m/

[dboulet]

I’m excited about this as well, it seems like these guys get better with each release. 

[Rclark]

 I think Blood Mountain is their best album, but they're all great. I would place Blood Mountain up against any hard rock/metal album and it would fare well in many, if not all areas.

 And they're all young, yet to peak. All monstrously talented, and their drummer (Brann Dailor) is basically the new Bonham, Peart, etc.

 - From Wikipedia:

 "Dailor was born into a musical family. His grandparents were members of a 1950's bluegrass band based in Tennessee; his mother and stepfather played in a Rush cover band.
 

-My parents were hippies, but they were Frank Zappa hippies, you know? They were putting Miles Davis' Bitches Brew on my headphones when I was two years old. I grew up listening to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Close to the Edge by Yes, King Crimson's Red. All that stuff was jamming at my house at full volume all the time when I was a baby, along with Coltrane's Love Supreme, Stevie Wonder--Innervisions-- stuff like that. Constantly."


He's awesome.

[Rclark]

Forgot to mention, any fans of twin lead guitar (think Thin Lizzy) would love this stuff. Both guitarists, Bill Kelliher and Brent Hinds are just beasts, more like Thin Lizzy with Zeus and Thor at guitar. it's prog-metal, though, a but heavier, but every bit as intricate and layered as the very best prog-rock.

[Ericus Rex]

Tried to pick it up yesterday buy my local Newbury comics was sold out!  I enjoy all their albums but Remission gets the most play in my system.  Going against the grain, I know.

[Rclark]

Remission is great, so is Leviathan...

 The Hunter, a few days on, is pretty great, but kind of more of the same vein of the last album, more radio friendly stuff mixed in. Nothing wrong with that. Every band does that. They claim to be interested in toning it down and being more groove oriented. Curl of the Burl is a fine example. Great song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3LLX9ThXjI&ob=av2e
 
 I still think Blood Mountain is their best.

 BTW, there is a hilarious (unless you are a five year old child, then, not so hilarious, and may scar you for life) video on the extra features of the DVD, one of their songs that Brann introduces as Mr.Rogers, and the train goes into the wall, but comes out in to this sort of hellish muppet scene, basically imagine a nightmare of evil muppets gone awry. That video alone was worth the whole purchase.

[Ericus Rex]

Sounds like Ozzy.

I've always wished this band had one real singer instead of three so-so singers.

[Rclark]

Yeah, part of me thinks that way, and part of me thinks they're perfect the way they are. I'm not sure they'd be "better" with a more polished voice.

 I wish we were in the 70's when there was a little more mystery around people, rather than the internet exposing everything. Because then you wouldn't know that Mastodon are geniuses with music, yes, geniuses, but are absolute lunkheads in front of an interview camera.

[sac8d4]

Definitely a good album...and its keeps growing on me. I for one, appreciated Mastodon's approach to making concept albums. I not sure why they decided to depart from this formula.
I have to disagree regarding their best album...... best album is definitely Crack the Skye

[Rclark]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0e9v4aHViw


 I love all the extras that bands have been putting into albums. I bought the new ChickenFoot tonight and the extra stuff in the CD is bananas. 3D glasses and all sorts of neat stuff in there..

 It will be a very sad day when CD's finally go away and all we have is a series of files on a computer. Bleh. That's not sexy.

[roscoeiii]

Slightly off topic but anyone compared the 45 RPM vinyl to other vinyl releases of Blood Mountain?