Arriving fashionably later than planned we get through Brixton’s hallowed doors, only to be met with a legion of metalheads that seem to all be rather thirsty! Getting through the merch warriors and the beer barons we finally emerge victorious. The air is thick with anticipation tonight, although this isn’t the first time Mastodon have played Brixton you could definitely argue it’d the first time the band have played anything of this magnitude.
As the lights dim and the din of opener “Tread Lightly” begins to snake it’s way through the crowd, the roar as the song explodes is deafening. Being billed as playing their phenomenal new effort Once More Round The Sun in its entirety the band play an abriged version. Chopping and changing to ensure the set list remains intriguing the drunken wayward wanderer that is “Oblivion” is greeted with a great approval. With drummer Brann Dailors voice haunting our ears. It seems however when Mastodon launch into the twerktastic “The Motherload” you could hear Brixton from outer space.
Whilst some deeper tracks are met with confusion among new fans, die hards go ballistic. The instrumental of “Bladecatcher” reminds us what makes Mastodon unique and although they may have written a vastly more accesible album the constant that runs throughout their discography will always remain. With harmonies of “Naked Burn” and tribal “Crystal Skull” tying in perfectly to the monumental “High Road“, matched only by bass and part time caveman Troy Sanders’ bellow and a personal highlight “Chimes At Midnight”
Although their discography might be vast it is always identifiable, whatever concept it may regard.
The curve ball of “Aunt Lisa” begins with confused faces but as the now classic chant sounding like The Ramones on LSD of “Hey, Ho, Lets Fucking Go!” echo throughout the halls before the stop start groove of “Halloween” showcasing more of the brilliant songwriting the band are known for. Melding the sounds from previous albums with a fantastic rendition of Crack The Skye‘s banjo worshipping “Divinations” . It’s not all melody though as the we see with the maelstrom churning “Megalodon” igniting circle pits and potentially the heaviest rendition of “Blood And Thunder” ever to be heard in Brixton’s walls.
Although at times the crowd seems to be temporarily lost as the band flit from album to album, the element that interested all fans is ever present. Having a fierce reputation for all or nothing shows live, tonight they are exemplary. If this astounding set is anything to go by tonight then Mastodon truly have the potential to be the biggest consistently creative, mesmerising and down right brilliant metal bands in the world.
