Mastodon vs Metallica

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futurefields

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Jun 2, 2012
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Vocals: Metallica (Mastodon sound like shit live, Metallica sounded great live until James got old)
Guitars: Metallica (Mastodon are great guitarists but Metallica would play circles around them in a guitar-off)
Bass: Metallica (Mastodon's bassist is good but he plays pretty simple stuff and doesn't seem to display advanced technique or theory. Metallica had Cliff Burton who is widely seen as one of the best and most influential metal bassists, then they had Jason Newsted who was a beast and their current bassist Robert Trujillo is on a purely technical level the best bassist they've ever had)
Drums: Mastodon (Lars technique is only average but he complements the songs really well with the way he accents stuff. That being said, this is the one area Mastodon has a clear advantage because Brann Dailor is simply a beast on drums and would play circles around Lars in any situation)
Songs: ???
 
ControlD

ControlD

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Apr 25, 2005
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I don't get the comparison. The two bands aren't even remotely similar in style. Might as well throw The Carpenters in there while you are at it.
 
KeithTalent

KeithTalent

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I really only care about the songs, not who plays which instrument better.

KT
 
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futurefields

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Jun 2, 2012
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I think Mastodon is more consistent album to album.

They haven't written anything as badass as For Whom The Bell Tolls or Creeping Death though.
 
rh71

rh71

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Aug 28, 2001
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futurefields said:
They haven't written anything as badass as For Whom The Bell Tolls or Creeping Death though.
Click to expand...

timeless stuff... just the other day I loaded up all of AJFA and Ride The Lightning on YT and put it on blast. I don't get to do that much anymore with kids around now.
 
Platypus

Platypus

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Apr 26, 2001
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The only comparison I think exists would be Mastodon's first major album, Remission. This is their most thrash sounding record.

I still put Mastodon over Metallica these days, but Metallica's first four albums basically cement their place. I just pretend everything after those albums doesn't exist.

I would put guitar and drums for Mastodon. Lars is very one-note and Kirk's playing is very one-note too. No one has James' right hand for rhythm but overall the guitar playing is way more inspired and technical in the Mastodon camp.
 
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futurefields

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Jun 2, 2012
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I disagree on guitars. Mastodon uses weirder scales and modes in their writing but I find their stuff way easier to play once you become familiar with the scales. Kirk is a more virtuosic lead player than Brent and James rhythm playing is in another league entirely from Bill's. I honestly think Brann's drumming makes those guys, great as they are, seem even better.
 
Platypus

Platypus

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Apr 26, 2001
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futurefields said:
I disagree on guitars. Mastodon uses weirder scales and modes in their writing but I find their stuff way easier to play once you become familiar with the scales. Kirk is a more virtuosic lead player than Brent and James rhythm playing is in another league entirely from Bill's. I honestly think Brann's drumming makes those guys, great as they are, seem even better.
Click to expand...

Agree to disagree, Kirk's style for the last 20 years has been to run annoying pentatonic scales through a wah pedal. There is not a shred of depth or creativity in his playing these days for my taste.
 
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futurefields

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Jun 2, 2012
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KeithTalent said:
I really only care about the songs, not who plays which instrument better.

KT
Click to expand...

Well technicality is only one aspect, it's also just plain how the stuff sounds to your ears.

Like someone could easily say they like the drums in Metallica better than Mastodon. Even though the vast majority would say Brann Dailor is a more technically adept drummer, the drums between the bands are mixed entirely differently. The drums in Metallica songs are mixed with a fuller range, in Mastodon the kick drum doesn't hit quite as deep as Metallica's kick drum, because of the different playing styles that the drummers use it sounds better for Lars to have a deep, super bassy kick drum and it sounds better for Brann to have a more dry, wooden sounding kick drum.
 
MongGrel

MongGrel

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Dec 3, 2013
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Have never listened to Mastadon, I guess.

I used to listen to Megadeth quite a bit, hadn't even noticed they had anything new out, but I'm a bit out of the loop these days.

Have to check that out.
 
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ControlD

ControlD

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Apr 25, 2005
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I'm not really a fan of sludge metal, although Mastodon is sort of a combination of a bunch of styles. Still, I'll take Metallica's classic albums over anything Mastodon every day.
 
Triumph

Triumph

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Oct 9, 1999
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I feel like I'm reading alt.rock-and-roll.metal.metallica circa 1997 in this thread.
 
vi edit

vi edit

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Oct 28, 1999
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Metallica is a big fat juicy T-bone steak. It's yummy. You know what you are getting. There's no real mystery going on. It's just good and you know what to expect. You don't sit back and think about what made that steak good. It just was.

Mastodon is a wacky roll from a really good sushi place. Individually the parts can be boring, odd, undesirable, ect. But when you put them together it ends up being a really great combination of textures, flavors, and presentation.

That's really it for me. They are just two different styles. Metallica is more of a brand and a style. Mastodon really try and change up things more frequently and just end up with a lot more creative albums. Sometimes that blows up in their face and they are just trying too hard. Crack the Skye was an incredible album and not one you can listen to once a and really appreciate. There's *A LOT* of stuff going on in that album that you don't catch the first couple times through.

But if I just want some good, shredding riffs to exercise to...Master of Puppets it is. There's no real complexity going on. Just good old fashioned metal.
 
spacejamz

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
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MUYA!!!!

metallica1.JPG


haven't posted this pic in awhile

RIP Cliff...
 
DigDog

DigDog

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Jun 3, 2011
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if you like that stuff, you might as well listen to CoC, they're better.
pew pew.

mastodon is lazy metal. metallica is refined, skillful metal, and then the black album happened. doctorwho.jpg they_all_died
 
MongGrel

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
38,466
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DigDog said:
if you like that stuff, you might as well listen to CoC, they're better.
pew pew.

mastodon is lazy metal. metallica is refined, skillful metal, and then the black album happened. doctorwho.jpg they_all_died
Click to expand...

Or GWAR. *shrug*
 
13Gigatons

13Gigatons

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Apr 19, 2005
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They both suck, such better music to listen too.

Metallica had two good albums: Ride the Lightning, And Justice For All

One Mediocre album: Master of Puppets

Then they sued Napster and it was all down hill.
 
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