Mastodon Breathes a Lot More Than Steam Here

I'm man enough to let you in on a little secret. A key reason why I chose Mastodon to review today is because of that single title "Steambreather". I mean come on. What's not to like? Conjures up a whole host of arousing imagery that could lead to plenty of masturbatory fantasies. Add to that the name sounds like a really cool Marvel comics superhero that the front office forgot to tell us about. Breathe easy folks, this isn't some parlor trick meant to leave you thinking the song is better than it actually is. Trust me on this one "Steambreather" kicks your ass, stops in to ask your ass how it felt about the beating it just got handed, then drives away in its Low Rider car, leaving you dejected by the side of the road. This...is...a...monster...metal song. Brann Dailor didn't have to be so gosh darn ferocious on drums but, well, he shouldn't have to apologize for feeling free to flex his substantial muscle. Want to hear fancy tricks? Brann's here to serve, and the power isn't kept to a soloist minimum. His aggressive technique permeates the entire song. Brent Hinds shows up with his lead guitar and the roof's officially been raised for this smokin' throwdown. How about let's toss in Bill Kelliher's rhythm guitar and see where that takes us. Pretty hardcore terrain if you ask me. Troy Sanders explodes in the bass playing department. As a whole "Steambreather" reminds me of the days when the sky is a mean shade of gray and you know a fierce thunderstorm is on its way. Apt imagery that makes the song hard to turn your ears away from. Brann's voice comes in loud and clear. He's a man grappling with a huge identity crisis that has made him afraid of himself. His reflections don't offer much help at all. The poor guy has violence floating around in his mind. That can't be a good long term solution to any problem he might encounter. As you may recall from previous postings, multiple chord changes turn me on. Lots to like here. Even better when you consider the considerable fret and drum work going on. Mastodon hits you with everything it has. If you're not drenched in sweat after "Steambreather" concludes then, as the Big Pharma ads accompanying the nightly news would say "Talk to your doctor." Those sweat glands aren't performing properly. In conclusion "Steambreather" is metal oxygen of the highly lubricating kind. Breathe it in and be healed.