Mastodon, Kylesa & Intronaut @ Fine Line Music Cafe

(Intronaut)

There was ultimately no need for words, just music, as Atlanta’s Mastodon steamrolled a sold-out Fine Line audience Wednesday night. The band didn’t say one word to the swelling crowd before, during, or after their storming set, instead choosing wisely to let the music do all of the talking for them, and absolutely pulverized the packed club with their crunching, enormous sound. Their set showed exactly why Mastodon stands alone atop a genre crowded with good bands, with their ability to combine broad, sprawling themes about Moby Dick and Czarist Russia into music that is as heavy as anything out there, but still technically exact and modern sounding. Mastodon could have easily sold-out a venue three times the size (or more) of the Fine Line, and the relatively tiny venue could barely contain not only their mighty sound but also the absolutely huge crowd, who were treated to an intimate, intense show from a band certainly firing on all cylinders.

(Intronaut)

Los Angeles four-piece Intronaut kicked things off right, with a polished, inventive, but all-too-brief set that drew mostly from their excellent 2008 release Prehistoricisms. Their songs have interesting, complicated transitions that the band nailed smoothly, easily winning over the already large crowd that had filed in early to catch this buzzed-about opener. In addition to playing loud, sick riffs, the band also has some subtle jazz elements underlying the softer moments of their songs. And there were parts of their set that reminded me musically (not vocally) of the rawer, AmRep Born Annoying-era Helmet, with the steady, propulsive drumming of Danny Walker driving the band. These guys certainly need to come back to Minneapolis as a headliner, since it’s obvious that they have a good fan base here already, and have a sound that can fill any room. Their blazing, five song, half-hour set was far too short for my liking (but completely understandable, given their spot on the bill and what was in store for us later), so hopefully the band comes back soon to play a full set of their fresh sounding metal.

(Kylesa)

I was still a bit bitter about the short Intronaut set when Savannah, Georgia’s Kylesa took the stage. I was fully prepared to not like their set, perhaps blaming them unfairly for infringing on Intronaut’s stage time. But all of that animosity went out the window after the second song or so, as the band played a solid set that certainly won me over. The five-piece band are led by a two-drummer attack that lays a solid foundation for their style of sludgy metal. Their songs were often relentless and driving, growing in speed and intensity as the tracks went on. Kylesa kept the momentum of the night going strong while keeping the audience entertained and enthused, and delivered an energetic set that certainly set the stage well for the headliners.

(Kylesa)

While the opening bands certainly got the crowd primed for Mastodon, it was clear during the bands set that while all the bands explore the same genre, what Mastodon is doing certainly puts them in a league of their own. It brought to mind a bullfight I went to see in Mexico some time ago. There are other younger, less experienced matadors that come out before the head matador, and while they all essentially accomplish the same thing (killing the bull), there is just something about the flair, precision and pageantry of their performance that sets the head matador apart from the others. The head matador is simply more theatrical, more dramatic, and more committed to their art, and the others are expected to learn from them. The same could be said about Mastodon. They were playing a set of forceful metal, just like the other bands, but something about their set just set them apart, turning mere music into something that is artful and grand.

The band took the stage with little fanfare, with looks of grim determination etched on their faces. Everyone knew the band was going to play their excellent new record Crack The Skye in its entirety for the first set, so there weren’t any surprises as far as the song choices go. What was surprising is the amount of life and energy they breathed into songs that were already teeming with vitality. The band was tight and focused as they tore relentlessly through the albums seven songs in an hour long first set, barely pausing for the seamless transitions between tracks. Their sound was augmented nicely by the keyboards of Rich Morris, an Atlanta native and member of Noot d’Noot. It was an intense, concentrated set that really highlighted the bands technical skills and the albums intricate musical arrangements. The screen behind the band loosely highlighted the story of the record, flashing glimpses of Rasputin, otherworldly time warps and supplicating Russian peasants. But the real story was the bands sound, which was tight and driving and rang crystal clear throughout the club.

(Mastodon)

For me, there isn’t a better moment in metal music this year than the second part of “The Czar,” a burgeoning 11-minute, four-part track that represents both the literal and figurative centerpiece of Crack The Skye. When Part II, “Escape,” kicked in, I lost my collective shit, as did nearly everyone in attendance. The tracks crunchy, pounding guitars and bass swept me away entirely, and was the highlight of the first set.

(Mastodon)

It is interesting as a spectator to watch a band perform an album in its entirety. The thrill of not knowing what’s next is removed entirely, which perhaps takes a bit of the fun out of the concert going experience. But you get to hear the record as the band intended, from start to finish, delivered with an intensity and a focus that adds depth and feeling to a record brimming over with it already. It was almost as if the band invited 700 people over to get drunk at their practice space and watch them flesh out their new songs. It proved to be a refreshing glimpse deeper into the heart of an album that I’ve already grown to love, and the band couldn’t have sounded any better.

So, as Morris drew out the moody conclusion of the record on his keyboard, the band left the stage briefly to get regrouped for the second set, filled with material drawn from their first three records. Perhaps it was the fact that the band was in high gear by the time they got to these songs, or it might just be the fact that they have simply honed their sound and style over the years, either way, the older songs had an added potency and vehemence to them that has magnified since I saw them last a couple years ago at First Avenue. Opener “Bladecatcher” was incredibly intense, and simply flattened the audience with the lightning fast dual-guitar attack of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher. It was an explosive way to start the second set, and the band didn’t let up for the rest of the night as songs flooded past without a second for any of us to catch our breath. “Bladecatcher” blended right into an overwhelming version of “Colony of Birchmen” that was gritty and fierce.

The band stuck with Blood Mountain material as they tore through a storming version of the album’s opener, “The Wolf Is Loose,” as well as the second track “Crystal Skull,” which spurred the crowd on to complete mayhem. It was interesting to me that the band stuck with the album theme by playing four songs from Blood Mountain before delving into any Leviathan material. It was an effective way to keep the mood and themes of these records consistent in the performance. And of course, it kept the audience waiting for anything from Leviathan, so by the time the band tore into “Megalodon,” the crowd was primed and ready, and the floor became an absolute shitstorm of flailing bodies. There would be no rest, either, as the band rolled seamlessly into “Seabeast,” which was a sprawling, moody masterstroke, carried along by the intense bass work of Troy Sanders before giving way to the sick guitar riffs that closed out the song explosively.

(Mastodon)

Going into the show, I was fully prepared to hear Crack The Skye from start to finish, and then figured we would get four or five older songs to close out the night. I was not expecting the nine song, hour long second set, and was continually blown away by the band as they showed no sign of stopping and the hits kept on coming in rapid fire succession. “Iron Tusk” is about as metal and mean as a song about can be, and did the legend of the White Whale that spawned the song justice. “March Of The Fire Ants,” from 2002′s Remission was a great surprise, and drove the teeming masses into a frenzy. It was such a fiery, potent song that I thought to myself the only way they could possibly finish this monster of a set properly was with “Hearts Alive,” which indeed they played last. It was a true journey into the sonic heart of the beast, with many time changes and transitions throughout the nearly 15-minute song. It was exhausting just to even watch them play this song, as the band relentlessly flailed and pummeled away at their instruments. The fact that this completely physical exercise took place at the end of their nearly two-hour set was staggering, but the band kept up the persistent pace of the song, seemingly daring each other to drive the track faster. It was a perfect way to end this stellar show.

(Mastodon)

So, drenched and exhausted, the band pointed to their hearts and cheered the audience as they ambled off the stage. Again, no words needed to be spoken. Their incredibly intense music had truly said it all.

[Review by Erik Thompson, videos by Chris DeLine and photos by Ryan Buege.]

Setlist:
Oblivion
Divinations
Quintessense
The Czar
Ghost Of Karelia
Crack The Skye
The Last Baron
Bladecatcher
Colony Of Birchmen
The Wolf Is Loose
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
Seabeast
Iron Tusk
March Of The Fire Ants
Hearts Alive