Call Of The Mastodon

Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba

Artist: Mastodon
Label: Relapse Records
Release: 2006
Length: 29:02
Rating: 3.7/5

The last act before leaving Relapse, the small label with a taste for noisy extremes, is actually a collection of precious tracks from the first EP Lifesblood, as well as from their first self-titled 7-inch vinyl, which saw the light of day right at the start of 2000. The bonus: the hellish foursome go back for another crack at Call Of The Mastodon, one of the more important pieces of the first set of nine demo recordings, which got its guttural sheen from Eric Saner, a singer who’s long since left the band.

After the very first spin of Call Of The Mastodon it’s clear that these Atlantic virtuosos of the avant-garde have no intention of pampering you with soft passages, psychedelic floating ten meters above solid ground, or spinning subtle mists of an otherworldly rainbow. They plan to bury you at least three meters deep with the first blow, then sprinkle the last flakes of black rage into the crater of your shattered ideals and perhaps overly high expectations. In under half an hour they pour a good nine songs into your ears, all of them sounding primal and pulling no punches. Less praiseworthy is the somewhat murky, smeared production, which, along with the less distinct package of vocal treatments, is the biggest minus of this trip for your eardrums into the Precambrian world of the struggle for survival. The time when Mastodon’s me(n)tal continents were still taking shape was a world of thundering tectonic shifts. The uncut diamond was still encased in a granite crust of non-perfectionist brilliance, as listenable as early Soundgarden or, in all its destructive glory, early Neurosis – so this is a pretty demanding test for your nerves as well as your ears. Shadows That Move is only the first hint of suffering, one that rewards your persistence with precious few melodic passages. The genetic code of this beast is saturated with bass, Rococo in its drumming, and guitar-wise inclined to glorify Wagnerian disharmony. The grind explosion carries on with Welcoming War, the less brutal moment of this sludgy saga of pain and suffering arrives with the high-octane Thank You For This, and then comes the playfully decked-out masterpiece of the brightest moment on a darkened horizon – let’s call it the hit We Built This Come Death. The deviant dance of torture is only halfway through, and the clock hands have moved a mere, almost unbelievable 10 minutes. The Ahab-like moment of Battle At Sea gives you just a sip of total cathartic calm, which turns into the demonic polyphony of Satan’s spawn about halfway through its carefree, fatalistic stewing in its own juices. Deep Sea Creature is a proper little vignette of freshly forged, proclaimed genius that carries you over the edges of the obscure so you can tune your heart to the whispering romanticism of Sickleg. After some guitar acceleration and a riffy interlude of total noise penetration, with first-rate death metal screams from overheated strings, you’ve nearly made it to the end. The big finale is the title track Call Of The Mastodon, which from the depths of the demo announces the arrival of a new era and some damn sweet moments just a few short months away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYQFUks6P4Q

Quartered, yet sweaty and shaken by volleys of inhuman horrors, you’re taken back to a time when the stars were still damn far away and Mastodon couldn’t have cared less what the wider public made of their imaginarium of a thousand beasts and demons of the mind. The diamond is still audible, echoing from under thick layers of dust and a hellishly booming garage. Against all indications, instead of the gloomier contours of Mordor-style evil, the guys picked a completely unexpected direction. Once the war paint of the underground past had washed off, the arrival in Middle-earth was easier and mightier than anyone could have imagined. The fact is that the first call of the mastodons is harder to listen to than the melodious mating rituals of the records still to come, but it has its own peculiar charm.

Line-up

Troy Sanders – bass, lead vocals
Brent Hinds – guitar, backing vocals
Bill Kelliher – guitar, backing vocals
Brann Dailor – drums

Production

Matt Washburn & Mastodon

Track list

1. Shadows That Move
2. Welcoming War
3. Thank You for This
4. We Built This Come Death
5. Hail to Fire
6. Battle at Sea
7. Deep Sea Creature
8. Slickleg
9. Call of the Mastodon