As one of the most vital heavy metal bands of today, Mastodon have had their fair share of legendary moments in their 18-year history. And the Atlanta prog/sludge shredders are about to notch one more achievement with the release of their limited edition Emperor Of Sand picture disc. Only 4,000 copies of the full colour 12” vinyl have been pressed for Record Store Day – and will surely be one of the most sought after releases on April 21. (Take it from Karl Groeger, Jr., co-owner of famed U.S. record store Looney Tunes, as we reported yesterday.)
So in honour of the occasion, we thought we should take a look back at the 10 greatest Mastodon moments of all time. Let’s revisit the following game-changing milestones throughout the band’s two-decade career:
January 14, 2000: Mastodon’s Second Band Practice
It was nearly two decades ago that drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher moved from upstate New York to Atlanta, Georgia, and met bassist Troy Sanders and guitarist Brent Hinds at a High On Fire show in 1999. After seeing Brent play with his and Troy’s then-band, Four Hour Fogger, Bill invited the guitarist to come jam with him and Brann on January 13, 2000. But according to a 2009 interview with Spin, Bill claims that “Brent showed up so wasted he couldn’t even play… He was just playing one note turned up really loud. Brann and I were like, ‘Fuck this guy.’” But when Brent returned the next day, “He grabbed one of my guitars and was playing all this cool shit,” Bill says. Brent recruited Troy to play bass shortly after, and Mastodon’s line-up was solidified.
December 25, 2004: Leviathan Wins Album Of The Year