LIVE REVIEW: Mastodon @ O2 Brixton Academy, London

The famed Brixton Academy in the southern region of our nation’s capitol has always had a special place in the heart of MASTODON and their fans alike. A prestigious, world renowned venue that the band have made their spiritual second home throughout their illustrious career and have even chosen to use as the setting for a live DVD that was released in 2012. Since that time the venue has remained virtually the same, whilst MASTODON have continued to metamorphosis into the progressive metal goliaths that their very name suggests. The band now return armed with their phenomenal seventh studio album Emperor Of Sand to reclaim the city as their own once again in front a capacity crowd.

The band who have been charged with opening proceedings tonight is MUTOID MAN, which usually consists of members of the bands CAVE IN and CONVERGE (drummer Ben Koller) has been sidelined tonight due to injury. From the moment the band take the stage to the introduction of VAN HALEN’s classic tune Dreams the band set about warming the crowd up with their brand of high velocity, melodic metal and frontman Stephen Brodsky’s ability to interact with the crowd is executed wonderfully through his ample charisma and humour. The songs themselves are fun and high energy, which is exactly what is required at this stage of a show of this scale, the musicianship is impeccable and demonstrates that all three of the musicians on the stage know their way around their weapons of choice, but with all of that being said, there is little here that will instil a lasting memory for the onlookers. Great fun, but pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

Rating: 6/10

By the time the following act KVELERTAK hit the stage the crowd is virtually at capacity. The band build their momentum slowly with the opening track Apenbaring giving new vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen a chance to down whatever he has been drinking all night backstage before making his presence known on the stage. The showmanship from these young men is something to be admired as they all strut their way around the stage and pour every bit of themselves in to the metallic rock n’ roll sound they that have spent so long cultivating. Nikolaisen is clearly revelling in the rock star persona and looks somewhat like a young Axl Rose tonight, complete with a bandana and skin tight jeans, as mentioned before he has clearly been partaking in some back stage partying prior to stagetime, but it hardly hinders his performance as he howls and screams his way through the set and roughly spends the same amount of time on top of the crowd as he does on the stage itself. The set is awash with 80s influenced harmonised guitar leads and solos, mixed in with a punk ethos and stage presence proving that KVELERTAK have a little something for everyone. The climax of the set comes from him swinging a giant flag above his head and over the top of the crowd before him during the band’s eponymous closing track. This had a headlining set feel to it and if this is what the band has to offer on a supporting slot, we would be surprised if we see them headlining this sort of show in the not too distant future.

Rating: 8/10

When the lights cut out and Singing In The Rain blares out over the house speakers the noise from the audience is defeating and things do not get any quieter when MASTODON jump straight in to Iron Tusk from their 2004 sophomore release Leviathan. The momentum doesn’t slow up for a moment when the opening riff of March Of The Fire Ants kicks in, which just goes to show the sheer quality and depth of the back catalogue that this outfit possesses.

The coloured LED boards at the back of the stage project and bathe the band in light as the breeze through Steambreather, the first song from their latest studio effort, which goes down an absolute storm with its massive chorus and impressive instrumental sections. MASTODON are not young bucks and know exactly how to pen a flowing set list. The inclusion of the track Toe To Toes which takes the fans on a journey with Brent Hind’s dreamy lead guitar runs and just at the point that the fans may overwhelmed by the progginess of it all, they follow up immediately with the classic Sleeping Giant to ensure that the momentum is never halted at any point. Despite how well the newer tracks are welcomed, the biggest reactions of the night are saved for the older tracks songs in the band’s repertoire such as when they roll out Capillirian Crest from their stellar 2006 effort Blood Mountain or I Am Ahab and Megladon from the Leviathan period.

The vocal performances are as enthused and energetic as they have sounded in years and the power that is rolled out is simply staggering. Before the band fly into Scorpion Breath they are joined on stage by their hero-turned colleague Scott Kelly from sludge metal titans NEUROSIS, who would stay on the stage for the remainder of the set. From the moment that Kelly joins the band on stage he slips effortlessly in to their chemistry and links up perfectly with Troy Sanders and Brent Hinds on the low, rasping vocals for songs such as Crystal Skull and Aqua Dementia and plays of wonderfully against the soulful clean sections of the awe inspiring rendition of Crack The Skye.

MASTODON decide to go out in a typically unpredictable manor by throwing in some what of a curveball for the penultimate track. Diamond In The Witch House gives the band another chance to flex their muscles and demonstrate their sheer sonic power. The track trudges on with its dull, dense layers of guitars and incomprehensible drum fills that all hit the right marks. However, it is a little unfortunate to have included it here when there is a plethora of other songs that would have perhaps been better suited in this instance. The set closer is far less surprising as the band deliver a blistering version of Blood And Thunder which is as devastatingly heavy and fun as it has always been. By this point the crowd look exhausted but out in the extra shift to participate with the band they love and bring the show to a stunning climax.

This is a band who have been on a steadily upward trajectory for their entire career and this shows no sign of stopping. The fact that they have put together a set list of twenty songs without a weak link amongst them and knowing that there are plenty of classic songs omitted from the set goes to show you the size of the armoury that MASTODON possess. London conquered. All hail MASTODON.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Jordan Darby here: