And so it begins...

So, here we go. I'm going to talk about a song that I like. Actually, I like this song a LOT. I might talk about a song or a music video that I do not enjoy on here one day, but for now I have decided to go with something I really enjoy. I have decided that I am not going to "review" the song. I am just going to talk about some things I noticed and enjoyed from the song and possibly what it makes me feel or visions it may invoke in my mind. The very first song I am going to talk about on my shiny, new blog is called "All The Heavy Lifting" by Mastodon. (wonder why I chose that one) Mastodon is a sludge metal band from Atlanta, Georgia (one of my favorite places in the whole wide world [I declare]) that was formed sometime around the year 2000. Don't quote me on that. I'm not doing a lot of research here. This is what they call "off the cuff". Anyhow, Mastodon has been described as many things such as sludge metal, stoner metal, alternative metal with elements of various sub genres of Metal blended in, but I'm not going to go into all that. I like a lot of metal, but I am definitely not a Metal aficionado. I think they are basically a fusion of sludge metal and southern stoner metal, but hey what do I know? I do know that I enjoy sludge metal. And, I really enjoy listening to Mastodon. So, lets get down to business. "All The Heavy Lifting" is a song off of Mastodon's newest album titled "The Hunter". I don't want to go into all the ins and outs of pre-pubescent metal heads on the Internet reviewing metal albums saying this album was not "metal enough"(cue Brian Posehn's "more metal than you") and saying that Mastodon sold out to make a more "accessible" album. But, I will just say in my honest opinion that it sounds different from a lot of their other stuff, but I don't think they purposefully decided to go into another direction. They just keep evolving, and the album "The Hunter" is a really good, groovy, sludge metal album to me. I read a review about the album on its wikipedia page that sorta said what I've been thinking in a really nice way: "Each of Mastodon's previous four releases exist in their own worlds, and have their own specific characteristics – the genius here is that they've managed to pull in all that made those LP's what they were and combine them to create something both familiar and unexpected."- Toby Gwynne of The Quietus Anyhow, enough about the album. There are so many great Mastodon songs in their catalog, and there are so many great songs on the new album alone. But, I really enjoy this song the most off of the new album. I wouldn't say it is my favorite Mastodon song of all time, but I've really been digging its groove over the past year or so. The first thing that really sticks out in my mind about this song is Brann Dailor's drumming. I just really love his style of drumming and his placement of the fills. It just all seems to flow along nicely. There is a really nice, layered, sort of running guitar sound throughout the song from the remaining members of the band also. It seems to sort of just build and build as if you are running or flying to some unknown destination.("Dry Bone Valley" from this album gives me a similar running/flying feeling.) The song really just takes me on a journey. And, to me, the song has some of the best vocals I've heard out of lead singer/bassist Troy Sanders since I have started listening to these guys. I really feel like the entire beginning of the song builds up to the point at 2 minutes and 48 seconds where the song sort of "changes pace" to me. The drumming and guitar at that point almost sounds like an Army of galloping horses running across a great expanse. Which, in turn, leads to one of my favorite lines from the song: "We didn't come this far...just to turn around..." The build up really reminds me a lot of another one of their songs called "Ghost of Karelia" on their previous album "Crack the Skye". Shortly after that part, when Troy Sanders says "The sound that gives us...A brand new day..." I feel like I have flown over the mountain, I can see the bright sunlight, and I can finally breathe. Whoah. As far as the lyrical content and the whole meaning of the song is concerned, I don't want to say: "here is what it's about". You know, I don't want to give it an exact meaning because I think music is a lot like abstract art. Each person views it differently and takes away a very personal experience from it. But, for me, it is about two people on some sort of journey. And, in my opinion, the one telling the story is the stronger one who is willing to do whatever it takes to take care of the other who is on this journey with him. (even to carry the other person if need be) He's basically saying: "come with me on this journey. don't worry about anything. I will take care of it" The haunting, yet beautiful, chorus "Just close your eyes...And pretend that everything's fine...Just close your eyes...I'll tell you when" sort of makes me think of a fatherly figure or someone taking care of someone else. It is so weird now writing about this because up until today I sort of had a negative connotation of this song as if talking down to someone because of having to do "all the heavy lifting". But, now, I'm listening to it, reading the words again, and it almost has a romantic feeling to it. I don't know. Anyhow, that is just a little bit about "All The Heavy Lifting" by Mastodon. If you have a different take on it, please share. Any and all comments welcome. Just don't be rude to your fellow bloggers, and listen to the song before you respond please. Enjoy! Mastodon - "All The Heavy Lifting"
p.s. - sometimes the song will have a video also, and I will talk about the video as well. But, sometimes the song will either not have a video made for it, or I will purposefully post one without the video that goes with it so that the listener can concentrate more on the song. It's my blog. It's up to me.