Last night, Dethklok and Mastodon sent O-Town into Oblivion,  and Florida metal heads were certainly out in droves to pay homage to 2 bands that respectably carry on the tradition of the genre in which they serve.  There were no posers in the house this particular night as the metal savvy crowd watched in rapt awe as each band hammered out our brains with stunning displays of musicianship.

Mastodon

Mastodon opened with Oblivion and then rumbled through all of Crack the Skye, song for song.  This was really a treat for me because I only just started to acquire their other albums.    What was most striking about their live show is how much more sedate it was than I would have expected.  And I'm not just referring to the fact that the Hard Rock doesn't allow moshing.    I felt that the music was so tight and blended that it sounded much more like the recording than the typical ferocity of a live performance.  Depending on ones perspective this can be very positive.   I really appreciated the blazing fast time changes and superb focus on pounding out perfect music.  After all that is what fans of this band are all about.    There was no pomp, no show, no words of encouragement to the screaming audience. Much like my favorite, Tool, they just played.  

Once Crack the Skye ended, the guys delivered some of their earlier works and this is where they broke out of the mood they had created with CTS and let their fans experience their the full force of their savageness.  


Dethklok

As far as Dethklok, I must confess to being a  light weight in the Death Metal scene, this being the first actual DM show that I have witnessed.  I do regularly listen to 2 famous Melo-DM bands, In Flames and Amon Amarth, so really I am comparing Dethklok to those bands along with the tons of the other Heavy Metal albums I own.    What I can say is that I really liked what I heard.  I don't think I'll buy one of their records simply because I prefer a bit more melody akin to In Flames.   None of what I heard from this band really grabbed me to the point of addiction but who knows, they may come out with an album more to my liking and then I'll kick myself for not acquiring their catalog sooner.

However I must comment on the show, it was completely fascinating.   I learned all about the band's history on Wiki and All Music as I was watching them play which was kind of really cool.    I also got a few video clips so I never forget the mind blasting film and light show. 


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