Mastodon * Between The Buried And Me * Baroness * Valient Thorr

Mastodon is an American progressive sludge metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band comprises bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor. They have released five full-length albums to date, expanding their musical borders from early raw Sludgy riffs to later psychedelic multi-layered songs, yet maintaining progressive style with unusual time signatures and odd instrumentation.

It was announced, in late 2005, that, having fulfilled contractual obligations to indie label, Relapse Records, Mastodon had been offered a deal by a major music label, a spot on the Warner Music roster alongside such bands as Green Day and My Chemical Romance. Despite this, however, Relapse Records released a DVD, and re-released the band's only demo.

An album titled Call of the Mastodon, comprising the material recorded for the band's first and only untitled demo, which featured Eric Saner on vocals, was released in early 2006. A DVD entitled "The Workhorse Chronicles" was released not long after and a full length album, the band's Warner Music debut, Blood Mountain, was released September 12th, 2006. In an interview with MTV news, Brann Dailor revealed that the band's sound, on this upcoming release would be decidedly different and more "progressive." He also expressed excitement over the possibility of the birth of a new "prog movement," naming bands such as Isis, along with Mastodon, as prospective leaders of said movement.

Blood Mountain met critical acclaim with reviews ranging from Metal Hammer and Kerrang! who stated it was as good or better than their last release Leviathan, while other critics view it as the essential release of the decade and UK Metal Hammer named it best album of '06. Blood Mountain also featured guest appearances by Scott Kelly of Neurosis on the track "Crystal Skull", Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age on "Colony of Birchmen", as well as The Mars Volta's keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens on "Pendulous Skin" and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala on "Siberian Divide".

Mastodon's fourth album Crack the Skye was released on March 24, 2009 as a normal version and a deluxe version (which includes all songs in instrumental versions as well as their normal versions). The album is produced by Brendan O'Brien, and Scott Kelly of Neurosis returns as a guest musician on the title-track. While the lyrics have been reported to explore topics relating to Czarist Russia, the band has denied that the album is about Grigori Rasputin. These rumors started after a drawing of Rasputin was featured in merchandise. The band had debuted three new tracks at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, but did not play anymore live before the album's release, due to fears of internet distribution and wanting to play the songs to the right audience. In a MusicRadar interview, guitarist Bill Kelliher confirmed that the album is about an "out of body experience," and looks at the concepts of astral travel, wormholes, Stephen Hawking's theories and the spiritual realm. Drummer Brann Dailor has a section of vocals on the song "Oblivion" following the intro and chorus. The band has announced that they will play the album in its entirety incorporating a stage show on their upcoming tour. Mastodon was a headliner at the Scion Rock Fest on February 28, 2009, performing a set containing three tracks from Crack The Skye, the first time these songs were played since being finalized and recorded. Scott Kelly made an appearance performing his guest vocals for the songs "Crack the Skye," "Aqua Dementia," and "Crystal Skull."

Mastodon's fifth album The Hunter was released on September 26, 2011 in the UK and one day later in the US via Reprise Records. The Hunter Songfacts says that the album was titled in honor of guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds' brother, Brad, who unexpectedly passed away while hunting in December 2010. Mastodon actually had two working titles for the album in honor of Brad: "The Hunter" or "Brother."

Mastodon have previously appeared on the second stage at Ozzfest 2005 and have toured with the likes of Slayer, Lamb of God and Children of Bodom on the Unholy Alliance US tour and have 3 songs recorded live on the accompanying tour DVD.

Mastodon is:
Brann Dailor - Drums. (Formerly of Today Is The Day, Lethargy, Discordance Axis)
Troy Sanders - Vocals, Bass. (Also in Social Infestation, Four Hour Fogger, knuckle, Bully)
Bill Kelliher - Guitar. (Formerly of Today Is The Day, Lethargy, Butterslax)
Brent Hinds - Guitar, Vocals. (Also in Fiend Without A Face, West End Motel, The Blood Vessels, Four Hour Fogger)

Aforementioned former member, Eric Saner, left the band soon after the release of the 2000 demo. Troy Sanders, the then bassist, was announced as the new lead vocalist, although vocal duties were increasingly shared with guitarist Brent Hinds to the point where they are considered co-vocalists.

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Between the Buried and Me is a band from North Carolina which focus heavily on a progressive musical style as well as a variety of extreme metal elements.

The band was founded in early 2000 by vocalist Tommy Giles Rogers, Jr. and guitarist Paul Waggoner, whose prior project was metalcore band Prayer For Cleansing. Since that time, the band has undergone many lineup changes. Currently, the band contains two members from fellow North Carolina band Glass Casket, Dustie Waring on guitar and Blake Richardson on drums. This has caused some question as to the future of Glass Casket, although both deny claims that Glass Casket will break up anytime soon, as the band's other members are currently busy with college and jobs.

They have released five full length albums to date:

Between The Buried And Me (2002)
The Silent Circus (2003)
Alaska (2005)
Colors (2007)
The Great Misdirect (2009)

They also released a cover album, "The Anatomy Of..." in 2006, which pays homage to a number of bands that have influenced them.

An instrumental version of Alaska also exists, containing 8 of the 11 tracks from the original version, unmentioned on their official web site.

On October 14, 2008, the band released a full-length live DVD and CD, Colors Live, a live version of their album Colors.



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Baroness is a metal band that plays an eclectic brand of sludge, embracing the ferocity and sharp technique of new-millennium metal but with melodic accents and intelligent guitar work that suggests the influence of sludge and post-metal bands.

Baroness formed in the Summer 2003 in Savannah, GA, United States with all members, past and present, hailing from Lexington, VA in the foothills of the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe that’s where the band draws inspiration for their music, or maybe their style is inspired by their name, or maybe it's just when these four band-mates come together the end result is always bold and impressive?

With a sound built upon a resolute sense of purpose and shaped by hundreds of explosive live shows, Baroness position themselves at the forefront of heavy music with their first full length and Relapse debut Red Album. Red Album is at once powerful, expressive, confident, and commanding. The record sees the band expand its sonic vision; colossal riffs and haunting vocals roll like thunder across epic songs spanning both the intense and the sublime. As with each Baroness recording, Red Album was recorded at the Jam Room Studio in Columbia, SC w/ producer Phillip Cope and engineers Jay Matheson and Steve Slavich.

BARONESS has forged forward with heavy independent touring -almost 250 shows a year - since the band’s inception. They've criss-crossed the U.S. three times, Europe, and the UK twice, and have performed at international music festivals such as SXSW, MacRock, ZXZW in The Netherlands, Australia's Soundwave Festival and more. Baroness has toured with many friends and peers, including Mastodon, Municipal Waste, Torche, Kylesa, Alabama Thunderpussy, Cursed, The Holy Mountain, and many more.

Immediate plans include shooting their first videos, as well as extensive Fall/Winter US and European headlining tours. As the Red Album proves and their unstoppable live show will, Baroness' formidable reputation proceeds them for a reason.

Baroness is:
Allen Blickle- drums
Summer Welch – bass
John Baizley – guitars, vocals
Brian Blickle – guitars

Discography
2004 First (Hyperrealist Records)
2005 Second (Hyperrealist Records)
2007 A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk (At a Loss Recordings)
(aka: Third), split CD with Unpersons
2007 Red Album (Relapse Records)
2009 Blue Record (Relapse Records)

Website
www.myspace.com/yourbaroness


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Valient Thorr is a band whose Venusian spacecraft landed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA, forming in 2001. Soon after they relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA so they could fix their spaceship quicker.

On July 1, 2003 Valient Thorr self-released their first album (only pressing 1000 copies which were sold at shows), Stranded on Earth, which had the same musical setup as present, but one of their guitarists (Djinn Thorr) used a keyboard, which helped to bring dance elements into their music. This aspect of their music not only further influenced their legendary live shows, but helped to cement their local status as the ultimate live band, with packed hometown shows at local favorite venue Kings Barcade (located in downtown Raleigh, NC). They toured the United States and Canada shortly afterward, doing 47 shows in 52 days.

After replacing original drummer (Donn Thorr) with current drummer Lucian Thorr and ditching the keyboard entirely live and on release, they were soon signed to Volcom Entertainment, where their full-length album Total Universe Man was released on June 7, 2005. At that point, the group members gave up their regular jobs, which ranged from 6th grade teachers to pornshop workers, and set out on the road. They performed on the Volcom stage on the Warped Tour 2005, for the entire tour, except for a few shows where they played the main stage. They continued touring, taking six days off for Thanksgiving and ten for Christmas. Along the way, they lost their original rhythm guitarist (Djinn Thorr) and replaced him with Bjorn Thorr before going on tour with Hot Rod Circuit and Piebald. In honor of his departure, Eiden Thorr took Djinn's old position at shows, moving from Stage Right (the position he held since the band's inception) to Stage Left.

In February 2006, they stopped briefly in Costa Mesa, California to write the follow-up to Total Universe Man.

After Bjorn Thorr left the band, he was replaced by current guitarist Odinn Thorr. On July 11, 2006 they released their follow up album, Legend Of The World. They toured the entire Warped Tour again for the summer of 2006 playing the Volcom Stage, with the exception of the hometown stop in Raleigh, NC, where they closed out the night after NOFX and AFI on one of the two mainstages to a packed crowd. At the moment they are doing a short headlining east coast tour, up and down for a month or so, then in mid-October 2006, a tour with Joan Jett and The Black Hearts, Eagles of Death Metal and others follow.

The song Fall Of Pangea is an unlockable song in the game Guitar Hero II.

In 2008 they released their forth album Immortalizer.


Members

* Valient Himself - Vocals
* Eidan Thorr - Guitars
* Dr. Professor Nitewolf Strangees - Bass
* Odinn Thorr - Guitars
* Lucian Thorr - Percussion


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