Best 'Summer' Metal

[Carpe Mortem]

I'm a little surprised at the amount of thrash votes. But Krow kinda put it best, there really is something to blaring some fast fucking ball slapping thrash driving down the highway with the windows down on a hot day.

I've been listening to shit tons of Mastodon this summer. It tends to be a more social season and when I'm controlling the music I like to play shit that's a little more approachable for non-metal fans in the low pointless hope that they'll decide they like it.

 

[Internally Deformed]

I've been listening to shit tons of Mastodon this summer. It tends to be a more social season and when I'm controlling the music I like to play shit that's a little more approachable for non-metal fans in the low pointless hope that they'll decide they like it.

I got turned off this bands for years by their level of hype in the metal press, their hipstery fan base, and their relative lack of popularity among "trve" metalheads. Then I listened to them again with an open mind, and they kick ass.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

Word. We must always strive to appreciate the music above all things, that other shit aside.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Thrash = best all-season metal

 

[CiG]

Then I listened to them again with an open mind

I did the same but with an opposite end result.

They do have a summer vibe though.

 

[Jimmy... Dead.]

Stuff like Sepultura or some nostalgic old nu metal catches me during the summer. I tend to listen to "core" kinda stuff during the summer. It's good for working out, running etc. Other than that I'd say something tribal, raw or some shit

 

[Baroque]

Thrash = best all-season metal

Fuck yeah.

 

[EternalMetal]

I did the same but with an opposite end result.

They do have a summer vibe though.

Seriously, I cant stand Mastodon. They were actually half decent live when all they had was their older material (saw them back with Slayer when they only had released their first 2). Everyone (mostly my non-metal friends) keeps telling me how amazing Crack the Skye is, but after repeated listens I still found it to be terrible. I saw them play again on some big thrash tour a couple years ago and their live show lost it's energy and was just unforgettably bad. Leviathan was at least alright, but since I have heard the band declare a dislike for metal and their music has sucked ever since. Fuck this band, I dont understand why everyone I meet seems to be in love with them.

Stuff like Sepultura or some nostalgic old nu metal catches me during the summer. I tend to listen to "core" kinda stuff during the summer. It's good for working out, running etc. Other than that I'd say something tribal, raw or some shit

Ill admit that Unearth is one of my go-to's when working out, so I definitely agree with you that the core stuff is good for workouts.

 

[CiG]

Seriously, I cant stand Mastodon. They were actually half decent live when all they had was their older material (saw them back with Slayer when they only had released their first 2). Everyone (mostly my non-metal friends) keeps telling me how amazing Crack the Skye is, but after repeated listens I still found it to be terrible. I saw them play again on some big thrash tour a couple years ago and their live show lost it's energy and was just unforgettably bad. Leviathan was at least alright, but since I have heard the band declare a dislike for metal and their music has sucked ever since. Fuck this band, I dont understand why everyone I meet seems to be in love with them.

I can't help but notice that they appeal to metal fans I often fundamentally disagree with in terms of metal taste.

 

[Internally Deformed]

I can't help but notice that they appeal to metal fans I often fundamentally disagree with in terms of metal taste.

It's because they have so many fans who just flocked to them because of the hype. What I think they do really way is synergise together so many different genres, both metal and non-metal, into a cohesive whole. Pretty difficult to see what someone would dislike about this, annoying vox effects aside:

 

[EternalMetal]

The song goes nowhere, has very obnoxious vocals with blatant electronic sound effects, and the riffs are boring (everything else is wank). Imo Blood Mountain is where the band starts to go downhill, and they later hit rock bottom with their "ambitious" progressive crap.

I can't help but notice that they appeal to metal fans I often fundamentally disagree with in terms of metal taste.

It would definitely come as a shock if you liked them, lol. While I definitely have more of an appreciation for the progressive side of metal as you do, I dont find that Mastodon do a good job with it. I understand the hype with Dream Theater, Symphony X, etc, but with these guys I just dont see it.

 

[Elric of Melniboné]

 

[Internally Deformed]

The song goes nowhere, has very obnoxious vocals with blatant electronic sound effects, and the riffs are boring (everything else is wank). Imo Blood Mountain is where the band starts to go downhill, and they later hit rock bottom with their "ambitious" progressive crap.

Their sound on Blood Mountain combines elements of commercial thrash like Metallica with Death with Stoner Metal with Progressive Sludge with Hardcore music, which is no mean feat compositionally. Whether you like it or not is up to you I guess, but they have a pretty original sound which they pull of well.

 

[Krow]

I've always liked Mastodon. I get why people dont though and liking Crack the Skye seems really uncharacteristic for me buuuuut cant fight my emotions on that one.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

Some of the best summer "mood" metal I've heard this year has got to be It's Not Night, It's Space. Fantastic desert/summer rock.

 

[Carpe Mortem]

^Listened, not bad. Desert rock is equally excellent summer tunes.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Seriously, I cant stand Mastodon. They were actually half decent live when all they had was their older material (saw them back with Slayer when they only had released their first 2). Everyone (mostly my non-metal friends) keeps telling me how amazing Crack the Skye is, but after repeated listens I still found it to be terrible. I saw them play again on some big thrash tour a couple years ago and their live show lost it's energy and was just unforgettably bad. Leviathan was at least alright, but since I have heard the band declare a dislike for metal and their music has sucked ever since. Fuck this band, I dont understand why everyone I meet seems to be in love with them.

This almost exactly. I saw them with Slayer just after Blood Mountain was released and I thought they were awesome. Then I saw them on the Crack The Skye tour and they were woeful. Shocking attempts at singing and vocal harmonies were the worst part. Most of my mates loved it and I didn't get it at all. I heard a few songs after that of other albums and it just seemed like more of the same wannabe prog shit. It's a shame because I think they had a good thing going on for the first three albums.

 

[Elric of Melniboné]

 

[Talos of Atmora]

^Listened, not bad. Desert rock is equally excellent summer tunes.

As someone who lives in the Southwest, there's nothing more badass than Kyuss on the freeway on a hot summer day.

As for Mastodon, I like the majority of their releases. Then again, I don't go to many live shows (mostly due to personal planning and other situations).

 

[The Ozzman]

This almost exactly. I saw them with Slayer just after Blood Mountain was released and I thought they were awesome. Then I saw them on the Crack The Skye tour and they were woeful. Shocking attempts at singing and vocal harmonies were the worst part. Most of my mates loved it and I didn't get it at all. I heard a few songs after that of other albums and it just seemed like more of the same wannabe prog shit. It's a shame because I think they had a good thing going on for the first three albums.

Yeah Leviathan and Blood Mountain I like. I even liked what I heard of the older stuff but from Crack the Sky onward their shift is dreadful