A Powerful Opening
Having got the rough end of the stick in terms of sound quality at Wembley for the Muse gig last month, I was sceptical as to how bands like Mastodon would find the new stadium. With music that is technically a cut above most from the world of metal, any echo around the venue, or just the enormity of the occasion might have made this sound like a wall of noise to those less familiar with their work, and frustrating for those who were.
I've no idea how it was for those up high, but at pitch level I needn't have worried, for although this is a band who's music better suits the smaller enclosed venues, they got this day of metal at the new Wembley off to an explosive and top quality start.
Their half hour set was split between 'Blood Mountain' tracks, which made up the middle of the setlist, with 'Leviathan' songs opening and closing, and one from 'Remission' snuck in for good measure.
Opening with 'Iron Tusk', Mastodon immediately stamped their authority on the venue, and had those in early lapping up every second.
'March of the Fire Ants' was next, followed by a quartet from their most recent LP: 'Circle of Cysquatch', 'The Wolf is Loose', 'Crystal Skull' and 'Colony of Birchmen'.
Much is made of the quality of the music Mastodon create, there's far more on offer than brutal vocals and powerful guitars. For me drummer Bränn Dailor is the star of the show, driving the band with an unrelenting thunderous onslaught: one of the best I've seen.
Mastodon returned to 'Leviathan' for the final two tracks, 'Megaladon' and 'Blood and Thunder' rounding off the first set of the day.
Their music may be better suited to other venues, and as the shortest set of the day this was just a snapshot of what Mastodon do, but Metallica would have done well to find a better opening act for such an occasion.