Mastodon, Deafheaven, and Alcest

US heavy metal titans Mastodon have managed a rare thing in this transitional era of modern metal: gaining mainstream, international exposure while remaining progressive and, most importantly, heavy. The first time I saw them was when they were touring their sludgy, riff-driven classic, Leviathan, in a little club in Devon. They felt and sounded like classic heavy metal, with the groove aspects of Pantera combined with experimental drum patterns and Rush-like guitar intricacies. ‘Blood And Thunder’ was and is one of the best live metal songs of the last two decades. Mastodon have since mellowed out, in a way, replacing the scream-heavy sludge metal with a more melodic prog-metal style. But what they’ve lost in sheer heaviness they’ve made up for with innovation. Albums Blood Mountain and the incredible Crack The Skye took them to new heights, especially the latter, which they played in full when they first toured it over here in the UK. However, their most recent two albums – The Hunter and Once More 'Round the Sun – have cemented their status as one of the world’s biggest, loudest and best heavy metal bands of this era.
The twin vocals of guitarist Brent Hinds and bassist Tory Sanders – two singers who have very different but complementary vocal styles – are certainly the focal point, but they wouldn’t be anywhere without the unique, relentlessly inventive drums of Brann Dailor. Incredible.

Chaotic, unstructured and in general just very, very loud, Deafheaven are a band that ooze darkness and play the sort of music that has an overwhelming energy to it. Starting up in 2010, they are fair newcomers to the black metal niche market but have done well to secure a solid fanbase. In July 2013, Deafheaven play a set at Bottom Of The Hill in their home town of San Francisco, quite a tightly packed club that was evidently rich with atmosphere when the band came on. They made a very dramatic opening to their set as the crowd waited through three minutes of mysterious instrumental before the song 'Dream House' finally kicked in. The guitars and drums were ruthlessly repetitive in an attempt to build up as much sound as possible and lead singer (or screamer if you will) George Clarke made sure he was at his theatrical best, leaning into the crowd and yelling his lungs out when required to. There was a break between all the predictable mania when the song 'Irresistible' played but just a few minutes later, Deafheaven performed Sunbather and consequently burst everyone's eardrums. My favourite part of the night was the performance of 'Unrequited', one of Deafheaven's more sinister numbers and the band done well to capture the mood, turning the lights down as George eerily beckoned people to the front. Another thing I enjoyed was the privilege of hearing a clear-ish melody in the song despite the musical ruckus. The Cali-based band certainly tore the roof off of the place, although if you want to see them at future gigs, a pair of earbuds is advised.

Alcest's live shows are so intense its frightenly good. They usually open with a slow echoey girl singing 'ahhhh' that bounces off the walls. And then they kick into life. You're taken on a mystical adventure into Neiges, lead singer, experiences and you find yourself totally not in control...but in a good way! There is a concept behind Alcest whereby Neige had experiences as a child being in contact with 'a far away country.' He doesn't invite you into this unfamiliar empiricism, you are sucked in by the live sounds you are hearing. The lyrics sang, the riffs the lights everything collaborates into this realm of Alcestism. You walk away feeling perplexed, a bit out of whack and of sort, but you cant help wanting to experience it again.