Some bands keep getting better as they age. Some get to an apex, and then start going downhill. Others are just solid bands and don’t change too drastically between releases, for better or worse. Well, this week, though a few of these bands are still rather young, we have examples of all of those situations. It makes for some pleasant surprises, some not-so-pleasant surprises, and a couple of met-expectaitons, which we are perfectly happy with. Those ambiguous descriptors don’t just apply to the new albums but also the live review and first impression covered in this brandy-new episode.
Reviews: Agalloch – The Serpent & The Sphere (Profound Lore); Dust Bolt – Awake the Riot (Napalm); Structures – Life Through a Window (Sumerian); Vallenfyre – Splinters (Nuclear Blast)
First Impression: Every Time I Die – “Thirst” from From Parts Unknown out July 1st through Epitaph
Live Review: Mastodon, Gojira, Kvelertak @ Terminal 5 in New York, NY on May 15, 2014
Vallenfyre – Splinters
Structures – Life Through A Window
Dust Bolt – Awake The Riot
Agalloch – The Serpent & The Sphere
The Sideshow Podcast 
The Mastodon, Gojira, Kvelertak show was awesome. One of first things that strikes me is that we saw Gojira and Kvelertak headlining their own tours last year and now here they are opening for Mastodon.
I haven’t listened to Terra Incognita from Gojira either. I also don’t know why Gojira doesn’t play the intro part to Flying Whales? I fell as though that little bit of the slower, quieter part of the beginning of Flying Whales would make a good contrast to the pummeling heaviness that is the rest of a Gojira performance.
I think that we lost each other was because the crowd was that crazy. I was all over the floor for Mastodon. I just sort of let the crowd take me wherever it may. I was in the third row at one point and I was in the back at another point.
I was also a bit surprised on some of the setlists. No Kvelertak (the song)? No Blood and Thunder? Mastodon starts with that 10 minute song from Leviathan? Not that there is anything wrong with any of their song choices, but I think it just goes to show how deep all these bands catalogs already are that they can play a great set and still leave out some great songs.
I can’t agree that Gojira upstaged Mastodon. I can understand if you thought Gojira played better than Mastodon, but for as crazy as the crowd was for Gojira, it was equally as crazy for Mastodon and Mastodon played longer. So Mastodon really wasn’t upstaged.