Mastodon Pass the Baton on ‘Curl of the Burl’ – Premiere
“Curl of the Burl,” the third song that Rolling Stone is premiering from Mastodon‘s new release Live at Brixton, acts as a band showcase. While the other two clips, “Dry Bone Valley” and “Black Tongue,” each focused on one of the band’s vocalists, “Curl of the Burl” finds the metal band sharing the spotlight among all four members.
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The song, which is rooted in a classic hard rock riff, starts with drummer Brann Dailor singing lead vocals, recounting a story of vengeance with a twanged voice that is more Skynyrd than Slayer. Brent Hinds takes the lead vocals while shredding on his flying V guitar. When bassist Troy Sanders gets his time in the light, the riff begins to climb upwards while Sanders calls out in desperation before the song breaks down into its powerful refrain. Meanwhile, guitarist Bill Kelliher supports the entire band throughout with thick, chugging guitar lines.
Live at Brixton was recorded during the band’s last stop on their worldwide tour supporting The Hunter. The set features 23 songs and will be released as both video and audio on December 10th.