Metal can be a funny thing. On one hand, when done correctly, it’s a remarkably complex style of music that blends expert musicianship with practically medieval celebrations of all things EVIL...or at least bad feelings. On the other, it’s also largely about grown ass men dressing up in leather cod pieces (armor!) and spiky bracelets (swords!) and as such is often something that is very hard to take seriously, mainly because it’s hard to imagine that the purveyors of METALLLL(!!!!!) take it that seriously themselves.

Well, thank Cthulu that Mastodon takes themselves seriously. Very seriously.