“Timing, my friend, it’s all about timing,” MASTODON bassist and singer TROY SANDERS says to fervent fan SHAUN NANCARROW’s queries about why the hell these guys have not been down here yet.

Sludgey, progressive heavy metal band Mastodon are one of a curious breed – a heavy metal band who have attracted widespread and veritably sycophantic positive criticism from the mainstream media on a worldwide scale. Starting with 1994’s excellent Moby Dick-inspired melodic masterpeace Leviathan and continuing with the band’s latest chaotic, ambitious conceptual sonic slab Blood Mountain, these guys have drawn glowing praise from those who generally refer to metal as ‘dead’ or ‘saved by Guns’n’Roses/Buckcherry/Andrew WK/The Darkness/Add-Your-Favourite- Non-Metal-Pop-Hard-Rock-Band-Here’. So, I ask singer and bassist Troy Sanders, how the hell does it feel for an artistically focused, raw, savage metal band formerly on a respectable underground label like Relapse feel about all of this establishment praise?

“It seemed odd at first, but we embrace this attention as it can potentially open new doors for us,” he replies. “I am in favour of exposing our music to the masses to give a challenge to mainstream listeners.”

And quite a challenge it is – to a rock music world long grown used to three minute songs about relationships, they bring the sturm und drang of towering conceptual albums about ancient, monolithic megafauna, with debut LP Remission reportedly representing the classic ‘Fire’ element, Leviathan representing ‘Water’ and Blood Mountain representing ‘Earth’. ‘Air’ is obviously yet to come. How the hell do these guys come up with this stuff?

“It all starts with one main idea that we can all agree on. From there, we can dive into the idea and start branching off with stories and possibilities of where it can go. It is a long and tedious path we take to create something we feel is wicked and compelling, and hopefully as interesting to others as it is to us.”

So what sort of mix of Mastodon songs can fans hope for in their upcoming Riverstage set?

“We like to power through the main course of Blood Moutain while adding sprinkles of Leviathan and bits of Remission, simply for flavour,” Sanders responds.

Finally, given Mastodon’s recurring song concepts involving large and ancient monsters both real and imagined – to the point where their albums are almost an aural bestiary, replete with monster whales, behemoths, fiji mermaids, crusher destroyers and one eyed sasquatches – I wonder what Sanders’ favourite mythical or prehistoric beast is.

“Wow, good one,” he replies with obvious gusto. “There are too many wonderful beasts out there to have only one favourite. But for today, I choose the Abominable Snowman!”

Mastodon play the Riverstage with Slayer and Minus Life on Wednesday, April 19. Blood Mountain is out now through Warner/Reprise.

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