Mastadon – First Avenue – May 7, 2014

Mastadon is playing at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN on May 7, 2014 with French metal band Gojira opening.

The club is filled with metal heads, more than excited to see not only Mastadon, but Gojira as well. Gojira has established a large following in the past years with the American metal fanbase, one that grows more and more each day. They have a traditional metal sound to them, the kind of show a person would go to if they want to hear something very raw. Headed by Joe Duplantier, the band is certainly one anyone would be lucky to have open for them. Their high speed thrash sets the overall mood for the remainder of the night, getting the crowd pumped up for Mastadon.

Mastadon plays a long solid set of nearly twenty songs, spanning the years of their career. Within it, is a bit of something for every fan. They begin the show with “Hearts Alive” from the “Levithan” album of 2004. It continues forward with numerous older and newer tracks, such as “Oblivion”, “Naked Burn”, “The Sparrow” and many more.

Unfortunately for those viewing the show, the band itself was very much hidden behind a cloud of smoke. It is the one complaint heard throughout the club this evening that everything is very dark and hard to see. As far as everything else goes, such as the set list itself and the sound, it’s fantastic.

Set List: Hearts Alive – Divinations – Crusher Destroyer – Capillarian Crest – Black Tounge – Bladecatcher – Crystal Skull – Siberian Divide – Naked Burn – Megalodon – Oblivion – Blastaroid – Chimes at Midnight – High Road – Bedazzled Fingernails – Aqua Dementia – The Sparrow