WHO: Mastodon
WHERE: Acadmy 1, Manchester
HOW'S THE HEAD/NECK/VOICE: pounding/destroyed/sore
MOOD: Awestruck

The Napalm Death/Iron Maiden ratio (fury of pits vs people singing along, each part out of 5): 3:5

On the whole, pitting to Mastodon is pretty hard, those prog riffs and different time signitures make it hard to rustle up a good wall of death, although 'Where Strides The Behemoth', 'March Of The Fire Ants' and set closer 'Blood And Thunder' resulted in some serious mosh. Singing along while having your face melted off was definitely on the agenda tonight and with songs like 'Curl Of The Burl' being sung back at the band in true Maiden fashion, you know Mastodon are truely something special.

The Frets-On-Fire Factor: 5/5 Karl Sanders

Just like Sanders, their former Relapse label mate, fret worship is high on the agenda and for Mastodon there was no lack of riffage. Their decade spanning setlist included plenty of new proggier riffs to send you into space and climaxed with some serious shredding to bring you back down to earth.

The Superstar Quotient: 
70% Watain

They may not act like it, and they may allow their music to do the talking, but Mastodon are superstars in their own right. Easily the biggest metal band of their generation, with a whole host of critical and fan approval, the 'Don are like a fine single malt, that gets better and better as the years go by.

The Grim Face/Smiley Face divide (AKA The Immortal/KISS Axis - out of 5): 2 Abbaths

Mastodon don't tend to do much talking between songs, allowing their musical prowess to speak for them. Although, after a crushingly heavy set, the foursome seem humbled by the resulting insane reaction from the sold out crowd, there's no rockstar bullshit here.

The Lasting Impression

Despite a horrendous wall of bass that plagued openers The Dillinger Escape Plan and Red Fang, the sound for the headliners was spot on. Five albums down the line and Mastodon show no signs of letting up. With a  career spanning setlist and no fear of experimentation, Mastodon have come along way from their early years, based on Melvins/Neurosis worship, and now reside among metal's elite.