Comprato tre giorni fa sono già qui a scriverne. Come fosse un atto dovuto verso un amico: forse lo è, visto che io ai Mastodon voglio bene, ma proprio bene: loro mi fanno ridere, mi divertono, mi tirano su, sono simpatici e spiritosi. Mica come i Necrophagist, col loro alito puzzolente o i Necrodeath coi loro capelli unti o i Dark Funeral con la loro infinita spensieratezza. I Mastodon sono diversi, e non stò dicendo quindi necessariamente migliori, però sono diversi. Basta guardare Brann con la maglietta degli Yes o Brent che balla ubriaco canticchiando "Egg" dei Mr. Bungle per rendersi conto di quanto siano diversi, ve lo immaginate il cantante dei Cannibal Corpse che canta i Mr. Bungle, o anche solo che sorride??

I Mastodon non solo sorridono ma fanno sorridere anche me, con le loro scenette etiliche (Brann che si addormenta su mucchi di spazzatura),  le loro paraculate continue, i tatuaggi assurdi (bisogna stare un pò male per tatuarsi Tony Manero su un polpaccio), sono dei meravigliosi simpatici cazzeggioni, finiscono per ricordarti quel tuo amico delle medie che andava male a scuola ma vinceva tutte le gare di rutti e di sputi. E tra una coglionata e l'altra ci sono più di due ore di concerti, dai tempi degli esordi con Eric Saner alla voce (che se ne andò per problemi personali e ora si è mangiato le braccia sino al gomito), fino ai fasti post-Leviathan di concerti formidabili all'Hellfest o al With Full Force Festival. L'acustica spesso non è delle migliori, anzi, fa schifo per tutta la prima parte del dvd, ma le immagini narrano di un gruppetto di post-adolescenti incazzati e passionali che già quasi dieci anni fa dal vivo spaccavano, sempre e comunque, anche davanti a un pubblico di due persone: il promoter ed il buttafuori (col buttafuori che se ne va al secondo pezzo). Col passare degli anni si vede il pubblico aumentare vistosamente, e anche l'acustica migliora per nostra fortuna, e così si arriva alle performance straordinarie di "Mother Puncher" o della devastante "Workhorse" o ai nove minuti con camera fissa amatoriale di "Hearts Alive".

Il tutto corredato da interviste e spezzoni con Troy che manifesta tutto il suo amore verso i Neurosis, Bill che fa la stessa operazione con la saga di Star Wars e Brent che non fa altro che ubriacarsi e distruggere tutto (come poche settimane fa, quando ubriaco fradicio ha lanciato una maglia contro Odadijan dei System of a down nel corso di un festival di Mtv , Odadijan, per tutta risposta, ha chiamato un amico e l'ha massacrato col risultato per Brent di due occhi neri e naso fratturato...e vabbè che c'hai ragione ad avercela con gli ubriachi molesti però in due contro un ubriaco non si fa, Shavo, e soprattutto tu fai parte dei System of a down, lui dei Mastodon, dovresti inchinarti e chiedere perdono al suo culo indipendente con le tue labbra vendute).

Questo dvd, amio avviso, rappresenta la volontà dei Mastodon di rimanere comunque strettamente legati a quell'ambiente underground che li aveva visti nascere e che ora si sentiva quasi tradito dal nuovo contratto con una major, è per questo che i Mastodon ci hanno regalato "The Workhorse Chronicles": per dare a tutti queste immagini sfuocate, sgranate, questa acustica pessima e ovattata ma che comunque riesce a trasmettere ciò che sono i Mastodon: sudore, passione, musica celebrale ma con le palle.

Elenco tracce e testi

01   Feature (46:02)

02   Live Performances (01:57)

03   Music Videos (20:06)

04   Introduction To Mastodon (00:00)

05   Call Of The Mastodon (00:00)

Strong structures guide
Building high and wide
Minds that create make us feel more alive
Standing on top of the skyline
Unlock unleash the beast below

06   Shadows That Move (00:00)

The us rhythm blows a diseased river flow
Yeah it's going to blow a change within you
The us rhythm blows
With change we'll explode
And live

07   Battle At Sea (00:00)

08   Hail To Fire (00:00)

All see light in oceans black
Go seek find the red seas fire
Blow ship by those sail blind
Choosing one loosing blood
You try exchanging
No i dont think so
Cannot escape me
No sound reason

09   We Built This Come Death (00:00)

Now you see all this time
Work nine to five
Monday thru friday i'm singing
I sing the blues for you
Now i'm standing in the pouring rain
My feet are cold but i cant complain
And i wonder how you have been
I need you love i miss you so
I know it's right but it's always strange
How i scream
All this life's worth all the while
Heartache and slave driving pain
I sing the blues for you
Now im standing in the pouring rain
My feet are cold but i can't complain
And i wonder how you have been
I need you love i miss you so
I know it's right but it's always strange

10   Welcoming War (00:00)

Lost in a world
A guided eye to strengthen weakness
Throat in noose pain
Feel it constricting a lost love
Welcome to war
And it grows
Ocean lure
Fire of mankind
Universe
Throw it away
Destroyer of worlds found pain
Welcome to war
And it grows

11   Burning Man (00:00)

Coals under foot burst into flames
Become the earth's ashes
Remain
Awaiting sand
A burning man

Approach the door where i place blame
Take the first step
Cleansing my shame
Awaiting sand
A burning man

12   Crusher Destroyer (00:00)

Lesson
The honoring instinct of animal
Pressure
No blame on the red bull
Throw fury at him

Aim gorge and win

Less contenders on the way today
Let them pay
Nothing lost
Nothing gained

Listen
Here lies the warning for matador
Blackout
Blood running the dirt floor
Won't bleed by accident

Burn your game plan

13   March Of The Fire Ants (00:00)

14   Mother Puncher (00:00)

Change stand grow
These things you'll never be
Taste your fate
All that you'll ever be
A life love unconditional
A life love
Love unconditional

Chase
Chase 'em down string 'em up
Hate
Hate the ones who bring you down

15   Profiling Mastodon (00:00)

16   Ol'e Nessie (00:00)

17   Trainwreck (00:00)

life's changed
yet remain the same
basking in an afterglow
i did not know
i am here
in shadows island

lying
hopeless wondering
all questions exhaust me

running screaming chanting
for all this land i've seen its worth
helping all for times sake
it brings me work
pinned to this world

18   Trampled Under Hoof (00:00)

Birth
Original plan
Who will issue days and strike them
Hurry to mystic plains
Go

Lifesblood

Hurdle in the path
Struck down
All is clear for play

19   Trilobite (00:00)

20   Where Strides The Behemoth (00:00)

Condition tomorrow
With visions inlaid
The priest stands to our right
A princess is mine

The regress of some minds
Further chase the prize
Pretentious you follow
Religion is mine

Anger precedes my footsteps
Haunting past comes into head
Horizon seems so far away
This life close to end of days
Kill and i will be damned
Forgive and i will be free

Unified eyesight
Grow

21   Workhorse (00:00)

Slaved into brittle and worked for days
Only thing that paves your stay
Look behind you see what you've made
Like a workhorse stands for miles
Work for you and never get tired
Roll 'em up it's time to go
We'll be back before it's too long

Shaved into rhythm
Work for days
Consequences we have paid
To be free in a world we've made
Like a workhorse stands for miles
Work for you and never get tired
Roll 'em up it's time to go
We can bet on all that's lost
Before it's too long

Burning hell

22   Megalodon (00:00)

Myth or legend
Nymph tale washed ashore
Near the kraken sleepeth stirs coral and bone
Infinite city
No sexy sneer
Hideous creation
Human and animal
Banter songs of rudeness to be adhered
Not on rocks that glisten
Harps to listen
Comb hair
Tear right to pieces
Left to recess a watery grave
Sensing the blood of prey
Swimming in fear for life
Rolling over
Falling into jaws
Teeth that chatter
It distracts them all
The Fiji mermaid
She will let it know
Time is coming to feed and knaw

23   Aqua Dementia (00:00)

24   Blood & Thunder (00:00)

25   Hearts Alive (00:00)

Taken down with hearts alive
Our hearts alive

Lurking dark underground
Descend to the bottom
Swim below eternally
Into the deep blue sea

Time and space
All alone
It can be a lonely place
There it goes
Opening up
I can't stand
I can't breathe
Rolled fin out
Oil stripped
Hold is filled

Ocean coil
Water boils
He swims to the surface
Flame from mouth
Smoke he breathes
Enter the caverns of the deep

Time and space
All alone
It can be a lonely place
There it goes
Opening up
I can't stand
I can't breathe
Terrified
Ghastly cry
Spiraled lives
Taken down
Taken down

The iron side
Bucket of lead
Battle is she
Not for defeat
The iron side
Bucket of lead
Battle is she

26   Pre-Mastodon (00:00)

27   I Am Ahab (00:00)

There's magic in the water that attracts all men
Across hills and down streams
The turning of the tide
Outlook
Future bright
Selfish
Beauty shines
Light cloud rain drive on
13 years to this day red planet aligned
Into sight 60,000 years of light
Fascination with a mountain put to sea
Built to slay and conquer
All with teeth of beasts

28   Iron Tusk (00:00)

Straight line
Feel it burst liver and lung
Long and strong
'Til she spills her black blood
Center down
Vast the head body and tail
Shatter life
Physeter catodon
Culture vulture
Elephant graveyard
Culture vulture
Engage monster
Wreaking vengeance
Assault with all martial rage
Sail on

29   Ísland (00:00)

Given decision to live
Not taken
The flight towards the light
I'll stay in the lava for life
Erupting when gods take us all
Changing the peaks makes us pour
From the mountain and burn
The path of our time
Hail people of Iceland
Journey of a land anew
Ram as our liaison
Vision inspire and move
Awe holy island
Breed the lagoon to run free
Raw beauty is ruthless within the golden ring
Precision of Grungir
Spear of the Norse God Odin
Praise our Pagan Father
Founder of the Althing

Given decision to live
Not taken
The flight towards the light
I'll stay in the lava for life
Erupting when gods take us all
Changing the peaks makes us pour
From the mountain and burn
The path of our time
Ruler of sky's thunder
The honourable warrior
All divination
Beward the Hammer of Thor
Lava goddess
Ice and fire
Settling down
Ocean Geysir
Gullfoss
Heimaey '73

30   Naked Burn (00:00)

31   Seabeast (00:00)

If I stand around
And watch them drown in a pool of gray
When we dive in, I can surely say there's feud with force
Am I in your way?
Please knock me down, can I help you in?
When I'm not around let us all be found in certain ways

Dear Mr. Queequeg, you have been informed your life's been saved
You are not a black-hearted vicious mess so it has been claimed
If this is the beast
Pulling us towards the east with mighty waves
Let us look inside
And pull out all your pride, you know it's up to us

Holding pasts in ash black earth
Bound by roots
Roots into sand
Grow towards the giver

There's an open wound
Placed upon my heart, in anger's ragp
If we open up a spirit, a spirit that can bleed
Ahab the leading lad we can trust his obsession carries them
Meet us at the temple
Healing all the crippled, don't forget the maimed

Lower soul
Sent with gifts offering
Teeth of hope travel with
Child laid next to mother

32   Creating The Videos (00:00)

33   March Of The Fire Ants (Extended Version) (00:00)

34   Iron Tusk (Uncensored Version) (00:00)

35   Blood & Thunder (00:00)

36   Formation Of Mastodon (00:00)

37   Mastodon Environment (00:00)

38   Roar Of Mastodon (00:00)

39   Deep Sea Creature (00:00)

Knowing right
Learning wrong
What you're feeling is pressure
Pulsate new blood
I've seen things you've heard never before
Bones aged in dust
Buy your bite take the body
Calm
Shutting down
You built me
I knew it
I'll never lie liar
You fed me
I chewed it
I'll never lie liar
I follow you covering me
Spirits in pieces
Crumbled and burnt

40   Slick Leg (00:00)

41   Thank You For This (00:00)

Let's throw down the love
I catch eyes open far and wide
Ability
It's intense
Golden
Lace it fills the magic flies
I wonder where is this list
Give in next time
This will be a blast
Ability
It's intense
Golden
Lace it fills the magic flies
I wonder where is this list

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