Duuuuuuude: http://www.metalsucks.net/2014/04/16/drop-youre-listen-new-mastodon-song-high-road-right-now/

The interview should just be on their youtube page, if you don't want to sit through all the wittering and reviews btw, The Thirty Nine Steps was ace, though the internet connection wasn't playing ball at the time.

Hey, Aronofsky's on the Kermode and Mayo show this Friday

Fair enough. I'd never really had much issue with the production on Aenima; I quite like the claustro feel it gives the album.

Well, if I'm ever feeling masochistic, I'll give it a go.

Read a bit about Martyrs. It sounds really good, but to be honest, I don't think I want to watch it at all.

That makes more sense than issues with particular tracks, in my opinion. Overall the album isn't as consistently potent as Lateralus. It doesn't have as consistent a vibe as Undertow for that matter, though the overall song quality is better.

I forgot to ask you- which songs on Aenima did you think haven't aged particularly well? I'm not overly fond of the interludes, but for me most of the actual songs still stand up. Though the swarm of rip-offs that followed didn't help much.

Incidentally, tried Far recently (largely because of Lopez's association with Deftones) and wasn't really that impressed. Felt to me like they were a little too restrained throughout.

Yeah, it's actually a screen grab of some footage on the river Mellte down in South Wales Easily the biggest drop I've run.

I'll check out Cumberbund asap then

Thanks for the Cleric recommendation. I checked out one of their songs today- it was pretty interesting. Heavy Neurosis influence (which is par for the course in a lot of slow metal) but also some Opeth-ish elements as well. Will definitely be checking out more of their stuff

Nope, haven't heard them either. I'll check them in the next couple of days.

I've been meaning to for a while. Where's the best place to start with them?

Fair enough. Deftones will always be there. I took ages before bothering with much of their back catalogue myself.

I still need to try out Oceansize myself.

Hey, have you had a chance to listen to SNW yet?

Good stuff. I've only heard Blood Drive, but it's a cracking album. Somewhere between The Hunter and Kyuss in terms of sound, and the singer has some serious pipes.

Have you had a chance to listen to ASG? Been listening to Blood Drive loads recently.

I was thinking the same. You do get a few bands now though who embody elements of both like Mastodon and Isis, who don't really sound old or futuristic. In many ways I think the best bands are the ones who follow the ethos of those bands rather than just nabbing bits of their sound.

Djent's now got to the stage that bands are using 9-stringers, and there are still barely any interesting bands around.

It's a comparison I kind of latched on to, to be honest, as there really isn't much I can compare Neurosis against. The ethos is similar, although in a way they're the polar opposites within extreme metal. Meshuggah are the futuristic extreme- that beyond-heavy tone in the guitars and the technology-based narratives, while Neurosis have a weirdly primal, tribal feel, with the chants and percussion.

Through Silver... was possibly the most punishing thing I've ever listened to. Either that or Meshuggah- they're roughly equal in brutality but Meshuggah pummel you nonstop, whereas Neurosis take their time and simply crush you. Such a great album.

Cool, I'll try it out ASAP

I find that the vocalist sometimes doesn't quite fit them to the song- occasionally they feel a little off, though when he judges it rightly the results are brilliant. Glad you like them

I'm gonna dig properly into Through Silver In Blood over the weekend. I always like hearing a band who've massively influenced others that I'm into. Means I'll enjoy Mastodon and Isis' stuff that little bit more, the next time I listen to them.

Hey, thanks for encouraging me to give Neurosis another go. Thoroughly impressed so far (their stuff makes a lot more sense after listening to plenty of groups they inspired).

By the by, have you heard any stuff by Byzantine? They're basically a mix of Meshuggah and Pantera with a more melodic bent. The vocals are quite marmitey, but I suggest you give them a go: http://www.nocleansinging.com/2013/02/27/byzantine-our-review-and-a-full-stream-of-the-new-album/

That figures, and I could see that working for them Haven't heard much properly apocalyptic stuff lately, apart from Oblivion Beckons by Byzantine (it's a bit like Christ Illusion by Slayer, but much, much better). Maybe some of Voivod's stuff as well (I could see Matt adapting their guitar style quite nicely, actually) but they've got a lighter touch than when most metal bands do the End of Days.

Say Bumpy, when you mentioned that you thought borrowing from GY!BE would suit Muse, were you talking about their older stuff? Because I've been listening to their last album (which is great) a lot lately and, apart from That Riff in Mladic, I can't really see that style working for Muse at all Though I reckon a bit of Russian Circles and Pelican's styles would suit them very nicely.

Wow, you have been busy. The publicity was everywhere for a lot of the summer. The documentary's had something like three weeks of extended running here So many films just haven't been shown here at all while it's been running, most upsettingly A Single Shot

Speaking of upsetting, seems I accidentally ordered Hunger instead of Killing Them Softly. Ulp.

I'm seriously excited to see it. Gonna have to wait another week and a bit though it comes out here on the 20somethingth (because apparently One Direction's film needed to repeat. Again!). I'm not massively into 3D but I put up with it for Pacific Rim (partly because that was huge and bright enough that my usual 3D quibbles weren't a thing) and hey, even Mark Kermode says it's worth seeing in that formal