I’ve never listened to that much metal, nor have I been to many metal shows. A couple of years ago, a few records and a few friends started to re-introduce me to the genre, and I liked some of what I heard. This was a significant departure from my usual musical stomping grounds. When a good friend of mine told me that the best metal show to come to NYC in several years was going to happen just a few blocks away from my apartment, that Vice was throwing it, and that Mastodon was the (at the time) secret opener, I immediately bought tickets. Mastodon became known to me last year through the press and goodwill for Blood Mountain; while that record didn’t particularly grab me, it did command respect, and I’d heard good things about their live show. I’d never heard of Neurosis, and was surprised at the level of reverence with which they were talked about among my metal friends. Allegedly, they were the best heavy band, ever. And clearly, while no one was complaining about Mastodon opening, everyone I knew was going to the show to see Neurosis.

Even though I’ve attended many, many concerts, including a few metal shows, I felt like very much like a tourist in a foreign country who understands a few words of the language and little else about the strange place where he finds himself. The cultish and charming Masonic temple was packed with people who looked and dressed very different from the various hipster and twee incarnations I usually see at shows: Long hair, leather, and folks sporting tee-shirts for their other favorite metal bands (Barroness in particular had a lot of supporters) were massively abundant. Mod hair cuts and neon were nowhere to be found, and likely ridiculed if they were. The crowd had clearly gone to great lengths to pre-game for the show, a quality I appreciate. There was a very pungent haze permeating the whole building. The room was very dark, with minimal lighting on stage. There were a lot of big, angry looking dudes with smoking-hot girlfriends. Anticipation for the metal was palpable, and delivered when Mastodon got on stage to run through some new material. I expected to see a lively mosh pit, and was not disappointed. The biggest dude in the mix was a bouncer, who must have been close to 7 feet tall and 350lbs+. He just hung out in the middle of the pit, and when things got a little too rowdy he’d simply lift his arms into Jesus position and everyone in a 20 foot radius went flying while he chuckled. That dude rules.

Mastodon put on a technically impressive performance that seemed to please the crowd; speed and complex time signatures tended to define their set, which included most of the hallmarks of metal which have previously kept me away: yelling/growling and gratuitous guitar solos. However, the guitar solos really didn’t seem too gratuitous, much to my surprise. They seemed to be about dominance, almost a call to the audience something like “my guitar solo is badass, respect and submit!,” both of which I unquestioningly did. The massive and convincing displays of aggression and masculinity were both alien and impressive to me.

Mastodon, while good, didn’t have shit on Neurosis. If the hallmarks of a good metal show (as far as I can tell) are massive displays of power, aggression and masculinity, coupled with flawless technical proficiency, Neurosis are clearly at the pinnacle of the genre. It was a darkly atmospheric, loud, intense display of complete dominance. They were fucking heavy, and they make your favorite band look like a bunch of pussies, which seems to be the point. While I doubt that I’ll ever move beyond tourist stage into this world, I thoroughly enjoyed this visit, and should I have the chance, I’d absolutely go see Neurosis again.

Labels: Concert Reviews, Mastodon, Neurosis