What I Learned From Mastodon

[@BenEller]

Thanks for learning how Mastodon’s “Leviathan” changed the way I play! Get the extended cut (almost 40 minutes of AD-FREE hotness!) and all kinds of goodies here: www.patreon.com/posts/110706804?

[@puszkin69]

@@BenEller please, please, please. More Mastodon, Gojira and Whitechapel! Please, please, please. You're the best!

[@MikeBaars83]

And yes. Show Hearts Alive 🐋

[@iLightSoundGeometry]

good stuff mate

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

_Island_ as in "tropical island." The "s" is silent. 🙂

[@WODZIO1988ns]

Good stuff! Let's start picking!

[@flixization]

Sorry about the shitty I Am Ahab tab on UG everyone. This massive album had just come out and I was just a dumb kid who adored it and wanted to tackle it. I always figured it would get buried or corrected if it was off. Not long ago I went to go relearn how to play it and to my horror I see my own bungled tab had been reposted and was staring me back in the face. Thanks for nailing it as always Uncle Ben.

[@BenEller]

Hahahahaha

[@Knockedlooser]

This feels like a historic moment haha

[@Xplora213]

The internet is forever 😳😳😳😳

[@vu4803]

I’m just happy to see another UG’er from that time is still playing guitar.

[@Duncanlinc]

Fuck man this tab got me through high school. Idc if it was wrong. It helped elevate my skills. Hahaha

[@ericajade2601]

Blackwater Park would be a fun record to analyze in depth like this.

[@rd.fawcett]

Hell yeah!!

[@mercurius0]

100%

[@yusufyusuf1998]

He did do that

[@rolmodel12.]

Love when Uncle Ben goes through an entire albums riffage! 🤘🏻

[@BenEller]

me too!

[@candrelsrosa]

@@BenEller I don't think most people can imagine just how difficult and time consuming that is Ben ;) Thank you so much!

[@sole__doubt]

For real I think I watched the Youthanasia one a thousand times.

[@necromancer3027]

Man please go for the Hearts Alive lesson.

[@BenEller]

the world just may need it!

[@GiovaniGatto]

Please please please please

[@piarb]

@@BenEller it does!

[@martinezfacundodario]

I still can get that solo right

[@exortor]

​@@BenEllerUncle Ben just do a whole album lesson, next do crack the Skye whole album ❤❤😅

[@darrenanquist4611]

Bill Kelliher offers in-person lessons while touring and I was lucky enough to attend. Just a down to earth, honest, insightful time that was so worth it! The whole show in Calgary was killer!

[@Cysquatch]

100% second this. I grabbed one of those lessons a couple years back in Hunstville and he was just the coolest dude. It was funny being in a room of a handful of Mastonerds obviously star struck in Bill's presence, and realizing that Bill was also star struck just by having fans that would pay to see him and take a lesson was a great moment. Bill's a great teacher, but getting to meet a hero and them actually turn out even better than expected is a pretty unique experience.

[@Emanuelnx]

@@Cysquatchcan i ask what the lesson was focused on? Like was it riffs or just whatever you guys wanted?

[@Cysquatch]

@@Emanuelnx Pretty much both. He had a handful of things prepared regarding technique and his approach to creating riffs, but a lot of it was basically musical Q&A. Had a couple dudes ask for specific riffs and he taught those, I had some questions about his writing process and structuring of songs which he offered a lot of really cool insight for, and numerous people just had raw technical questions which he had at least one exercise for just off the top of his head. If you can swing the extra cash next time you see them, it's extremely worth it. Worst case you get some cool insight into what makes Mastodon sound the way they do and spend a while hanging with a really cool dude.

[@Emanuelnx]

@@Cysquatch cool thank you! I’ll definetly try to get one booked. Hope they tour through europe soon

[@darrenanquist4611]

Exactly what @Cysquatch said. There was 8 of of and it went about 90 minutes total.

[@DobbeltJensen]

Hearts Alive is one the most haunting and beautiful passages in modern metal, finishing off with the brutal outro riff. Masterpiece.

[@Chaotic_Neutral76]

What’s cool is I took a lesson with Bill while he was on tour and he pointed out this pivot technique on the Blood and Thunder riff and even threw in an upstroke on the slide at the end of the riff. He pointed out that cleaning up his playing (proper posture, more classical position etc etc) and adding efficiency like the pivot has made him a better player over the years.

[@BenEller]

Nice!!!

[@boovol]

What may be even more interesting, the opening riff was written by the drummer Brann Dailor who is terrible at playing guitar, according to Bill.

[@davidyates8880]

Great video Ben. I'd love to see you do a sit down interview with Bill, both with your guitars, talking and playing all things Mastodon, his guitar history, influences, approach to writing etc.

[@BenEller]

Great suggestion!

[@Goose21]

The evil hillbilly lick in megalodon always makes me smile

[@Larrystrawberry]

Please, Uncle Ben. We need that full Hearts Alive lesson. Love your channel.

[@jakemertz2660]

So much value in this video alone, I can’t imagine how stellarly star shattering full breakdowns on each song from you would be

[@BenEller]

Thanks!

[@twanja08]

Hearts Alive, am I right?! Yes.

[@BenEller]

you are!

[@twanja08]

It has been my Everest....

[@twanja08]

Don't even care what's said in this vid. I'm sure it's on point. Leviathan is one of the baddestest albums of all time. 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@NIJHR]

this guy is the best teacher for your metal shit, sick guitar btw

[@BenEller]

Thanks man!

[@vocecaiunocontodomalakoi7541]

It's impressive how this album has no bad or lazy riff, only few albums on the genre have managed to achive this feat, some that come to mind are symbolic and the sound of perseverance by death, talking about death, when is uncle Ben going to talk about this legendary band? 😢

[@nikolaresanovic8335]

@BenEller you MUST!!! 🙏

[@MyDemon32]

Or Individual Thought Paterns, it has some really tasty riffs on it.

[@berniefixe]

That mom's second husband joke 🤌

[@BenEller]

funny cause its true

[@Kzzyn1990]

it was already in the "stuff Mastodon does" video, but it still is funny af :D

[@brimzw]

The ending riff to Seabeast is just perfection.

[@agalvin1313]

seriously so heavy

[@MissyMuthaTruckiN]

one of my faves 💙 lowkey reminds me of Disposable heroes

[@Juacamoleconnachos]

Some ideas for “What this album taught me”: - Remission - Blood Mountain - Crack the Skye - The Hunter - Once more ‘round the sun - Emperor of Sand - Hushed and Grim

[@Aerythraea]

Maybe even throw on call of the mastodon for diversity.

[@graz1885]

I would love for this to become a series! It really helped me explore outside the box.

[@BenEller]

I think it will! I had a blast making it

[@ThakkMylde]

2:56 that Missy Elliott reference made me actually laugh out loud.

[@BenEller]

Hahaha I’m glad it tickled somebody

[@tnaaaarg]

really digging this what i learned series, makes learning theory much easier

[@BenEller]

Love to hear that

[@RobertTheBruce88]

Completely nailed those riffs and tone. Masterfully done!

[@leandroescudero8132]

Im not a metal guy but a huge fan of mastodon. Your videos shows me a lot of cool stuff to improve my personal style and think outside the box of my usual tools. Thank you, greeting from Argentina Almighty Ben

[@BenEller]

Glad to hear it!

[@thathandleistakentrythisone]

Bill said that Brent got this 500 Guitar Chords book and had been learning chords to use in that opening part of Hearts Alive

[@HadalSayer]

Absolutely you need to do full Hearts Alive full lesson.... took me months to get the whole song figured out and im sure theres still some nuance im missing

[@artaragon7894]

I've been writing with a similar octave tuning but in F and I said the same thing about trying to do more than just the usual octave and your video really opened up my mind to try some other things

[@feralpidgin]

Your Mastodon advocacy has single-handily brought me back to the band with fresh ears over and over again! Thank you! 🐘🎸🐋

[@BenEller]

Great to hear!

[@HazzorPlaysGames]

I was playing this record last week and only then realized it was 20 years old, absolute insanity. And yeah bud, a full hearts alive vid would slap my ass for months. Please do.

[@10chipmunk]

Hazzor It makes me very happy to know that you like Mastodon!

[@Edwebb09]

This was a tremendous video. Would definitely recommend doing an album in review video series like this!

[@BenEller]

I think that’s a good call!

[@Edwebb09]

I’m famous! Uncle Ben responded to my comment!

[@DarthV506]

You could do an entire series on Mastodon albums. They all have something different that makes them awesome. I know there are a lot of fans that don't really like their more recent releases, but I've come to understand they write what THEY are feeling/experiencing. It's amazingly brave at how much of themselves they put out to the world. And as I've got older, I really respect them even more for that. Also love me some dangly chords!

[@stevefromyellowstone7911]

I’m a more recent Mastadon fan, and I’ve seen this comment made before but no one ever says what they don’t like or even which albums lol they all have a different feel to me and they all feel amazing.

[@DarthV506]

@@stevefromyellowstone7911 The older stuff is heavier and more aggressive in sound. I think their later stuff (Hunter and newer) actually switched to heavier (and more personal) meaning lyrics but with more laidback music. I still love pretty much everything they've done. They have changed and grown over the years. So have I. But I can see fans that wanted the more sludgy/fast /proggy stuff from Remission/Leviathan/BloodMountain not be fans of Hushed and Grim. Everyone is allowed to like what they like. Just like how People didn't like Rush when they went more commercial. Or Metallica after Justice. Or old vs newer Gojira. Listen to what you like. Only want the old stuff? Listen to that. I'm in it for the ride!

[@stevefromyellowstone7911]

@@DarthV506 I can see that. Since I’m relatively new I think my favorites are hunter and crack the skye but each album brings something very new and interesting to the table

[@DarthV506]

@@stevefromyellowstone7911 I understand both sides, maybe that's just perspective with getting older (won't say wiser!). Do I like the older stuff more? Yes. Do I blame them for growing? Not one bit. Will I keep listening to old and new? Fuck yeah. Their newer material shows so much more vulnerability. I applaud them for that.

[@luckeclips53]

My wife and I got to go to the Ashes of Leviathan tour to see them and Lamb of God. Amazing show 🤘

[@thoronthol1175]

I just saw them on back to back shows.. incredible to see them live!

[@Kellywho5]

Saw it in Portland. So good.

[@Mintis-bh4rr]

So lucky

[@michael7v6]

Great video Ben. Always quality content.

[@BenEller]

Glad you think so!

[@zelicanth1927]

Honestly this would likely be a massive undertaking, but you, especially being in contact with Bill, are in a unique and best position to actually catalogue how to play their music for generations to come. Please do lessons for each song, and honestly whilst it might not pull in the major views, you would be doing the world a service if you did lessons for every mastodon song, i'd certainly pay for it and i've never paid for tabs or Patreon before in my ten years of learning guitar on KZbin. Could even make a series out of it with Bill and get the band some well earned dough given how tough things out there right now.

[@stevenmedge3479]

When I was first learning guitar I was obsessed with this album and trying to learn every aspect of it. You have reignited that love in my heart, I have to get back to learning this album now that I might actually be able to tackle it.

[@BenEller]

Wow, thanks! Get into it!!

[@jonathonfisk3338]

Yes! Please do a hearts alive lesson!

[@moonboogien8908]

Hey uncle Ben! Since you've got yourself a couple Dunable guitars, now you should do a "what Intronaut does" video. That would be epic, and rad. Thanks for more mastodon stuff, they are my favorite band.

[@BenEller]

Ooooooh yes!!!!

[@charliebartlet1384]

Full breakdown please 🙏🏽 and thanks

[@OfRiffAndMan]

Leviathan is probably one of the greatest riff records ever. It’s insane how many strange and awesome riffs are piled on this album, you get punched with awesomeness front to back. It really feels like that huge whale is going for you. For me it’s like master of puppets of this century. Thanks Ben for great stuff as usual!

[@Matt-ho8mz]

Damn, this video was extremely valuable. Thanks for uploading it dude!

[@johnnypasta9426]

Awesome stuff here. Love how much Mastodon makes their way into your videos. Great way to learn so many awesome techniques. The band sounds so good on tour rn. Thanks!

[@johnrigdon5308]

Took my kid to the Ashes of Leviathan tour in Austin a few weeks ago. Mind blown. So good.

[@BenEller]

awesome!! father of the year!

[@zachfurlow4808]

Noice! Me and my wife were at the same show.

[@Dalimagnus]

Request for full breakdowns of the whole album! Ben, you really nail not only the execution but the tone. Sick

[@qotsa909]

Please do a full album breakdown- I'd love to understand every song in it's entirety! Cheers, Ben!

[@Ripzalot]

Peak Mastodon. So much finesse behind those power chords 🔥

[@stephenpondo-voigt8740]

This is an amazing concept for a page, great job!!

[@lloydekins]

Absolutely hands down, one of my favourite albums of all time. I’d love to see you break down the whole album and do a lesson on each song, that would be so sick! Love the channel dude, you’re awesome 🤘 🎸

[@billpreston5704]

Thanks man! It was awesome to see them play the whole album a couple weeks ago

[@vocecaiunocontodomalakoi7541]

I think what helps make mastodon so unique is that those guys came from very different places, bill and brann came from playing 90's metalcore, troy comes from more standard metal and Brent is Brent 😁

[@BenEller]

true!

[@Mintis-bh4rr]

Yes brent is brent but brent played in a band with troy before mastodon, just like bill was in a band with brann, and then they all met at a high on fire concert

[@RiffKing719]

It doesn’t matter how old this album is, it is still just so awesome! Thanks for the video uncle Ben!

[@natec4743]

Amazing video concept!! Great way to pay tribute to a masterpiece!

[@bobilly]

Yes please, break down any and all Mastodon songs, including Hearts Alive, in dedicated videos! As you said, the tabs are very hit and miss. 20 years later, and only now do I feel like I have a good handle on that Aqua Dementia intro XD

[@NauticalNorton]

Yes! I would love an entire album breakdown. Full endorsement as a 20yr tribute to the album

[@briandennehy6380]

Riff after riff after riff after fucking riff. A classic

[@IrateWizrd]

that Dunable looks sick

[@randallhaney7909]

Thanks Uncle Benny Bob, For this clear and fun emersion into this Mastidonical Riffosis diagnosis. Sorry, I had a long talk with the doctors today; and their funny talk rubbed off on me, After they upped my dosage & a quick shock treatment. Thanks for always keeping it fun .. It really matters.

[@BenEller]

awesome!

[@Loftus4345]

That swinging tip for slides is awesome. I'm keen to try it!

[@jacktrevaskis7716]

That tip for fast power chords is amazing. I have struggled playing the verse riff to master of puppets clean for so long cause of those fast scooty chords. literally 3 mins of playing around with it and I can play it up to speed clean every time. Thankyou so much!

[@GregMerritt-ws8tq]

Brent Hinds has a background in bluegrass. I'd wager that's who introduced the hybrid picking.

[@MissyMuthaTruckiN]

oh yeah, banjo n blackgrass

[@wassup287]

That little solo in the middle of Megalodon was like a little shot of corn liquor, Brent practically played it with a banjo.

[@deivitsu]

I've been learning Mastodon lately, and this video not only is helpful, it recharged my motivation to keep playing. Dealing with this odd time signatures and chord progressions made me play better. It sounds good and are fun to play. Loved the video!

[@joemilausnic8409]

Fabulous video Uncle Ben!

[@dimitriosilio3039]

Amazind video man, love the riffing. I played for years these songs in the wrong way

[@maestro.humenhuk]

Amazing video, Ben! Mastodon is helping me a lot improving in the guitar, and your tips on tecnics too!

[@BenEller]

glad to hear!

[@jtrocker9976]

Got to see them in Richmond playing this entire record. The show was amazing and made me love the band even more.

[@DasE30Cuz]

When I recommend 'Seabeast' to someone, I always tell them to make sure they hold onto something sturdy when the outro hits.

[@thoronthol1175]

Seabeast is sooo good.

[@OfRiffAndMan]

Exactly, that ending riff is one of my favourites ever! Just crushing

[@brandontadday6288]

Blood and Thunder is definitely a comfort riff for me. It’s so simple but just so effective and fun to play!

[@kassimusic1]

Wow, your Riffs and Tone are on point. Very rare to find on KZbin 👍🏽👍🏽

[@twd3lr]

Saw them perform 8 days ago and it was thrilling to see them play Leviathan start to finish. Great insights, Uncle Ben!

[@chadherring2790]

I grew up learning Mastadon by ear and what few tabs were around, and you describe so many of the lessons I learned from them as a kid so well! The diminished highway lol. Love iron tusk, the harmony part in the left ear hits that pinch harmonic after the trill right before the vocals and it’s so sick.

[@JonManProductions]

Honestly... a "What we can learn from Ride The Lightning" both guitar and bass would be a banger lesson, even more so than MoP methinks.

[@BenEller]

Good call!!

[@Dimchek970]

I always say if you wanna learn lead playing learn Kirk's solos from the first 2 Metallica albums, especially the RTL solo.

[@garethsigrist8714]

I was a hip 18 year old guitar gun slinger when Leviathan came out and it completely blew me away and instantly made me a lifelong fan of Mastodon! I vividly remember going to the record store (hey, remember those?) and seeing it on a display stand and picking it up and staring at that cover art. I remember hearing Brent’s country lead break in Megalodon and just laughing out loud! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! The songs were so heavy but they were so creative and unique and incorporated so many new approaches and techniques I hadn’t heard in heavy music before. Mastodon are still one of my all time favourite bands and it’s awe inspiring that they’ve remained such an incredibly creative band. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Uncle Ben. Your playing was of course absolutely faultless but you also absolutely nailed the tones too 🎸

[@derektassie1479]

man is that just the greatest album. great video.

[@denverrandy7143]

Love that Double cut Ox blood guitar!!! Gorgeous.

[@dashqe]

what a cool breakdown of such a masterpiece. aqua dementia is prolly my fav off the album. now i get a boost to learn every single track from it, thanks to Uncle

[@richardbaker6255]

Awesome. The tone is fantastic for a “simple” OD into Marshall setup.

[@alexwinn9901]

I just saw them last week! Best metal show I’ve seen. Hearing Leviathan in its entirety was surreal. You can tell these guys care about the music they make.

[@ismomakinen6811]

Love your stuff Ben and LOVE Mastodon ⚡

[@TheRumbles13]

What a show that was. Love these guys

[@jaybesuscrust]

Your genuine love for this album makes me happy. It’s so just good. A seminal masterpiece! You should just do a breakdown tutorial of every track. 😂👍🤘

[@HadalSayer]

Saw them recently in Dallas playing the whole album live, I literally cried. And as a bonus first time they ever played Joseph Merrick!

[@doomzday_mediagroup]

Awesome video man. That guitar is so killer too.

[@drcockles]

Blood and Thunder thumb pivot revelations 🤟🏽 cheers Ben 🤟🏽 I love this record

[@DirtleTilbury]

Man this is the best one I've seen....maybe bc I love Mastadon. Actually, all of his videos are incredible. This one just has some extra sprinkles I like.

[@BenEller]

I’m so stoked to hear that! Cheers!

[@Zygnus]

Damn, it's been 20 years already? I was utterly blown away when it came out, a monumental classic. Thanks for this video showcasing how to play all these wonderful riffs.

[@TransientMobile]

Fantastic comments at the tail. I love “if it sounds cool it is cool” Like when you didn’t know anything and just went with a riff. Sometimes you need to keep that spirit alive in your writing.

[@reverendg5937]

Thanks Uncle Ben!!! Excellent!!!🎸🎸🎸

[@MrDonSeb]

Super cool, beautiful Dunable axe and thanks for the trick on Iron Tusk 👍

[@marcuslewitzki4610]

Mastodon is one of my three absolute favourite bands of all time and I just love the way they've evolved over the years as well.

[@wheresallthezombies]

This video is perfect. I can’t believe how close you got to the album tone. Also love the Dunable!

[@kalebthornsberry870]

Zakky boi's been hybrid picking since about the 90s, but that was about it for metal, and he still used it in more of the traditional sense

[@skepticalbystander]

@15:30 man, gravity is definitely an accurate way of describing the feel of different time signatures! Never thought of using the concept of gravity, but the way music in different times pushes and pulls you along is exactly what that's like. The listener's ears are in zero gravity until the music starts maneuvering them around their headspace. Man, thanks for the new vocabulary :)

[@BenEller]

Hell yeah man!

[@olivershawen3503]

Awesome vid! And yeah, a full breakdown of Hearts Alive would be so sick!

[@CartmansEvlTwin]

It was awesome seeing them perform again and doing a meet and greet for a fourth time up in Reading, PA. The album was a whole other experience with the new visuals.

[@thomasbyrne7372]

Yes please on Hearts Alive.

[@EricTheCleric93]

Hearts Alive is such an insane masterpiece.

[@prometheandemise776]

Man I really love this album and Mastodon. Bill and Brent are some of my favorite players and I started hybrid picking because of Brents crazy guitar style....such good shit lol

[@Corgifunni]

Would LOVE a full lesson on Hearts Alive and Capillarian Crest, thanks for the upload, amazing as always Uncle Ben!

[@twisted-t]

I went from "I only like Blood and Thunder" to "every song is fire". Edit: I mean in a span of a few years since I first heard Mastodon's song randomly appearing in a movie. Not to detract from the awesomeness of this vid, ofc.

[@claug3370]

blood and thunder from NFS most wanted started my journey . Epic journey

[@fairviewhomestead]

Favorite all time song is Crystal Skull from Blood mountain. Off Leviathan? Iron Tusk for sure.

[@jimyounger9490]

Seen the show 8-13-2024 I’m Minnesota and was killer Ben. Obviously you’re gonna see it and won’t be disappointed. Was absolutely amazing. Was outdoors and the sound was on another level. Crystal clear and moving the hairs on my arms , so yeah , wow.

[@bwa_8]

Sick video, sick guitar, sick playing 🔥🔥🔥