MASTODON Drummer On Next Album: 'It's Going To Throw People Through A Loop'

James Ridley of Australia's Beat magazine recently conducted an interview with MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On playing tours across the globe supporting just about every monster band in the metal world and "slaying" their idols?

"I don't know about that. It's awesome sharing the stage with people you admire so much and it's really amazing to be chosen for those tours, like TOOL inviting us out… these are bands that have fans that would kill for them."

On piracy:

"This is inevitable. It's the 'digital age' and it's just going to keep on moving in that direction. Instead of getting mad about it and trying to fight it you just have to use that energy to try and find a way to embrace it."

On how MASTODON came up with the theme of "Blood Mountain":

"You try and think about where you're at. We're on this mountain. At practice you sit around a table and go, 'Okay, what could happen to you on a mountain?' You could get lost in the woods, you're starving and have to kill your own food, maybe get chased by a wolf that wants to eat you, you reach the summit but it's snow-capped and an avalanche comes and tries to wipe you out. Then you get hungry and eat some roots (that make you hallucinate). You know, it's just brainstorming. Thinking about what comes next in the story line. We write music very cinematically, there's always a little movie that goes along in your head that goes along with whatever riff is being played."

On what's next for MASTODON:

"I'm not sure. I have an idea of what I want it to be, but I can't talk about it. It's going to throw people through a loop. There's plenty of places to go. The imagination is hopefully endless. It's not up to me or anyone in the band what's going to happen music-wise. We're more of an envelope, just putting it all together. Whatever visits us we try and deliver it the best we can."

On juggling touring with family life:

"We've all got families. I don't have kids, but I have a wife. Troy's got a girlfriend and a daughter who's nearly ten. You know, her life's flying by and he's not exactly there. So we need to take a break and remember that we're human."

Read the entire interview at www.beat.com.au.