Hunting On The Range with Bill Kelliher of Mastodon

     Mastodon have become a metal force to be reckoned with, and Sunday at Rock On The Range 2012 was no different. Shortly before there set, guitarist Bill Kelliher stopped by to talk to me for a few minutes. Mastodon had just come off the Heritage Hunter Tour with co-headliners Opeth. Bill told me that the tour went great. He said that all the bands on the tour were very different from each other, which made for a great mix. Bill and I also talked about Mastodon’s latest album, The Hunter. He told me that the band made a conscious effort to simplify things this time around. “We didn’t over-think it. We used to spend months and months in the studio taking each riff and making it harder than it had to be. We captured our spontaneity this time.”

     Musically, Mastodon are one of the greatest bands of their generation. They have been nominated for two Grammy Awards, their last three albums have all charted in the Top 50 on the Billboard Top 200. The band has rocked out on some of the world’s biggest stages including Download, Coachella, Sonisphere, Bonnaroo, and, of course, Rock On The Range. In 2007, Bill and fellow guitarist Brent Hinds won the Metal Hammer Golden God Award for “Best Shredders.” Just this year, drummer Brann Dailor was nominated for the Revolver Golden God Award for “Best Drummer.” After ROTR, Mastodon are catching a plane and heading to Europe, hitting festivals all summer long. Hunt down some tickets and get ready to CRANK IT UP! – by Matt Bishop