Headbanger’s Brawl is a weekly column where Metal Insider’sBram and Zach take a moment to debate and analyze two opposing sides of a topical issue occurring in the world of metal and/or the music industry.
This past week, we got to hear new music from not one but TWO of the most anticipated albums coming out in the Fall. Mastodon’s “Black Tongue” and Opeth’s “The Devil’s Orchid” show both bands trying something a tad different, and are also good indicators that their new albums won’t follow the same patterns as their past catalog. Yet these songs still kick major ass. With that in mind, Bram and Zach pick which of the two new songs they like the best in this week’s Headbangers’ Brawl.
Zach: Both songs are great and really show why Mastodon and Opeth are loved so much by fans and critics alike. However, I’m going to go with Opeth’s “The Devil’s Orchid.” It may be a bit jazzier than their previous stuff , but it’s still a heavy ass tune. The guitar riffs are sick, and Mikael Åkerfeldt are amazing, even if they are clean (god forbid the song doesn’t feature any growls). I haven’t been able to get his vocal melody out of my head since first hearing the song. It really makes me excited to hear the rest of Heritage.
Bram: This is a win-win situation. I really like “The Devil’s Orchid” too, but I’m going to go with Mastodon. The band have progressed and done something different with every album, and “Black Tongue” is a mash-up of the riffiness of their first two albums with the more psychedelic guitar tones of their last two. And freed from the trappings of having to make an album about a concept (as their first four did) or an actual concept album (Crack the Skye), it’s going to be awesome to see what they come up with on The Hunter, and “Black Tongue” is a nice start.
So those are Bram and Zach’s picks. Which song do you like the best? Wait, you haven’t listened to either “Black Tongue” or “The Devil’s Orchid”?! Well stop waiting around and listen to both songs, and then let us know what you think in the section below.
