10 Best Rock Music Album Openers Of The 2000s
4. Blood And Thunder - Leviathan (Mastodon)
What's a good way to start off a metal album? How about an absolutely gigantic riff? Yep, that'll do it.
Mastodon, everyone's favourite band named after a prehistoric form of elephant, decided in 2004 that there simply weren't enough albums based on the book Moby-Dick. They rectified this by releasing Leviathan, a record loosely inspired by the story of Captain Ahab and his white whale.
Because Moby-Dick is not a particularly happy story, it makes sense that Leviathan kicked off with a brutally heavy metal track. This was Blood and Thunder.
From the moment that iconic opening riff kicks in, you know you're in for a good time. The band are on incredible form here, playing together like their lives depended on it. It helps that they had Clutch singer Neil Fallon on hand to provide some backing vocals, a role he was more than qualified for.
Blood and Thunder is a stone cold modern classic and a stand out from a band that have an abundance of them. It did an amazing job opening up an amazing album, unfurling the sails and setting off on a wild nautical adventure.