Mastodon_NN1 brings_VVZ mammoth_JJ change_NN1 They_PPHS2 write_VV0 songs_NN2 with_IW titles_NN2 like_II "_" Circle_NN1 of_IO Cysquatch_NP1 "_" and_CC "_" Where_RRQ Strides_VVZ the_AT Behemoth_NN1 ,_, "_" and_CC organize_VV0 their_APPGE albums_NN2 around_II themes_NN2 like_II "_" Moby_NP1 Dick_NP1 "_" and_CC the_AT royal_JJ family_NN1 of_IO early_JJ 20th-century_NNT1 Russia_NP1 ._. 
Can_VM you_PPY say_VVI "_" prog-rock_NN1 "_" ?_? 
(_( Or_CC in_II this_DD1 case_NN1 ,_, "_" prog-metal_NN1 "_" ?_? )_) 
The_AT band_NN1 known_VVN as_II Mastodon_NP1 stands_VVZ at_II the_AT peak_NN1 of_IO an_AT1 escalating_JJ trend_NN1 in_II hard_JJ and_CC arty_JJ bands_NN2 ,_, including_II Coheed_NP1 and_CC Cambria_NP1 ,_, The_AT Mars_NP1 Volta_NP1 ,_, System_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 Down_NP1 ,_, Isis_NP1 and_CC Dredg_NP1 ._. 
Mastodon_NP1 's_GE drummer_NN1 ,_, Brann_NP1 Dailor_NP1 ,_, admits_VVZ that_CST this_DD1 style_NN1 presents_VVZ a_AT1 daunting_JJ combination_NN1 ._. 
"_" Metal_NN1 is_VBZ scary_JJ to_II some_DD ,_, and_CC 'prog'_NN1 is_VBZ scary_JJ to_II others_NN2 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 says_VVZ ._. 
"_" So_CS we_PPIS2 know_VV0 we_PPIS2 're_VBR going_VVGK to_TO frighten_VVI a_AT1 lot_NN1 of_IO people_NN --_JJ or_CC hopefully_RR ,_, we_PPIS2 will_VM ._. "_" 
Not_XX to_TO disappoint_VVI Dailor_NP1 ,_, but_CCB lately_RR his_APPGE band_NN1 has_VHZ been_VBN attracting_VVG fans_NN2 faster_RRR than_CSN they_PPHS2 've_VH0 been_VBN alienating_VVG them_PPHO2 ._. 
In_II the_AT last_MD month_NNT1 ,_, Mastodon_NP1 's_GE latest_JJT work_NN1 ,_, "_" Crack_VV0 the_AT Skye_NP1 ,_, "_" has_VHZ sold_VVN nearly_RR 100,000_MC copies_NN2 ,_, and_CC this_DD1 weekend_NNT1 they_PPHS2 'll_VM headline_VVI two_MC shows_NN2 in_II the_AT city_NN1 :_: tomorrow_RT at_II the_AT Fillmore_NP1 and_CC Sunday_NPD1 at_II the_AT Music_NN1 Hall_NN1 of_IO Williamsburg_NP1 ._. 
The_AT Atlanta-based_JJ band_NN1 formed_VVN in_II 1999_MC ,_, bonding_VVG on_RP as_RG great_JJ an_AT1 affection_NN1 for_IF hard-core_JJ metal_NN1 as_CSA anything_PN1 from_II the_AT post-psychedelic_JJ world_NN1 of_IO art_NN1 rock_NN1 ._. 
Their_APPGE full_JJ length_NN1 debut_NN1 ,_, "_" Remission_NN1 ,_, "_" arrived_VVD in_II 2002_MC ,_, but_CCB they_PPHS2 did_VDD n't_XX focus_VVI their_APPGE style_NN1 until_II 2004_MC 's_GE "_" Leviathan_NP1 ._. "_" 
That_DD1 's_VBZ the_AT disk_NN1 based_VVN on_II "_" Moby_NP1 Dick_NP1 ._. "_" 
"_" It_PPH1 just_RR fit_VV0 in_RP with_IW our_APPGE lives_NN2 at_II the_AT time_NNT1 ,_, "_" Dailor_NP1 says_VVZ ._. 
"_" Here_RL we_PPIS2 were_VBDR ,_, a_AT1 bunch_NN1 of_IO scumbags_NN2 ,_, riding_VVG around_RP in_II a_AT1 van_NN1 chasing_VVG something_PN1 that_CST may_VM or_CC may_VM not_XX be_VBI there_RL ._. 
In_II fact_NN1 ,_, we_PPIS2 found_VVD ,_, it_PPH1 's_VBZ not_XX there_RL ._. "_" 
Either_DD1 way_NN1 ,_, the_AT Moby_NP1 Dick_NP1 imagery_NN1 made_VVN for_IF "_" some_DD really_RR bada-_JJ T-shirts_NN2 ,_, "_" says_VVZ Dailor_NN1 ._. 
Despite_II such_DA bouts_NN2 of_IO self-deprecation_NN1 ,_, Dailor_NP1 and_CC his_APPGE band_NN1 remain_VV0 committed_VVN to_II what_DDQ he_PPHS1 calls_VVZ "_" grandiose_JJ themes_NN2 ,_, with_IW music_NN1 made_VVN on_II an_AT1 epic_JJ scale_NN1 ._. "_" 
They_PPHS2 decided_VVD to_TO bring_VVI that_DD1 to_II the_AT next_MD level_NN1 on_II "_" Crack_NN1 the_AT Skye_NP1 ,_, "_" by_II making_VVG it_PPH1 a_AT1 Russian-themed_JJ piece_NN1 ,_, complete_JJ with_IW a_AT1 four-part_JJ suite_NN1 ._. 
Dailor_NN1 says_VVZ his_APPGE interest_NN1 in_II Russia_NP1 can_VM be_VBI traced_VVN to_II his_APPGE girlfriend_NN1 ,_, who_PNQS has_VHZ been_VBN in_II love_NN1 with_IW the_AT country_NN1 since_CS she_PPHS1 saw_VVD "_" Dr._NNB Zhivago_NP1 "_" as_II a_AT1 child_NN1 ._. 
Through_II her_PPHO1 ,_, Dailor_NP1 got_VVD into_II Russian_JJ fairy_NN1 tales_NN2 and_CC the_AT weird_JJ world_NN1 of_IO Rasputin_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS gets_VVZ name-checked_NN1 in_II the_AT lyrics_NN2 ._. 
For_IF musical_JJ inspiration_NN1 ,_, singer/lead_NN1 guitarist_NN1 Brent_NP1 Hinds_NP1 would_VM get_VVI up_RP each_DD1 day_NNT1 and_CC listen_VVI to_II King_NN1 Crimson_NN1 's_GE first_MD album_NN1 ,_, while_CS Dailor_NP1 and_CC bassist_NN1 Troy_NP1 Sanders_NP1 pondered_VVD Pink_JJ Floyd_NP1 's_GE "_" Animals_NN2 ._. "_" 
Their_APPGE riskiest_JJT move_NN1 was_VBDZ to_TO slow_VVI the_AT music_NN1 down_RP some_DD from_II their_APPGE hard-core_JJ roots_NN2 ._. 
"_" We_PPIS2 wanted_VVD to_TO step_VVI back_RP and_CC create_VVI something_PN1 with_IW a_RR21 little_RR22 more_DAR space_NN1 ,_, "_" Dailor_NP1 says_VVZ ._. 
"_" Also_RR ,_, Brent_NP1 would_VM first_MD work_VVI on_II the_AT songs_NN2 acoustically_RR ,_, sitting_VVG around_RP in_II his_APPGE underwear_NN1 at_II his_APPGE house_NN1 in_II the_AT morning_NNT1 ,_, which_DDQ is_VBZ n't_XX exactly_RR conducive_JJ to_II writing_VVG fast_RR ,_, crazy_JJ metal_NN1 songs_NN2 ._. "_" 
To_TO help_VVI hone_VVI the_AT new_JJ sound_NN1 ,_, the_AT group_NN1 snagged_VVD superproducer_NN1 Brendan_NP1 O'Brien_NP1 ,_, best_RRT known_VVN for_IF his_APPGE work_NN1 with_IW Bruce_NP1 Springsteen_NP1 and_CC Pearl_NP1 Jam_NN1 ._. 
One_PN1 wonders_VVZ if_CS the_AT band_NN1 was_VBDZ at_RR21 all_RR22 self-conscious_JJ about_II employing_VVG someone_PN1 so_RG mainstream_JJ ?_? 
"_" He_PPHS1 's_VBZ not_XX known_VVN for_IF bubblegum_NN1 ,_, "_" Dailor_NP1 counters_NN2 ._. 
"_" He_PPHS1 's_VBZ known_VVN for_IF making_VVG legendary_JJ rock_NN1 bands_VVZ sound_JJ awesome_JJ ._. "_" 
Which_DDQ suited_VVD their_APPGE goal_NN1 :_: to_TO make_VVI what_DDQ Dailor_NP1 calls_VVZ "_" the_AT kind_NN1 of_IO album_NN1 we_PPIS2 could_VM play_VVI for_IF our_APPGE heroes_NN2 ._. "_" 
"_" It_PPH1 's_VBZ supposed_JJ to_TO a_AT1 classic_JJ rock_NN1 album_NN1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 says_VVZ ,_, "_" or_CC our_APPGE version_NN1 of_IO it_PPH1 ,_, anyway_RR ._. "_" 
