Mastodon w/ Lamb of God

Aug 18th, 2024
ShoWare Center, Kent, WA

I have always been drawn to albums with cool graphics. Little did I know that in 2004, this attraction would lead me to discover one of my all-time favorite bands.

I was born and raised in Ensenada, a charming town in Mexico’s Pacific Northwest. Before the age of streaming, accessing new music, especially metal, was extremely challenging.

In the winter of 2004, while visiting relatives in Phoenix, Arizona, they graciously took me to my favorite store at the time: Borders Books. I loved that store and could spend hours in their music and DVD section. With a limited amount of money, I picked up something familiar: “Train of Thought” by Dream Theater. However, I still wanted to explore what else was available in the metal section. And there it was, an album with vibrant colors and a white whale on its cover. The album spoke to me, and I grabbed it without even listening to the preview—I wanted it to be a surprise.

On my way back, I put the CD in the car’s stereo system and let it play. The first track, “Blood and Thunder,” featured powerful and chunky guitar riffs, fast drums packed with explosive fills, and vocals with an intense amount of rage and storytelling. My mind was blown. Track after track, from start to finish, it was a total masterpiece. I was hooked.

In a full-circle moment, I had the opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Leviathan” just a few feet away from one of my favorite bands playing one of my all-time favorite albums. How lucky am I?