Where do you think those words came from, my friend?
Theyve lived their journey together.
Floods of Tritoncame about as a way to acknowledge their decades of friendship.
Lamb of God and MastodonMedios y Media/Getty Images; Aldara Zarraoa/Redferns/Getty Images
And its worth it.
The guitar riffs recall how Mastodon sounded circaLeviathan,paired with Blythes inimitable yowls.
Its heavy, catchy, and emblematic of the old gods rise.
Blythe and Dailor spoke withRolling Stoneabout the song over Zoom.
He adds that Floods of Triton has stuck with him even though they recorded it months ago.
I was singing the song while I was in the water, he says.
So we had this song, and we thought Randys voice would be perfect on it.
I thought it would be a really cool thing to cement our friendship even further.
As they asked, I was like, Yeah.
Who wrote the lyrics?Blythe:I wrote about 80 percent of the lyrics.
Ive had some stuff Ive written.
So we went back and forth in the studio.
We didnt map the song out beforehand.
It was once we were in the studio that we discussed where things would go.
I believe I wrote, See beauty in destruction.
So it was very much a collaborative arrangement, even once the base of the song was in place.
It was vocally collaborative as well.
Its not like you guys presentedHearts Aliveto me and said, Figure something out.
When Floods of Triton came up, it was like, OK, that sounds badass.
And I think the song is badass.
And so thats what we look for.
We look for badass.
How did the recording go?Blythe:I went down to Atlanta.
I prefer it that way when I work with a band on something this collaborative.
Something happens when youre in the studio with someone, particularly on something like this.
It may look silly to other people, but we have a certain universal language.
I believe theres an understanding there that happens when youre in person that is absent via email or whatever.
Dailor:Its way easier.
So that was way better.
And we got to go seeClownvis [Presley]andPuddles Pity Partylater that night.
Blythe:We all went.
We had some nice potato wedges across the street or something and we got to go see some clowns.
It was a great evening.
Did Mark Morton go with you, Randy?Blythe:No.
The solo section is what, 20 seconds long total?
Theres no real reason to fly to Atlanta.
Blythe:The music industry is a complex and at times clunky behemoth.
And were both under contractual obligations with labels and stuff.
Dailor:Bureaucracy and red tape, litigation [laughs].
[Both laugh.]
I was going to ask, Randy, how do you seeAshes of the Wakedifferently now?
Blythe:I dont see it any differently.
Theres not a lot of surprises on that record for me.
And onAshes of the Wake, there was none of that.
Its a snapshot of a moment in time where we were.
Its fun to revisit it.
Those stories can only be there because of the steadfast appreciation for the album itself.
Its wild and free.
So its so cool to hear all those different viewpoints about what it means to people.
It gave me a new appreciation forLeviathan.
We sold out the L.A. Forum.
Holy cow, were at Red Rocks.
Not bad for a couple of street punk rock kids.
And neither of us forget where we come from either.
So it makes you really appreciate things.
Were going to take some money a la the Sex Pistols inThe Great Rock N RollSwindle.
I never thought wed be doing what we do.
Once we did that, I was like, OK, the improbable has happened.
And I can die now.
So everything else that has happened is… its been slow, steady, upward like that.
Dailor:Im in the same boat.
I figured the music we play is really weird.
I thought its heavy and its not super popular, especially around that time period.
It was not even on the table.
It wasnt something that cropped up in my head.
And also playing CBGB, that was like, Holy shit.
And if nothing else happens after this, Im good.
I take a stab at soak it in, like walking onstage at Red Rocks.
Blythe:And bring your dad and my mom.
We brought our parents out to Red Rocks.
That was a big deal.
Like, it can be anything.
Its alive and well and doing just fine.
