Mastodon has succeded in becoming one of the pioneers of its genre. Of course, the members helped the band achieve their current success, one of which is the drummer, Brann Timothy Dailor. He joined the band in 2000 and has crafted various ideas for the band and highly contributed to its legacy ever since his join. If you are wondering what he or Mastodon did, here are seven lesser-known facts about both the drummer and the band.
‘Crack The Skye’ Was Inspired by Dailor’s Sister
Dailor faced a deep tragedy when his sister, Skye, took her own life at the age of 14. This served as the inspiration for the title of the band’s fourth album, ‘Crack the Skye.’
Devastated by the loss of his sister at a young age, the drummer found solace in drugs, plunging into a tumultuous period. Seeking to confront the overwhelming grief and guilt stemming from Skye’s death, he eventually sought help at a mental hospital.
Mastodon Wrote Songs for a Movie
Film director Jimmy Hayward, who is a Mastodon fan, expressed a strong desire to collaborate with the band on a creative endeavor. Later, in 2010, Mastodon was enlisted to compose the score for Hayward’s film ‘Jonah Hex.’ The resulting musical pieces were entirely instrumental, and Mastodon decided to share them with their audience by releasing them as an EP titled ‘Jonah Hex: Revenge Gets Ugly’ in June 2010.
Dailor Also Sings in Some Mastodon Songs
He might be the drummer of the band, but he still sings in a few of the songs. The rocker is best known to have sung in ‘Oblivion,’ which was appreciated by the band. Although he says it is challenging to both sing and play the drums at the same time, in his words, he does not want to disappoint anyone, especially himself.
Every Mastodon Album Has A Concept
Every one of the Mastodon albums has a different concept, and it was Dailor who came up with most of the ideas. Mastodon’s second album, ‘Leviathan,’ is a conceptual work inspired by Herman Melville’s novel ‘Moby-Dick.’ ‘Blood Mountain’ narrates the quest of a character in pursuit of the elusive ‘Crystal Skull’ atop the eponymous peak. In ‘Emperor of Sand,’ the overarching themes revolve around mortality and perseverance, telling the tale of a wanderer in the desert confronting a death sentence.
Dailor’s Influence Is Phil Collins
Despite playing in a metal band, the rocker’s influence is Genesis’ Phil Collins. Collins, especially his years with Genesis in the 70s, affected the drummer. In addition to the Genesis rocker, Dailor is also inspired by Mikkey Dee, Dave Lombardo, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Stevie Wonder, and Dave Witte.
Dailor Has Side Projects
Mastodon might not be Dailor’s first band, but the rocker kept on being involved in other projects and bands even after joining Mastodon. his side project Arcadea was formed in 2015 and consists of Dailor on drums alongside Atlanta musicians Core Atoms and Raheem Amlani.
‘Blood and Thunder’ is Featured In a Video Game
It’s not unexpected to see a big hit like ‘Blood and Thunder’ get featured in a video game. The 2004 dated song was featured in ‘Need for Speed: Most Wanted,’ which came out in 2012.