Behemoth frontman Nergal recently gave an interview to Ultimate Guitar in which he argued that Mastodon is among the leviathans of heavy metal music.

Adam Nergal Darski is a musician who became prominent as the frontman of Behemoth. Apart from playing with the band, he also pursues a successful solo career with his side project, Me And That Man. With this project, Nergal also works with other musicians who join him with their guest vocals.

Me And That Man has a way different sound than the extreme metal band Behemoth’s as they explore genres like country, folk, blues, and funk. The band released their debut album ‘Songs Of Love And Death’ on March 24, 2017, and the follow-up album ‘New Man, New Songs, Same Shit: Vol. 1’ on March 27, 2020.

‘New Man, New Songs, Same Shit: Vol. 1’ features guest vocals from various artists like Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Trivium’s Matt Heafy, and Mastodon’s Brent Hinds. In an interview with Ultimate Guitar, Nergal recalled the creation process of this album and commented on collaborating with Brent Hinds.

When asked how working with Brent Hinds was like, Nergal jokingly said Hinds is an alien, and collaborating with him is a unique experience. After praising Hinds’ musicianship, the singer also shared his thoughts on his band Mastodon. He said that Mastodon is among the leviathans of heavy metal, and it consists of visionary musicians.

In the interview, Ultimate Guitar‘s host asked Nergal that:

“When it comes to collaborations, on the previous record you had Brent Hinds on there. And because all of us here at UG as well as our readers are huge fans of Brent Hinds – I have to ask you what does the creative process look like when working with Brent?”

Nergal then answered:

“Well, Brent is an alien. I don’t know if you’ve figured it out, but he’s an alien. He’s not a human being. So you can only guess how it goes. It’s unprecedented. It’s a one-of-a-kind collaboration with Brent. Because I have a feeling that he’s always there on a different planet, you know?

To communicate with him, you need supporting forces to channel the energy. But again, he’s a guitar visionary. I remember saying, ‘Brent, are you sure the guitar is in tune?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah man, I’m sure!’ ‘But, can we play – can we get another take?’ ‘Sure!’

I mean, his approach to guitar playing is just so original, so unique, so one-of-a-kind, so having him – it’s very precious. It’s amazing. And he’s also a great guy – he’s crazy but he’s great, and I love him.

I really reckon that Mastodon is one of the leviathans of heavy metal, for a second decade now – great guys, amazing music, visionary musicians.“

You can listen to ‘New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 2’ through Spotify below.