On May 2, 2023 Mastodon and Gojira brought their co-headline tour to Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Supporting act for this tour was the wildly popular Lorna Shore. As the seats began to fill, and the fans piled in, it was evident Nashville was ready for a show, and this trio was ready to give them just that.
Starting the night off right was American Deathcore band Lorna Shore. Formed in 2009 out of New Jersey this five piece band has quickly became a staple in the heavy metal community. Vocalist, Will Ramos, provided fans with his inhuman growls, and wide range of vocals which clearly left them in complete awe. Not only did Lorna Shore open this tour with immediate energy, they also had a wonderful stage presence as Ramos spoke to the crowd like they were lifetime friends. Although their set was a short six songs, the time they did play was cherished by fans all around. Performing songs “Sun//Eater,” “Cursed to Die,” and “Into the Earth,” we could have listened to them for hours. Seeing as they have toured with several iconic bands such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Carnifex, Rivers Of Nihil, and Upon A Burning Body its safe to say they are only going to continue to grow and we can expect to mosh our hearts out to them again soon.
Second band of the night was French heavy metal band Gojira. Formed in 1996 out of Bayonne, France this four piece band has became highly popular worldwide. Vocalist, Joe Duplantier incorporates spirituality, life, death, rebirth, and nature into his lyrical themes. While he is shredding the guitar and vocals, his brother and bandmate, Mario Duplantier has made his name as one of the greatest drummers of all time. In their almost thirty years of performing Gojira has blessed us with seven studio albums, the most recent in 2021 titled Fortitude. On top of the lyrics and videos to highlight world problems such as climate change, marine pollution, and the human impacts on our environment they also provide one of the most amazing light shows to date. During their 13 song set, they played songs “Stranded,” “Flying Whales,” “The Cell,” “The Chant,” and closed with “The Gift of Guilt.” Although it has been a little over one year since Gojira performed in music city with Deftones, we are all hopeful we will not have to wait quite that long to see them again.
Closing out the night was American heavy metal band Mastodon. Formed in 2000 out of Atlanta, Georgia this metal band with a psychedelic mix has taken the hearts of fans young and old. Fans lined the barricade and cheers filled the room as soon as the curtain dropped, and the band began playing. Vocalist, Brent Hinds, provided fans with insane riffs and flawless vocals, as well as a warm stage presence that is hard to match. Having released 8 studio albums the most recent in 2021 titled Hushed and Grim, Mastodon performed multiple fan favorites including “The Wolf is Loose,” “Crystal Skull,” “More Than I Could Chew,” and closed out the night with “Blood and Thunder.” With just over 1.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and growing rapidly, its safe to say this iconic band isn’t going anywhere soon, and I can speak for all of us here in Music City when I say we will have them back anytime. The Mega- Monsters Tour began April 18th in Portland, Oregon, and will hit major cities including Asheville, St. Louis, and Boston before closing out the second leg of tour September 2nd in Denver, Colorado. For more information on how you can catch them live click HERE.
Photos By : BrittMae
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