Mastedon is the name of a Christian rock band formed by brothers Dino and John Elefante (former members and songwriters of Kansas) in the mid-80s. The band was formed mainly as a studio project and released two full-length albums and two stand-alone songs on compilation albums.
from me: I’ve been a huge fan of Mastedon since 1989. Being a young Christian metalhead, I stumbled upon this band with awe and reverence. I was at their one and only concert at Cornerstone ‘91!
The Elefante brothers were the founders of Pakaderm Records which released some great Christian metal albums. X-Sinner and Guardian got their start on this label. Mastedon also released their second record, Lofcaudio, through Pakaderm. I’ll give you a minute to find the connecting dots of the names…Elefante brothers, Pakaderm Records, Mastedon…
Mastedon has always been head and shoulders above other Christian metal bands. All the other bands had their secular counterparts: Whitecross was the Christian Ratt, Barren Cross was the Christian Iron Maiden, X-Sinner was the Christian AC/DC. Mastedon had their own sound and their music was better than any other melodic metal band, secular or Christian.
After 19 long years, Mastedon has released some new tunes, and they have only gotten better. 3 is destined to become a classic, must-have for any melodic rock collector.
I have audio samples from each song from the new album below. If you love what you hear, and want Mastedon’s back catalog, you can but it from . iTunes is much cheaper than Amazon.com. They do not have the mp3 downloads.
I have give a big shout out to Bravewords.com, as they were crucial in my finding out about the new Mastedon album. They are a wealth of information for the avid music fan!
John Elefante’s name came to prominence in 1981 when he became the new lead singer and keyboardist for Kansas. John sang the lead vocals and performed keyboards on three multi – Platinum albums with band, giving also a major songwriting contribution.
In 1984, together with his brother Dino, he started to become involved for the first time in producing the Christian act Sweet Comfort Band. Soon the couple became one of the most renowned producers in the genre, in particular their tenure with Petra brought multiple gold and platinum albums, 10 consecutive CCM Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Hard Rock Cafe, and the only artist to ever have 4 albums in the SoundScan top-100 Christian chart.
Elefante also felt the songwriting muse and formed a Metal band with his brother, Mastedon. The band’s name was a pachyderm-inspired reference to the brothers’ last name. Although John was an accomplished vocalist and performer, the Mastedon albums featured multiple lead singers and performances by other artists, creating an eclectic sound anchored by John’s songwriting. His brother Dino played a prominent role, contributing songwriting and handling most of the guitar work.
Mastedon’s first release was titled “It’s a Jungle Out There!” (1989). A year later, the band released “Lofcaudio”. The albums charted at #25 and #10, respectively in the Billboard Top Contemporary Christian chart. To this day, they are still considered classics in the genre.
In 1996 John started a solo career that brought him to release three successful albums more in the Adult Contemporary – Pop Rock vein. After a few years of hiatus, John Elefante decided to go back to his roots sound with a brand new Mastedon album that – contrary to the predecessors – would only feature his amazing lead vocals. Musically, the new album, simply entitled “3” harkens back to the best of Mastedon and to his work with Kansas and none other than main Kansas songwriter Kerry Livgren appears on lead guitar on the release. More famed musicians and such as Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon), Anthony Sallee (Whiteheart), Dan Needham (Michael McDonald, Neville Brothers, Amy Grant, Garth Brooks etc) and of course John’s brother Dino Elefante.
Rich melodic harmonies and melodies are the keys to a Mastedon record and “3” is clearly an instant winner in all its moments and will remain as an hallmark in John Elefante’s career for many years to come.
MASTEDON John Elefante: all lead vocals; rhythm guitar, keyboards Dave Amato, Kerry Livgren: Lead Guitars Anthony Sallee: bass Dan Needham: drums Dino Elefante: Additional guitars, acoustic guitar, backing vocals With: Tim Smith: bass on Slay Your Demons Jr McNeely: additional guitar on Questions
As a companion to this new release, Frontiers managed to acquire the rights for the re-release of Mastedon’s legendary debut album, It’s A Jungle Out There!. Released originally in 1989, it charted at #25 in the Billboard Top Contemporary Christian chart. To this day, this album is still considered classics in the genre and has reached some amazing prices in the trades on eBay. Frontiers new reissue includes full lyrics and three bonus tracks ‘Wasn’t It Love’ (from the compilation California Metal) and live versions of ‘Islands In The Sky’ and ‘Right Hand’, recorded live at Cornerstone in 1991.
The tracklisting:
‘It’s A Jungle Out There’
‘Glory Bound’
‘This Is The Day’
‘Love Inhalation’
‘Islands In The Sky’
‘Get Up’
‘Love That Will Survive’
‘Innocent Girl’
‘Shine On’
‘Right Hand’
‘Wasn’t It Love’ *
‘Islands In The Sky’ (Live at Cornerstone ‘91 )*
‘Right Hand’ (Live at Cornerstone ‘91) *
(* bonus tracks)
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
delicious
Digg
Last.fm
Youtube
. iTunes is much cheaper than Amazon.com. They do not have the mp3 downloads.
User
