Customer Reviews

3

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always loved the first two Mastedon Cds, and this is a pleasent suprise!First off this is not quite as heavy as the first two but never the less is just as good with stellar clean, loud production.Another obvious change is John Elefante(former kansas vocalist) sings all the songs.(YES!!!!)As well as writes,plays Keys and produces the whole disc. Anyone who has heard the first CDs knows John shares the vocals with various guest singers,but Elefante's amazing voice outshined them to the point that you wished he just sang it all himself.So here we are; John gets the the spotlight, and gives us a very melodic AOR disc with some prog rock sprinkeled in drawing from his days in kansas.Kerry Livgren(Former Kansas Guitarist/songwriter)Plays some lead guitar on some songs!Other players include Dino Elefante-Guitar,Anthony Salle(Whiteheart)-Bass,Dan Needham-Drums,and Dave Amato(Reo speedwagon/Ted Nugent)on lead guitar.This disc sounds like a cross between John's Solo stuff and old Mastedon.A lot of mid tempo stuff with a long prog rock epic song thrown in. Every song is very well done and Really, John's Melodic/Mejestic soaring voice is the wall of sound highlight of the CD!It reminds me of the first Asia CD mixed with Boston and of course....Kansas. This is a must have for fans of vocal oriented AOR of the highest calibre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bad this won't see a wide release here in the U.S. This is simply some great rock. Yes it's spiritual, and a tad light, but there is no filler, and John's vocals are as good (or better than they have ever been). I also purchased "It's a Jungle Out There" based on similar reviews, and I can tell you, THIS CD is waaay better than that one. Even John's vocals on not as great on the other Mastedon CDs as they are on this release. You're going to find a bit of Kansas-sounding stuff here (like from the Vinyl Confessions/Drastic Measures days) There is a song where the chorus sounds almost like Boston. There is a song where the verses are Lou Gramm-era Foreigner. But most of it is a mix of many styles that give it it's own awesome presence. I've been a bit depressed with the music scene lately, but this is the best CD I've heard in the last 12 months, easily!

This is one those rare cd's or albums everyone has that you love every song. The cd is a little different from the last two, but just as good if not better. Mastedon is a real band they do it all for the music first; you can tell through the first listening. Incredible cd.

Upon its release, I ordered it direct from Frontiers. I could not wait for Amazon to deliver it 12-13 days later.
This cd is simply a solid effort from Elefante and the boyz. Every track is filled with great guitar work and vocal harmonies. The songs are memorable, and already I am singing along with them.
I hope we don't have to wait another decade for another future release. Still, this one will satisfy me a long time to come.

I highly recommend getting the remastered release of "It's a Jungle Out There." I already have the original release, but the remastered release sounds amazing!!! Wish "Lofcaudio" we be remastered and released. COME ON FRONTIERS RECORDS!!!

The "with John Elefante" on the jacket spooked me a bit. While I enjoy John's solo stuff, I was really wanting a Maste/odon CD (I'm a HUGE fan of LOFCAUDIO). While not quite LOFCAUDIO, 3 is a VERY solid effort. Certainly didn't disappoint. It's a bit more reminiscent of Kansas than LOFCAUDIO was--that is, not quite as heavy, but a bit more musically complex. Indeed, there are a couple moments that you may think you ARE listening to some mid-70's to early 80's era Kansas (e.g., "One Day Down by the Lake"). John Elefante's vocals haven't lost anything since the Kansas era. My only real criticism is the last track--a cover of "Dust in the Wind". And really the only problem here is the "violin solo" which was done on guitar. Fine, but it doesn't come in very strong, and then John is singing over it as well--sacrilege given the classic nature of the piece : ) But again, this is a very solid effort and a very worthy title in any Elefante collection.

This is an amazing release without a weak song - how many times can you say that of current albums?! There are seasonings of Kansas, Boston and several others. "Down By The Lake" just makes you want to soar with God's Spirit (yes, this is a spiritual album, but it is elegant and subtle). One other reviewer said this is the best of John Elefante and the old Mastedon come together. They are partially right - this is a true blend, but it is, also, something new. Definitely not a retread of either music manifestations but something fresh and alive. You hear it all the time, but this album truly, truly gets better with each listen. You can definitely hear some of Kerry Livgren's influences and instrumentation. Kerry, get completely healed so you can regain all your musical skills (prayin') and, Mr. Elefante - when is the next Mastedon album coming out - can't wait?

This CD is pricy, but good. For those who long for more of the Kansas or Classic Rock sound from John Elefante/Mastedon, you may enjoy this more than some of the other Elefante/Mastedon recordings. It even has a nice cover of "Dust in the Wind", which I enjoyed very much. Also, "Revolution of Mind" and "Nowhere Without Your Love" stood out for me, as well. You have to decide whether you want to invest the money or not, but it definitely is a good CD.

It took nearly two decades, but John Elefante is finally back with another Mastedon album. Mastedon set the Christian rock bar pretty high in the late 80's, and fans of the genre have been eagerly awaiting a new album. Fortunately the appropriately-titled 3 proved to be more than worth the wait.

This time around, Mastedon is largely a John Elefante affair. He wrote the songs, played keys, and sings all of the songs on 3. Brother Dino is also on board in a limited capacity. They are joined by an impressive array of guest musicians from the Christian and melodic rock communities, including Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren.

Musically, 3 is a (long delayed) continuation of the original Mastedon sound. It's not as hard rock-oriented as the previous albums, and bears a great resemblance to the Kansas albums (Power and In the Spirit of Things) that the Elefantes were part of. 3 is just a smart, mature, emotional and yes, spiritual melodic rock album with some progressive rock tendencies (see the 10+ minute "One Day Down By the Lake"). The melodies are gorgeous, the songs are very well-written, the production job is pristine, and John's vocals are just perfect for the songs. His passion, faith and emotion are all evident in the way he brings these songs to life, and it really makes 3 resonate long after the album is over.

Of course, Mastedon remains a Christian band, so 3's lyrics reflect Elefante's faith. Some songs are up for interpretation, but others are quite clearly religious in nature. Even the closing cover of the Kansas staple "Dust In the Wind" sounds more spiritual than it was probably intended to be. It's not overly preachy, so if you don't mind some fairly minor religious content, the album should appeal to non-religious audiences as well.

Fans of the two previous Mastedon albums as well as the Elefante era Kansas albums should run, not walk, to grab a copy of 3. It's a no-brainer for fans of Christian rock as well. Melodic rock fans in general, particularly fans of the lighter, AOR sound should also get a lot out of this album. With any luck, Elefante won't make us wait another 19 years for a follow-up!

You may remember John Elefante and Kerry Livgren from their days with Kansas. You may also remember Dave Amato from Ted Nugent band and REO Speedwagon, and Anthony Sallee from White Heart. This regrouping of Mastedon and reunion of friends has put together the most cohesive Mastedon project to date. While many titles may fit (metal, melodic rock, aor, etc.), progressive rock seems to fit the best.

The song writing and production are top notch. The lyrics are uncompromising, and John's vocals are smoother than ever. The guitar work...well, you know the players. Musically, these original songs seamlessly integrate influences from Kansas (of course), Kerry's solo work, Yes, Foreigner, Boston, Def Leppard, King's X, Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp), Toy Matinee, and others I know are there but couldn't place. This album is by no means a rehash, though; it's completely fresh. Even the bonus track, Dust in the Wind, is redone from scratch, always never the same. The songs will take you somewhere to elsewhere. They will give you audio-visions. You get the picture.

Listen to a few samples. You'll want more.

So, it's been 20 years since a Mastedon release and 10 years since John Elefante released his last solo album. Where has he been? But with this release, it should exempt him from any criticism as to his whereabouts. I've always loved Elefante's voice. Never was thrilled with the two albums he did with Kansas, but it wasn't because of his voice. It was just the music of those albums that just never did it for me. John soared on his last solo release, Defying Gravity and he does the same on this one. With an outstanding line-up those of you who have followed Elefante over the years should be thrilled. The epic ten minute song, 'One Day Down by the Lake' is quite a treat with a great progressive touch and, of course, the spiritual elements abound. But it's done in such a way that it's not overdone and that's what great about that song and Elefante. Christian music done exceptionally well. Yeah! The lead off track 'Revolution of Mind' is superb and grabs you right away and continues throughout with every song. Will I discuss each song, no, because there's no need to. Every song on this album is excellent and should grab you each time that you listen to it. This is a great album from 2009 and hopefully John won't wait another ten years to come out with another release.