What has four feet, fur and tusks and totally fucking rocks? Trick question! The answer could be Decibel’s longtime masturbation fantasies Mastodon or D.C. stoner trio Wooly Mammoth. Why does the world need two bands named after a prehistoric elephant, anyway? As you can see from the illustration below, there is a difference:

The Mastodon looks like a total puss compared to the Wooly Mammoth, no? Well, Wooly Mammoth’s vocals are a little too “Audioslave” for my tastes, but I love how high the rhythm section is in the mix on 2006’s The Temporary Nature. Jason Daniloski’s drums sound massive. Scott “Wino” Weinrich loves these guys — he played second guitar on a couple of the record’s tracks and Wooly Mammoth were perennial openers when The Hidden Hand rolled through town. There’s sort of a chip-off-the-old-block thing going on here — Wooly Mammoth and The Hidden Hand are playing with the same raw material and on the same obstinate mission to redeem Molly Hatchet in the eyes of non-believers. It’s a Southern thing, dudes. Like mint juleps and seersucker suits. And their last record’s opener (”The Arsonist”) and gonzo 11+ minute closing track? I’m not even sure what to call those besides “otherworldly.”

Slap these dudes on a tour with Mastodon and the Thai Elephant Orchestra and we’re in business. Trunks are \m/:

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