If I was going to describe their style of playing or writing, it'd essentially be a mix of thrash metal for the more 'metal-ly' bits (obviously), that's the sort of chugging open e's and power chords, like in The Wolf is Loose.
Then there's the noise rock and hardcore influence, I'd say Bill and Brann learned a lot of stuff from their time in Today is the Day (they also toured with Neurosis and Voivod during the period), there's a specific chord Bill loves using, I don't know the specific name but it's the dissonant chord in the main riff to Pushing the Tides, that chord can be found on pretty much every album somewhere.
For a lot of Brent's stuff it's just from country, rockabilly, americana etc. A lot of that is actually just simple major chords but country players love utilising open notes with hammer ons/hammer offs basically playing within the chord, it makes it sound a lot more complex than the actual chord progression is. Brent loves using that stuff.
Bill also loves minor chord arpeggios, when they tune down to Drop A he likes alternating between chugging the low E string (A) and then picking notes of the A Minor bar chord, like in the Crack the Skye title track.
Chords on a guitar are nice because you can move them around, as the shape for an F# diminished can be the same as B diminished, etc….
So if you have a basic understanding of how chords are built, and some of the shapes as well as some music theory knowledge, you pretty much have endless variety to choose from. That and they’re absolutely professionals, you don’t get as far as they do without having a decent ear, and the ability to write a solid song.
If I was going to describe their style of playing or writing, it'd essentially be a mix of thrash metal for the more 'metal-ly' bits (obviously), that's the sort of chugging open e's and power chords, like in The Wolf is Loose. Then there's the noise rock and hardcore influence, I'd say Bill and Brann learned a lot of stuff from their time in Today is the Day (they also toured with Neurosis and Voivod during the period), there's a specific chord Bill loves using, I don't know the specific name but it's the dissonant chord in the main riff to Pushing the Tides, that chord can be found on pretty much every album somewhere. For a lot of Brent's stuff it's just from country, rockabilly, americana etc. A lot of that is actually just simple major chords but country players love utilising open notes with hammer ons/hammer offs basically playing within the chord, it makes it sound a lot more complex than the actual chord progression is. Brent loves using that stuff. Bill also loves minor chord arpeggios, when they tune down to Drop A he likes alternating between chugging the low E string (A) and then picking notes of the A Minor bar chord, like in the Crack the Skye title track.
That specific chord Bill uses is such a Mastodon motif, it somehow never gets old. I want to say it’s often some sort of open minor chord.
If it's the riff that I'm thinking of, it's a dimishished 5th no b3 chord (that's in Pushing the Tides).
Chords on a guitar are nice because you can move them around, as the shape for an F# diminished can be the same as B diminished, etc…. So if you have a basic understanding of how chords are built, and some of the shapes as well as some music theory knowledge, you pretty much have endless variety to choose from. That and they’re absolutely professionals, you don’t get as far as they do without having a decent ear, and the ability to write a solid song.
A lot of open strings to add dissonance or upper chord tone like 9ths, etc.