Heavy metal dudes Mastodon and longtime prog-funk weirdos Primus are bringing their 43-date tour to Nashville this week, and they’re bringing material from their most recent albums with them. Mastodon’s 2017 concept album Emperor of Sand was inspired in part by the band members’ family experiences with cancer. Though full of Mastodon’s characteristically virtuosic metal riffage, it’s a sad record, exploring themes of death and dying. Primus’ ninth album, last year’s The Desaturating Seven, was inspired by The Rainbow Goblins, a 1978 book written and illustrated by Ul de Rico. In true Primus fashion, the album (like the book) is weird and kind of dark — somewhat playful, but bizarre. The pairing of Mastodon’s heavy and dark tunes with Primus’ goofball antics should make for an interesting live show. Nashville-bred quartet All Them Witches — a band that makes what we at the Scene have called “bluesy, stoney psychedelics” — will open. AMANDA HAGGARD
Primus w/Mastodon & All Them Witches
