How 'Augmented Reality' Software Can Blur the Lines Between Online and Offline Worlds Total Immersion's Augmented Reality software solutions gives heavy metal band Mastodon an edge with fans.
By Jason Ankeny •
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Mastodon makes music as powerful, as intimidating and as heavy as the prehistoric beast that lends the group its name. Formed in Atlanta in 1999, Mastodon--lead guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor, bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders and guitarist Bill Kelliher--is at the forefront of a generation of bands expanding heavy metal beyond its headbanging roots into new realms of sonic complexity and thematic daring.
With the recording industry now a lumbering dinosaur facing extinction of its own, Mastodon's most recent album, 2011's The Hunter, extends the quartet's high-concept sensibilities beyond the music--their 2004 album, Leviathan, drew inspiration from the novel Moby-Dick, while 2009's Crack the Skye charted the adventures of a quadriplegic hero who learns the art of astral projection--into its packaging. The move is intended to steer fans away from simply downloading or sharing digital files and instead purchasing the vinyl or CD release.
