Maybe the most important heavy metal band of their generation, Atlanta-based Mastodon have raised their creative bar with every release in their ever-growing catalog, edging ever further away from their extreme roots (based on prior band affiliations like Lethargy, Today Is the Day and Four Hour Fogger) towards accessibility, without any sign of selling out or abandoning their prog-like experimentations.

So what kinds of bands influence a group as inventive and versatile as Mastodon, whose four members actually met at a High on Fire concert?

Well, as guitarist Bill Kelliher told Chris Riemenschneider of StarTribune.com, "We all grew up on early Metallica, Maiden, Slayer, Priest and I think AC/DC and Zeppelin come through pretty strong in our music, too.”

And yet, these bands are just the tip of the iceberg, as any Internet search for band member interviews will show you – or, why not let us do that, instead, via the following list of 10 Bands Who Influenced Mastodon.

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