Why Is the Mastodon + Justin Timberlake Mashup So Damn Good?

In the world of mashups, nothing should be surprising anymore. We've heard countless combinations of at-odds songs mesh quite well and, even so, this blend of Mastodon's riffmongering "Curl of the Burl" and pop star Justin Timberlake's sultry 2006 hit "SexyBack" is just too damn good.

Mastodon's now classic The Hunter cut is renowned for its mighty riffage and distinct overall sense of catchiness, so it does already have a pretty solid foundation on which to layer a smash pop hit over. The lunging grooves of "Curl of the Burl" offer a nice, deep rhythmic pocket for Timberlake's high-pitch croon (which has been digitally manipulated to better fit the track), and it's all too natural of a fit.

One YouTube commenter hilariously quipped, "Damn, Deftones' new single sounds good," and once that notion breaches the surface, it becomes almost impossible not to hear this through some sort of Deftones filter. Now we're curious about a Deftones and Justin Timberlake mashup, so, William Maranci (the creator of this mashup), if you're reading this, you know what to do now.

If you're looking for another wild mashup, we recommend checking out the one where Tool's "Sober" and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" collided thanks to the efforts of alt-metal group Spirit Machines. The song combination even drew praise from Tool themselves, who applauded the unique cover.