You're a massive metal band in various parts of Europe and you?ve been there and seen it all. When you?re touring things can get a little bit jaded. How do you liven things up? Excessive stimulant intake? Done that. Find a different girl at every show? Done that. Silly stage sets involving spaceships, runaway rock ?n? roll trains and 200-foot high elephants. Now everyone does that.

So, what better way to liven up the tour bus lethargy than arrive at a venue where someone has brewed a beer specially for you. For Mastodon, it was an extra incentive to reach Sonisphere Germany in time to play after the bus broke down (again). Stephan Michel of Mahr?s Bräu brewery created a limited edition ?Mastodon Premium Lager?. Just 200 bottles were produced and the band, friends, and yes, even Team Sonisphere, were swallowing them like they were going out of fashion. Which let?s face it, they kind of were?

Stephan?s brewery is no stranger to attention. Men?s Journal once described it as the best brewery in the world and Motorhead are rumoured to be big fans, popping in whenever they?re in Germany.