Welcome back to my look at Mastodon fellow Otaku & Metalheads!
At the beginning of the month, I took a look at the building blocks of the band in the 2000s. During this decade, the group released some of their most classic records, and to this day many of them are talked about in high regard. Now, we enter the 2010s & last year. Would the quartet be able to continue the level of quality they established, and create some equally impressive albums? Well, continue to read on, and see for yourself. Let’s begin!
The Hunter (2011)
With Crack the Skye having set the bar pretty high, Music critics and fans were wondering how Mastodon was going to proceed forward. Would they be able to somehow top what they previously put out, or would they at the very least tie? Well, we got our answer with The Hunter. Released on the 27th of September in 2011, it was a release that......certainly created a wide variety of opinions. Music critics certainly dug the record, as BBC Music writer Mike Diver concluded his review with the following:
“The Hunter, with its monstrous choruses, powerful percussion and jaw-on-the-floor fret-work, is sure to connect with anyone who's previously rocked out to the band's wares just as easily as it will absolute beginners. Don't like metal? You might just love Mastodon.”
Allmusic gave The Hunter a 4 out of 5, saying:
“Mastodon's increasingly accessible sound may not land them a hit anytime soon, but cuts like 'Black Tongue', 'Curl of the Burl' and 'Blasteroid', all of which arrive in sequence at the front of the set, show a willingness to write within the parameters of 21st-century pop music's dark side.”
It’s the Mastodon fans where said variety of opinions crop up. There are many who praise the album, but there’s a similar number of people who think it’s the absolute pits. For me? I’ll be repeating this a little later, but the music on here isn’t bad. Not a single song feels awful, lazy, or slapdash, and Mastodon isn’t the kind of band to go down those routes.....but it comes across as the most pretentious. Much like Bathory’s 1991 release Twilight of the Gods, I don’t know how The Hunter is pretentious, but I know that it is. It’s a shame that I’m saying this, as there’s some personal connections to the band. The album got it’s name in honor of Brent Hinds' brother, who died in a hunting accident while the band were recording, and the Chinese element of "Wood" is a common motif throughout the album. So there’s definitely the feeling that Mastodon put in a lot of emotion and some spirituality, but somehow, someway, the band come across as upity hipsters....and I don’t think that’s what they’re going for.
Best Track? The Sparrow comes across like a lost track from the Crack The Skye days, and thus is my pick for the best track of the album. It seems to carry a lot of emotional weight like that off of the previously mentioned release, the instrumentation & vocal work feel roughly the same, and the atmosphere and vibe feels similar to their 2009 output. Not much else to say, other than The Sparrow is a great way to end this release on.
The Sparrow
Worst Track? I don’t know what it was about this album, but Mastodon was trying way too hard on this album. They were way too Prog, way too weird, and in the process marked the only time in their career (At least in my opinion) that they came across as pretentious. This isn’t to say the music on The Hunter is bad, because I don’t think there’s a single tune that sucks. It’s just that they come across as unintentionally uppity, and are really tooting their own horn with this release.
The Hunter. Not the hideous abomination that some music critics and fans say it is, but at the same time is the most pretentious record in their entire discography. Because of this, it remains the one album from Mastodon that I’m least likely to pick up if I’m in the mood. Still, there’s definitely some great material on here, and the quality alone is enough to say that it may be worth your time. Next album!
Once More Round The Sun (2014)
With The Hunter being highly praised by critics, but fans having a more mixed reaction among listeners, the release to come was definitely on people’s radar. In late 2021 guitarist Brent Hinds mentioned that he and the rest of the band had begun writing material for the band's next release. While they were still touring for their last album in 2013, they were writing and demo-ing for the followup to come, and later on in that year they began recording at Rock Falcon Studios in Franklin, Tennessee, with producer Nick Raskulinecz at the production helm. After putting their nose to the grindstone, Mastodon released what was to be known as Once More Round The Sun on the 24th of June, 2014, OMRTS seems to move in the direction that some people wanted. The album sold around 34,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, landing it at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart (For comparison, The Hunter sold 39,000 in it’s first week), and ended up being one of their best at the time.
Reception for OMRTS was high when it was released. AllMusic writer Thom Jurek wrote that “Once More 'Round the Sun furthers what Mastodon began on The Hunter: expanding their music past metal's rigid borders – toward an integrative sound that doesn't leave metal out”. In his Consequence of Sound review, Michael Madden claimed that “Mastodon are starting to look more like that band's peers [Slayer], not disciples. Nick Raskulinecz's eternally crunchy production helps them reach those heights on Once More 'Round the Sun, and, as Oakland artist Skinner's cover suggests, the record is vibrant, too. There could be more structural risk-taking and the band could stand to have more grandiose moments, but, well, you know: consider them six for six”. Finally, Dom Lawson of The Guardian said that “Once More 'Round the Sun sounds very much like the album they need to make to edge a little further into the mainstream – it has a largely straightforward air and a tendency to favour the big hooks of 2011's The Hunter over the labyrinthine weirdness of 2009's Crack the Skye”.
Best Track? Asleep In The Deep immediately caught my attention. Partially because the music video stars a cat taking the weirdest acid trip of a journey, and I own one of the best cats in the entire world. The other reason is that this song comes across like a track that wasn’t included on Leviathan. The guitars, bass, and drums are played equally weird, & the vocals fluctuate among different singing styles. This seemingly alien experience ends up being perhaps the strongest thing on OMRTS, and definitely un-skippable as well.
Asleep In The Deep
Worst Track? Unfortunately for Once More Round The Sun, the one thing it shares in common with the band’s previous release is the unintentional pretentiousness. The band still seem to be more Prog than necessary, and are still trying too hard to be weird. Funny enough, I don’t think it’s as bad on here as it was on The Hunter. Sure, it’s still noticeable, but Mastodon seem to scale it back a little, and in the process there are moments where OMRTS comes across like something from the 2000s. Definitely a step in the right direction!
Once More Round The Sun. Certainly a step on the right track, but the band still aren’t standing all the way straight yet. It would take a few more years before they stood all the way back up, but the release to come next would most definitely help. If you felt that The Hunter was a disappointing record, then this will be a great substitute.....and as we transition into 2017, we’ll encounter the release that converted me to the faitthful. Next album!
Emperor Of Sand (2017)
And here we are everybody. The album on which I became a member of the Mastodon religion. Emperor Of Sand. Released on the 31st of March, 2017, EOS may be in fact the most emotional out of everything in the band’s discography. Thematically, the concept and story follows a desert wanderer who has been handed a death sentence by the titular “Emperor” of the record, but the idea came from an all too real source.....Cancer.
Yep, the whole album is inspired by someone going through Cancer & Cancer Treatment, as Troy Sanders’s wife got cancer, and Bill Kelliher’s mother tragically passing from the disease. As Brann Dailor said one time:
“At the end of the story, the person simultaneously dies and is saved. It's about going through cancer, going through chemotherapy and all the things associated with that. I didn't want to be literal about it. But it's all in there. You can read between the lines.”
In a statement, Troy Sanders said:
“We're reflecting on mortality. To that end, the album ties into our entire discography. It's 17 years in the making, but it's also a direct reaction to the last two years. We tend to draw inspiration from very real things in our lives.”
As with practically every single album in their discography, Emperor Of Sand was met with high praise upon it’s release. Calum Slingerland from Exclaim! stated that “Drawing as much from their past as well as their present, Mastodon refuse to go extinct just shy of two decades of music-making. Emperor of Sand is at once emotionally powerful and musically arresting”. Anita Bhagwandas in her NME review sad that “Metal needed this album. It needed a record that's doomy, heavy and magnificently multilayered, and Mastodon's seventh album is exactly that”. In a more critical take on EOS, Thom Jurek of Allmusic said “Emperor of Sand is not perfect; it doesn't attain the glories of the first trilogy. That said, it's easily on par with The Hunter and stronger than Once More 'Round the Sun, while being more diverse than any record they've cut. Arguments about quality should go beyond the aesthetics to embody process and honesty, which are what ultimately matters. In order to be true to themselves, Mastodon had to make Emperor of Sand at this time. There was no other option. As such, its urgency, sophistication, and emotional heft make it a necessary entry in their catalog”.
Best Track? For me, I gotten give it to the title track! Not only was this the first single of the album, it also was the song that finally got me hooked on to the band. This song really does sound like it comes from the desert: you feel the hot wind flowing over you, the desolation of the land, and all the while the eyes of the titular emperor watching you from far away. The instrumentation opts for a slower pace, and the vocals are much the same way. Mastodon were smart to start off the album with this song, as it’s the overall face of the CD. A great song!
Emperor Of Sand
Worst Track? I can’t really think of any track that’s bad. Maybe it’s because that this was the first album from Mastodon that I properly listened to back in 2017, but I didn’t feel like anything on here was a waste of time. There is the argument that can be made about the band still trying too hard to be Prog on this release, but I consider it to be the least offensive on here when compared to the last two releases.
Emperor Of Sand. The album on which I became a member of the Mastodon faithful, yet it still doesn’t quite grasp the bar....but it was pretty close. If you were dissatisfied with the last two releases, then this trip to the desert will be up your alley. Next album!
Cold Dark Place (2017)
Before we get to the behemoth of Mastodon’s discography, I want to talk about this surprising little curiosity. Released digitally & on CD on the 22nd of September in 2017, and a limited-edition ten-inch vinyl on October the 27th in the same year, Cold Dark Place is a 4-song collection of tracks that the band compiled from prior albums. Three tunes are from the Once More Round The Sun sessions (More on that in a moment), and perhaps the biggest song out of all of them, Toe to Toes, was done during the relatively recent Emperor Of Sand recording. It’s odd that the band would put these songs out on an EP instead of their respective records they were originally recorded during, but at the same time they’re not being wasted. These four tunes are great, and show off how the band was at those two times. Not only that, but CDP was the other release that got me hooked onto Mastodon, and was a gift from a very dear friend of mine.
Best Track? Blue Walsh is the most dreamlike of the 4 songs on here, and the one that I enjoy the most. The guitars & bass are played in a misty, groove-like way, while the drums act as a support. The vocals for the most part aren’t sung too loudly, save for when the louder parts come up. As the 2nd of the 3 songs recorded during the Once More Round The Sun sessions, I definitely consider it to be the best out of that trio.
Blue Walsh
Worst Track? Really this bite-sized record’s is that it’s short. Clocking in at just over 21 minutes (21 minutes & 46 seconds to be specific), the EP seemingly comes & goes at the drop of a hat, and it will take a few listens to in order for it to stick around. It’s a shame, since all 4 songs on this are really well done, and could have easily fit on their respective main releases.
Cold Dark Place. Perhaps a bit short, but at the same time carries over quite a bit of quality from Emperor of Sand. If you need a quick fix of this band before you have to go somewhere, or just want a quick metallic fix in general, then this EP is for you. Next album!
Hushed & Grim (2021)
And here we are. The album to conquer all other albums in this band’s storied career, and the one that I can say with a straight face is my absolute favorite release from Mastodon of all time. Hushed & Grim. Released on the 29th of October in 2021, the album came out in rather interesting and tragic times. In early September of 2018, Mastodon lost their longtime manager & dearest friend Nick John to Pancreatic Cancer (They did a great tribute here), and then of course COVID-19 hit back in 2020, along with the subsequent lockdown that year. Coupled with some of the emotions they were still feeling from Emperor of Sand and Cold Dark Place, it would be obvious that the next album the band would put out would be their heaviest & most emotional ever. Like I said above, Hushed & Grim is my absolute favorite Mastodon album of all time. This album here, much like Rammstein’s self-titled release back in 2019, feels like the culmination of everything the band has done in the nearly 20 years since their very first release. It also feels like Mastodon finally grabbed that bar that they set so high all the way back in 2009, and they’re finally standing tall once again.
Hushed & Grim was receive pretty highly upon release. AllMusic critic Thom Jurek said that H&G’s songs were “rendered with abundant creativity, massive power, and searing honesty”, and Rolling Stone said that “Hushed and Grim never stops giving, and the album’s energy, depth, and power make it a completely unique addition to the band’s mammoth catalog”.
Best Track? Teardrinker was the track to immediately get me excited for Hushed & Grim, and is a great tune in it’s own right. Fundamentally, Teardrinker reminds me a lot of tracks from the Emperor Of Sand/Cold Dark Place era, but with the emotional aspect turned up quite a bit. The instrumentation plays soft one moment, then will go hard & heavy the next moment. Same with the vocal work: soft at one point, then heavy the next. This is pretty important, as the song seems to deal with the concept of a broken relationship, and whether or not wanting to leave it broken, or trying to fix at least some of it. It really tugs at the heartstrings, and almost gets me to cry at times. Certainly the highlight of the whole thing.
Teardrinker
Worst Track? Not a single track on Hushed & Grim is bad! Like I said before, the band finally seemed to grasp the bar they set so high over a decade ago, and it really shows in the overall quality. It’s only fault, however, would be that this record is long. Clocking in at an almost 90 minute playtime, H&G is the longest album in Mastodon’s career, and it’s definitely on that you can’t simply listen to on & off. When you put this in whatever sound system you have, you’re in it for the longhall, so make sure there’s no distractions around when you listen. I personally don’t necessarily hate long albums, and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint in that regard, but if you don’t like records like this, then it’ll definitely be a kink in the armor for you.
Hushed & Grim. Definitely on the long side, but at the same time is perhaps the best release that Mastodon has done since Crack The Skye. If you’re in the mood for an emotional juggernaut that manages to tug at all sorts of emotional strings, then you will want to listen to this.
And that was part 2 of my look at Mastodon. The 2010s were certainly an interesting time for the band, but it would be a time where they would experiment with different sounds & play styles, but it was also the time where they would eventually regain their footing. I’m glad that I took a look at these guys, and I hope that I tempted any of you to give these dudes a listen to. In any case, I got one last post around the end of the month, when we’ll look at the final season of an iconic series. See you soon!
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If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:
The Hunter
Once More Round The Sun
Emperor Of Sand
Cold Dark Place
Hushed & Grim
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