Going Deep with Mastodon

I got into Mastodon late, after the release of their 8th album, Hushed and Grim. By that point they were already a good twenty years into their career. From there I went backwards finding more albums I liked, namely Crack the Skye, Once More ‘Round the Sun and Emperor of Sand. I tried going all the way back to the beginning and while some songs clicked, I never fully got into anything before drummer Brann Dailor started singing (on Crack the Skye). 

Now I’m going all the way back. Starting with Remission, each weekday I’ll listen chronologically to a Mastodon album from start to finish, leading up to the release of their new album, Marrow Deep. 

Mastodon morphs and evolves on each album so it will be fun to follow the throughline of a band that’s become one of my favorites over the past five years.

Remission (2002)

Back in the 90s I’d heard the band Helmet described as “thinking man’s metal,” and I feel like that description absolutely applies to Mastodon. Remission contains plenty of riffs that will bludgeon the face of every metalhead that comes across it but they also lean into what Neurosis does so well by letting their music breathe. This has no business being a debut album as it sounds like the work of a band that has been around far longer than Mastodon had when they released this. Remission is nearly 25 years old at this point and doesn’t feel the least bit dated. 

Leviathan (2004)

Leviathan is the album that introduced Mastodon to the world. You’d be hard pressed to find a better album opener than Blood and Thunder and the second song, I am Ahab, hits even harder for me.

The band is on fire here. So much creativity, so many amazing riffs, the bass tone is incredible and this is Brann Dailor’s coming out party- the drums are mind blowing.

I only wish I’d heard this back when it was released because my only issue with it is that Brann doesn’t sing on it but back in 2004, no one even knew that he could sing.

Blood Mountain (2006)

On Blood Mountain Mastodon take build upon what they’ve been doing on their first two albums and add a whole-lot of weird. And it works. I love the robot-like voices on Circle of Cysquatch and the Butthole Surfers vibes on Bladecatcher.

My favorite thing about them, even only three albums into their career, is that you can’t really put Mastodon into a genre. Sure they’re metal but I don’t know that they fit into a subgenre. They’re simply: Mastodon.

Crack the Skye (2009)

I already mentioned that I was late to the Mastodon Party. What I wouldn’t give to go back in time to experience the early albums into Crack the Skye. Not only did the music evolve in a far more progressive metal direction, but they also showed the world that “hey, our drummer can sing too. And pretty damn well.” I wonder if it bummed a lot of their fans out as Crack the Skye isn’t as crushing as their previous albums but man is it a leap forward. This is the second Mastodon album that I dove headfirst into and the one that solidified my fandom.

The Hunter (2011)

I’ve been excited to get to The Hunter in this Mastodon deep dive as it’s the only record of the Brann-vocals-era of Mastodon that I’ve yet to connect with. After going back in and listening from start to finish, it’s still a non-connection for me. And that’s ok. Most of our favorite bands have an album (or two, in some cases) that don’t connect. It’s a rarity when they all do.

I went into this with open ears and an open mind. There are some moments but overall I feel like this one lacks Brann’s vocals which might sound funny to say because he didn’t sing on the first three albums but I suppose it’s a case of you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. His vocals were a standout (for me) on Crack the Skye so here on The Hunter with his very limited lead vocals it leaves a void. The song Spectrelight is the highlight for me but overall this isn’t a Mastodon album I can see myself revisiting.

Once More ‘Round the Sun (2014)

Once More ‘Round the Sun seems to be a polarizing album amongst Mastodon’s fanbase. I’ve heard it suggested that this album is the band “wanting to be the Foo Fighters.” This baffled me until now. Hearing the band from their start, if I had fallen in love with their songs on Remission and Leviathan and then heard Once More…I might be a bit confused too. Where did the brutality and aggression go? But I came to Mastodon late, drawn in by Brann Dailor’s voice. So for me, this album hits hard. These are definitely the catchiest songs the band has ever written and while I would say this is Mastodon wanting to be the Foo Fighters, it’s definitely the album I’d play for a non-metalhead wanting to hear them. So while I don’t agree with the assessment, I now understand it.

Emperor of Sand (2017)

If I could only listen to one Mastodon album for the rest of my life, Emperor of the Sand would be the one. This album encompasses everything I love about Mastodon: the brutality of their first few albums, the progginess of Crack the Skye, the catchiness of The Hunter and Once More…

I love everything about this album, even the cover art which, along with Blood Mountain, is my favorite of all their albums artwork.

Hushed and Grim (Disc 1) (2021)

Being that it’s technically a double album, I’m breaking my listening sessions of Hushed and Grim into two days. This is the album that got me into Mastodon so it will always hold a special place in my heart. My big complaint is that it’s long. For a guy like me, who almost obsessively needs to hear an entire album once I press play, this one, as a whole, can be a challenge.

Listening to this as separate albums gives me an entirely new outlook on these songs. I’ve always loved them but if this (Pain with an Anchor-Pushing the Tides) was a proper Mastodon album, it would quite possibly overtake Emperor of Sand as my favorite of theirs. 43 minutes, all bangers…so damn good. Excited to listen to Disc 2 tomorrow as its own album.

Hushed and Grim (Disc 2) (2021)

Things definitely slow down on the second part of the double album that is Hushed and Grim. These songs as a standalone album don’t do much for me. They kind of slog and drag. The opener, Peace and Tranquility, and closer, Gigantium, are both awesome but the rest don’t hit as hard as any of the tracks on the first part of the album.

Marrow Deep (2026)

I find it unfair to try to summarize an album you’ve listened to one time so I won’t even try. Time and time again I’ve listened to albums, written them off, only to return at a later time and have it blow me away. I’m hoping that’ll be the case for Marrow Deep as my first listen did not blow me away. The only thing it left me with is that it’s another loooooong album. I had hoped that after the double album that preceded it, that Mastodon would hit hard with a 40 minute album and leave us all wanting more. But this one clocks in at 1 hour and 5 minutes. That’s a long album by any band. Again, though, I’m holding out hope that one day this one will click for me. I’m not giving up yet. Mastodon is too great and means too much to me to doubt them.