Mastodon - Blood Mountain
- Released: 2006
- Label: Warner Music
- Rating:
Ah, Mastodon. When it comes to my fanboy-ism, they’re second on the list, next to Pantera. Success has come to them quickly following the major success of their last release, Leviathan. They’ve since been signed to a major label (Warner Music) and grow more and more successful by the day. It’s amazing to think back when I saw them with less than a dozen other people at a hole-in-the-wall bar at Baton Rouge and see how far they’ve come. If there’s any band that deserves it, it’s Mastodon. After all of this, many fans feared that their next release, Blood Mountain, was going to deviate from the standard they had grown to love over two albums and one EP. While Leviathan was a phenomenal album, parts of it were much more accessible than what was found on Remission. So, did Warner push them into being an accessible, radio-friendly, clean-cut rock band?
The answer is a resounding “fuck no”. If anything, the payoff for their hard work has made them only work harder to be their best, and the result is Blood Mountain. This record pulls from all of Mastodon’s previous works, and also adds some new depth to their sound. The result is unlike anything they’ve ever done, and yet better than all of it combined.
The album starts off with “The Wolf is Loose”, which is an appropriate name for the song, because the band just lets loose into what they do best – fast-paced technicality. The song sounds more like something off of Lifesblood than anything else, and it’s a pleasant return to the old. From there, the band just goes off on a journey into familiar territory, but often travels into places they’ve never been. It’s really just something you have to hear – vocal styles and musical progressions that you’ve never really heard from the band before are littered throughout every song, so it all feels new, but in the end, it’s undoubtedly Mastodon.
The band really unleashes their technical prowess here. Brann Dailor is always going to be Brann Dailor, so you’ll get what you expect and more from the drums on this record. The guitarwork, though, is just fucking magnificent. There were several times throughout the album (namely about halfway through “Capillarian Crest”) that I just kinda sat back in my chair in amazement at what I was hearing. Like the band or not, you can’t deny talent like that.
I think the biggest change the band has gone through has to be the vocals. On Remission it was mostly Troy handling vocal duties, while the rest of the guys provided backup. That changed a bit on Leviathan, with Brent and Bill providing a little more support. Here, I can best compare the vocals to Nile, in that it feels like it’s evenly spread throughout all three guys. It’s really a welcome change. While I love Troy’s vocals, the diversity brought by having all three guys contribute is just leagues beyond what was possible with one guy. Add that to the fact that Scott Kelly (of Neurosis), Josh Homme (of QOTSA), and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (of The Mars Volta) add their unique styles to a few of the songs and you’ve got a monster of a record.
This probably isn’t the best record to start out on if you’ve never heard the band, but it is definitely their best one so far. It’s an absolute must-have for fans and fanboys alike. Pick it up ASAP.
Farlus | 09/09/2006