First Impressions
When it comes to Mastodon, the first thing you hear is how incredible their run in the 00s was. Crack The Skye was incredible, and Leviathan, from the little I remember from it, is absolutely insane. So I expected something in the middle of the two for this album.
Well, I was absolutely not prepared for the INSANITY that was this album.
There is not a single aspect in here that is not absolutely nuts. The riffs, the vocals, the DRUMS. But we'll get to it. There's a lot to talk about.
From the very first second, it shows you the kind of album it's going to be. The drum fill in The Wolf Is Loose is so ridiculously fast and flashy, especially considering there's no warmup to it. And that is a good representation of the kind of album this is going to be. It doesn't pull any punches, just hits you in the face and beats you around for 50 minutes.
Normally I list the highlights, but I'm kind of at a loss here with how every song managed to kick my ass. I'd equate this album to something The Mars Volta would do if they decided to be metal. The songs are super short, but they pack so many different sections and riffs, most of which have no transition between each other. Normally I would say I don't like this too much, but in this format it just works. It's like you're falling down a endless flight of stairs.
It's such a unique style of heaviness too. There's a lot of riffs that only use one string as opposed to power chords, or maybe they'll use octaves. That makes the album sound a little thin in some parts, but it's a good kind of thin, it makes the riffs sound like licks and not riffs which is really cool. I'm thinking of some riffs in The Wolf is Loose, This Mortal Soil, Hand Of Stone. Those are the parts that reminded me a lot of The Mars Volta.
I have to say. As much as I love how Brent and Troy's voices evolved once they mellowed out in future albums, it is undeniable how incredible they are here. Troy is especially amazing here. He's a roaring banshee ghoulishy narrating the album and GOD its amazing. Brent, while still doing some of his more quirky awkward melodies, still managed to be pretty damn agressive. And don't get me started on his solos. While they definietly sound messier than in future albums, he is shredding up a storm here. Love the solo to Crystal Skull and especially Capillarian Crest.
But to me, the absolute main highlight of the album is Brann. He was not singing yet and he STILL managed to be the MVP of the album.
I have not heard drums this insane and hyperactive in years.
Every single song has at least one section where Brann is just absolutely popping off in the drums. He will be playing at 180bpm and hit you with the craziest snare fills. The Wolf Is Loose once again gets a mention for this. But also Capillarian Crest? The way that song changes time signatures so fast is insane. His cymbal work is also masterful, there's so many sections where he's just demolishing the crash and muting it. It's beautiful.
Even in some of the more chill groovy moments he's showing off. Sleeping Giant is one of my favorite songs of the album, and it's maybe one of the only songs that seems to follow a structure that makes a little sense. It's a little more chill and laid back. But Brann is still accenting the groove with insane fills. And then by the time they get to the end of it, it's just like okay let me use all of my drum kit in 1.3 seconds.
Let's go over my favorite songs.
The Wolf is Loose: Oh my god this is the greatest intro song. It's a splash of cold water. Every single riff here is amazing. They go from heavy, to super fast, when that drum groove changes and starts riding on the cymbal, I am in nirvana. The entire song does not let up and I adore it for it. Honestly, my favorite song off the album.
Sleeping Giant: Like I said, it's a really chill song, at least compared to the rest of the album. But it's groove is so infectious, and the way it builds to it's different sections actually feels rewarding as opposed to the rest of the clustered beautiful mess that is the rest of the album.
Capillarian Crest: Insanity does not begin to describe this song even a little bit. This is the most eclectic and chaotic song of the album, maybe excepting Bladecatcher. But hooooly. I'd equate the instrumental sections in this song to Dream Theater fever dreams. The constant changing in time signatures, the drum fills, the guitars constantly shredding and not giving you a chance to breathe. It's incredible.
Colony Of Birchmen: This is the song that approaches the Crack The Skye sound the most. Once again it's got a more stable structure, and the "Gone Away" chorus is the only time I could say this album is genuinely pretty and epic. It has that same air of grand tragedy that they'd master in their next album.
This Mortal Soil: A last hurrah for the second half of the album. I love Brent's vocals here, they are very jarring and awkward when you first listen to them, but the more you do, the more they grow on you. And I ended up really loving this track.
Is this my favorite Mastodon album? No, I think I still like their more modern style over this. But not for a second does that mean I don't see how amazing this is. Maybe it's a little too chaotic and structure-less for me at some points, but even then that's pretty minimal. I cannot wait to see what this era of bend is holding in store.
Ranking
The Wolf Is Loose
Capillarian Crest
Colony Of Birchmen
Sleeping Giant
This Mortal Soil
Circle of Cysquatch
Crystal Skull
Hunters Of The Sky
Siberian Divide
Hand Of Stone
Pendulous Skin
Bladecatcher
Rating