Mastodon- The Hunter.
Oh Mastodon. You’ve done it again. This band just keep getting better. The Hunter is Mastodon’s most recent album, released in 2011, with thirteen tracks of intense riffage, beautiful guitar and insane drumming which, unlike their previous releases, aren’t 15minutes long each (I may exaggerate slightly). I don’t know how to describe Mastodon’s music; it’s a perfect fusion of metal, classic rock and prog with a fourth element which is completely unique to this band. So, on with the show…
The album opener ‘Black Tongue’ opens with a perfect example of an original Mastodon riff layered over Braun Dailor’s seemingly endless drum solo. I really like this track- I think it’s a perfect album opener. There’s some clear Thin Lizzy influence in Brent Hinds’ guitar solos and the duel guitars are a perfect homage to Lizzy. I really like the direction that they’ve taken the vocals in, from a ferocious shout (see Remission) to a combination of clean vocals and layered harmonies with all but one member of the band signing. ‘Curl of the Burl’ follows, the first release off the album; the lyrics in true Mastodon style are bizarre and about things that only this band would sing about. I’ve watched the ‘making of’ DVD and the band are going on about drug addicts searching the forests at night trying to find the trees with the best burls (swirly knot things in trees) to sell to feed their habit. Yeah, I don’t know either. I really like track three ‘Blasteroid’, it’s really up beat and I can’t help but sing along to it. I buzz off the opening riff to this song it’s intense but jovial at the same time. Again, the lyrics to this song are strange but they just make sense when Mastodon write them. ‘Stargasm’ is a beautiful song with some spacey guitars and astral keyboard effects which are right up my street. ‘Octopus has No Friends’ is another wild song with a stunning chorus with Troy Sanders’ singing at its best. I just love the line ‘I’m on my way back home’, it gives me goose bumps. Brent just seems to be shredding constantly on this song in a spidery, widdly sort of way.
‘All the Heavy Lifting’ marks the mid-point of the album, with more subtle shredding throughout the track. But I’d say the drumming is at the fore-front of this track- Braun is just a demon! ‘The Hunter’ is one of the most beautiful songs that I have ever heard. It was written about guitarist Brent’s brother who died in a hunting accident, to whom the album is dedicated. The vocals are pained in parts but smooth and stunning in others. The solo is just out of this world, for me it could just go on forever. ‘Dry Bone Valley’ is the latest release off this album and is again more up-tempo and full of riffs. I love how this band can just ebb and flow from intense and fast riffs to sublime slower songs. ‘Thickening’ is another song that’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before, I don’t know why but it makes me feel like I’m bobbing along in the ocean during the intro (which is about a minute and a half long).
The next track, ‘Creature Lives’, I initially couldn’t take seriously because it is just weird but it’s actually my favourite now. The other band members wrote it about Brent, who’s obsessed with the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and its really endearing and sweet and makes me feel all gooey inside. It’s just glorious and is a really happy and genuine song. I love the lyrics on this track, for example ‘I saw the creature fall, into the swamp from which he spawned/I heard them laugh and say, they never liked him anyway’ waahhhhhhh poor lil creature! ‘Spectrelight’ is another favourite of mine with a glorious chorus and its full of chugging riffs reminiscent of their debut full-length album Remission. I really like ‘Bedazzled Fingernails’, not only is the name fantastic, but it’s just another song that only Mastodon could have written. This is another spacey crazy song but I love it all the more for that. The final track ‘The Sparrow’ is my Dad’s fave and I can see why. If you thought ‘The Hunter’ was beautiful, wait til you get a load of this in your ear holes. The lyrics are simply ‘Pursue happiness with diligence’ repeated with ethereal, heavenly guitars and is the perfect way to finish this album. I wasn’t intending to do a track-by-track review of this album, but I just felt like I couldn’t leave any songs out. I know I’ve not done this album justice but it’s so hard to describe music that’s like nothing else! I’m sorry I didn’t mention Bill, it’s just the other three are more insane…although Bill has a ridiculous collection of Star Wars memorabilia and a handle-bar moustache. Yes, he’s the sensible one.
Overall, just buy it. Buy it now and listen to it. Imagine Thin Lizzy on even more drugs, hallucinating that they’re floating around the universe with an injection of pure metal riffage and some American insanity. I think that covers it.
Oh Mastodon. You’ve done it again. This band just keep getting better. The Hunter is Mastodon’s most recent album, released in 2011, with thirteen tracks of intense riffage, beautiful guitar and insane drumming which, unlike their previous releases, aren’t 15minutes long each (I may exaggerate slightly). I don’t know how to describe Mastodon’s music; it’s a perfect fusion of metal, classic rock and prog with a fourth element which is completely unique to this band. So, on with the show…
The album opener ‘Black Tongue’ opens with a perfect example of an original Mastodon riff layered over Braun Dailor’s seemingly endless drum solo. I really like this track- I think it’s a perfect album opener. There’s some clear Thin Lizzy influence in Brent Hinds’ guitar solos and the duel guitars are a perfect homage to Lizzy. I really like the direction that they’ve taken the vocals in, from a ferocious shout (see Remission) to a combination of clean vocals and layered harmonies with all but one member of the band signing. ‘Curl of the Burl’ follows, the first release off the album; the lyrics in true Mastodon style are bizarre and about things that only this band would sing about. I’ve watched the ‘making of’ DVD and the band are going on about drug addicts searching the forests at night trying to find the trees with the best burls (swirly knot things in trees) to sell to feed their habit. Yeah, I don’t know either. I really like track three ‘Blasteroid’, it’s really up beat and I can’t help but sing along to it. I buzz off the opening riff to this song it’s intense but jovial at the same time. Again, the lyrics to this song are strange but they just make sense when Mastodon write them. ‘Stargasm’ is a beautiful song with some spacey guitars and astral keyboard effects which are right up my street. ‘Octopus has No Friends’ is another wild song with a stunning chorus with Troy Sanders’ singing at its best. I just love the line ‘I’m on my way back home’, it gives me goose bumps. Brent just seems to be shredding constantly on this song in a spidery, widdly sort of way.
‘All the Heavy Lifting’ marks the mid-point of the album, with more subtle shredding throughout the track. But I’d say the drumming is at the fore-front of this track- Braun is just a demon! ‘The Hunter’ is one of the most beautiful songs that I have ever heard. It was written about guitarist Brent’s brother who died in a hunting accident, to whom the album is dedicated. The vocals are pained in parts but smooth and stunning in others. The solo is just out of this world, for me it could just go on forever. ‘Dry Bone Valley’ is the latest release off this album and is again more up-tempo and full of riffs. I love how this band can just ebb and flow from intense and fast riffs to sublime slower songs. ‘Thickening’ is another song that’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before, I don’t know why but it makes me feel like I’m bobbing along in the ocean during the intro (which is about a minute and a half long).
The next track, ‘Creature Lives’, I initially couldn’t take seriously because it is just weird but it’s actually my favourite now. The other band members wrote it about Brent, who’s obsessed with the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and its really endearing and sweet and makes me feel all gooey inside. It’s just glorious and is a really happy and genuine song. I love the lyrics on this track, for example ‘I saw the creature fall, into the swamp from which he spawned/I heard them laugh and say, they never liked him anyway’ waahhhhhhh poor lil creature! ‘Spectrelight’ is another favourite of mine with a glorious chorus and its full of chugging riffs reminiscent of their debut full-length album Remission. I really like ‘Bedazzled Fingernails’, not only is the name fantastic, but it’s just another song that only Mastodon could have written. This is another spacey crazy song but I love it all the more for that. The final track ‘The Sparrow’ is my Dad’s fave and I can see why. If you thought ‘The Hunter’ was beautiful, wait til you get a load of this in your ear holes. The lyrics are simply ‘Pursue happiness with diligence’ repeated with ethereal, heavenly guitars and is the perfect way to finish this album. I wasn’t intending to do a track-by-track review of this album, but I just felt like I couldn’t leave any songs out. I know I’ve not done this album justice but it’s so hard to describe music that’s like nothing else! I’m sorry I didn’t mention Bill, it’s just the other three are more insane…although Bill has a ridiculous collection of Star Wars memorabilia and a handle-bar moustache. Yes, he’s the sensible one.
Overall, just buy it. Buy it now and listen to it. Imagine Thin Lizzy on even more drugs, hallucinating that they’re floating around the universe with an injection of pure metal riffage and some American insanity. I think that covers it.
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