Mastodon (band)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the heavy metal band. For other uses, see Mastodon (disambiguation).
Mastodon
Mastodon performing live in 2012. From left to right: Brann Dailor, Brent Hinds, Troy Sanders and Bill Kelliher.
Mastodon performing live in 2012. From left to right: Brann Dailor, Brent Hinds, Troy Sanders and Bill Kelliher.
Background information
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres
Years active2000–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitewww.mastodonrocks.com
MembersBrann Dailor
Brent Hinds
Bill Kelliher
Troy Sanders
Past membersEric Saner

Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2000. The group is composed of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds (lead guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals). Mastodon has released seven studio albums, as well as a number of other releases. The band's 2002 debut album, Remission, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound.[1] Mastodon's second full-length release, Leviathan, is a concept album based on the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record Album of the Year in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer.

The song "Colony of Birchmen" from the band's third album (released in 2006), Blood Mountain, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2007. Blood Mountain was followed in 2009 by Crack the Skye, and in 2011 by The Hunter, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved major commercial success in the United States. The Hunter features the song "Curl of the Burl", which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2012. Mastodon's 2014 album, Once More 'Round the Sun, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart[2] and features the band's third Grammy-nominated song, "High Road". The band's seventh album, Emperor of Sand, was released on March 31, 2017, and features the band's most commercially successful song to date, "Show Yourself", which peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June 2017. The followup single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart in October 2017. The album's opening track, "Sultan's Curse", earned the band their first Grammy award.[3] Emperor of Sand was the band's first album to receive a Grammy nomination; it was nominated for Best Rock Album.

History[]

Formation, early years and Remission (2000–2003)[]

Mastodon was formed on January 13, 2000,[4] after drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher moved to Atlanta from Victor, New York, and met bassist/singer Troy Sanders and guitarist/singer Brent Hinds at a High on Fire show.[5] They discovered they had a mutual appreciation of sludge metal bands Melvins and Neurosis, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, and 1970s hard rockers Thin Lizzy, and shortly thereafter formed Mastodon. In an interview in 2009, Kelliher revealed that the first time Hinds attended a practice with the band, he "showed up so wasted he couldn't play".

The band recorded a demo in 2000, which featured Eric Saner on vocals.[5] Saner left the band for personal reasons after just a couple of months. After recording a four-song demo and a 7-inch picture disc through Reptilian Records, Mastodon landed a record deal with Relapse Records in 2001.[5] Mastodon released the EP Lifesblood in 2001, and its first full-length album, Remission, in 2002, with the singles "March of the Fire Ants"[5] and "Crusher/Destroyer" (which was also featured on Tony Hawk's Underground). On each of Mastodon's first three full-length albums, the last track was an instrumental composition with a title that related to the Elephant Man.

Leviathan and Call of the Mastodon (2004–2005)[]

Brent Hinds, Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor in 2004

The band's second full-length album, Leviathan, was released in 2004. It is a concept album loosely based on Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick.[6] The band received critical acclaim for Leviathan and the record was named album of the year by Kerrang![7] and Terrorizer.[8] "Blood and Thunder", which featured Clutch vocalist Neil Fallon, was chosen as one of the most important recordings of the decade by National Public Radio in November 2009, and that the entire album epitomizes " a phenomenal decade for metal".[9] Leviathan also ranked second in a list by Metal Hammer of the best albums of 2004.[10]

The band went on tour in support of the album, playing throughout North America and Europe in The Unholy Alliance tour along with Slayer and Lamb of God and later on with Slipknot.[11]

"Iron Tusk", the fifth track on the album, can be found on the soundtrack of the skateboarding video game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland and in 2K Sports video game NHL 2K9. "Blood and Thunder" is featured in the video games Need for Speed: Most Wanted,[12] Project Gotham Racing 3,[13] and Saints Row.[14] "Blood and Thunder" was added as a playable track on all instruments in Guitar Hero: Metallica and was featured in Japanese music games Drummania V2 and Guitarfreaks V2.[15] It has also been released as downloadable content for Rock Band 3, with Pro Guitar support also available at extra cost.[16]

Leviathan was followed by the 2006 release of Call of the Mastodon, a remastered collection of the band's first nine songs, and a DVD of interviews and concert footage called The Workhorse Chronicles that includes material from the band's early days as a five-piece. The band has stated that they consider "Call of the Mastodon" to be their first studio album even though it was the third to be released. These two releases were the band's last for Relapse Records, as they would later go on to sign with Warner Bros.[17] Mastodon also recorded a cover version of Metallica's "Orion" for a 2006 Kerrang! tribute album marking the twentieth anniversary of the release of Master of Puppets.[18]

Blood Mountain (2006–2008)[]

Their third studio album, Blood Mountain, was released on September 12, 2006, followed by a tour to support the album along with Tool in Europe[19] and Slayer in Australia and New Zealand.[20] The Mars Volta frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala lent his vocals to the track "Siberian Divide". Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme contributed vocals for the song "Colony of Birchmen".

Mastodon live at Roskilde Festival 2007

The band performed the song "Colony of Birchmen" on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien on November 1, their first appearance on network television, to a viewing audience of around 2.4 million people.[21] This song was also featured in the video games Saints Row 2 and Rock Band 2.

The band's first single off Blood Mountain, "Capillarian Crest", was ranked number 27 in Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 100 Songs of 2006.[22] The album itself was ranked 9th in the magazine's best albums of the year chart.[23] The UK's Metal Hammer voted it the best album of 2006 in its end of year critic's poll.[24] The album was voted in at No. 5 by Kerrang! in their end of year list,[25] No. 6 on PopMatters' Best Albums of 2006,[26] and No. 1 on The Best Metal Albums of 2006.[27] About.com rated it the top metal album of 2006.[28] Blood Mountain was also named best album of 2006 in the 10th anniversary birthday edition (issue 119) of Bizarre. It also came in at No. 2 on Revolver magazine's list of the top albums of 2006. The band was named Artist Of The Month for March 2007 at Gametap.com.[29]

The band had been touring and playing numerous shows during this time. Mastodon joined Against Me!, and Cursive for a North American tour, with Planes Mistaken for Stars opening for one leg and These Arms Are Snakes the other.[30] A performance in Milwaukee had to be canceled due to illness on the part of Brent Hinds.[31] Mastodon would play the Hove Festival in Norway as well as on the Main Stage of the Download Festival and then the Pitchfork Music Festival. During this time the band opened for Metallica on the Sick of the Studio tour. The band also played at the 2007 Dubai Desert Rock,[32] the 2008 Bonnaroo Music festivals,[33] and the inaugural Mayhem Festival. Mastodon then toured with Slayer, Trivium, Lamb of God and several other metal bands in 2008 for The Unholy Alliance tour 2008.[34]

The band performed "Colony of Birchmen" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards live with Josh Homme. After the televised performance, Brent Hinds was reported to have sustained a severe head injury. Blabbermouth.net initially reported that it was the result of a brutal assault,[35] but the police report later suggested that an inebriated Hinds had started a fight with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and vocalist William Hudson, also known as Reverend William Burke of Achozen.[36][37]

"Sleeping Giant" was made available as a downloadable song for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, "Colony of Birchmen" was included on Harmonix's Rock Band 2 and also volition's Saints row 2, and "Divinations" was featured in Madden NFL 10 and Saints Row: The Third. Mastodon contributed a cover version of Harry Nilsson's "One" to the video game Army of Two's advertisement campaign. The band members are fans of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and in 2007, Mastodon performed the opening song of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, "Cut You Up with a Linoleum Knife".[38]

Crack the Skye and Live at the Aragon (2009–2010)[]

Brent Hinds performing in 2009.

Crack the Skye was released on March 24, 2009, as a normal version and a deluxe version (which includes all songs in instrumental versions as well as their normal versions) and entered the Billboard 200 at number 11 a week later.[39] The album is produced by Brendan O'Brien[40] and Scott Kelly of Neurosis returns as a guest musician on the title-track.[41] In a MusicRadar interview, guitarist Bill Kelliher confirmed the album is about an "out-of-body experience", and looks at the concepts of astral travel, wormholes, Stephen Hawking's theories and the spiritual realm. The album follows a quadriplegic who learns astral projection. On his journey he flies too close to the sun, burning his umbilical cord which connects him to his body, and flies into oblivion. At the same time in Czarist Russia, Rasputin and his cult were channeling spirits and brought the quadriplegic to their time. He explains his situation and foretells the assassination of Rasputin. Inevitably Rasputin is assassinated and Rasputin guides him back to his body. The band had debuted three new tracks at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, but did not play any more live shows before the album's release, due to fears of internet distribution and wanting to play the songs to the right audience.[42] Drummer Brann Dailor sings lead vocals for the verses of the song "Oblivion". Mastodon was a headliner at the Scion Rock Fest on February 28, 2009, performing a set containing three tracks from Crack the Skye, the first time these songs were played since being finalized and recorded. On May 15, 2009, Mastodon performed a shortened version of "Oblivion" on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Bill Kelliher live at Sonisphere Festival in 2009

In order to support their new album, Mastodon toured with Metallica on the latter part of the 2009 European leg of their World Magnetic Tour.[43] In Fall of 2009, they embarked with Dethklok on the "Adult Swim Presents" tour along with Converge and High on Fire. On October 17, 2009, they recorded a DVD documenting the tour at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.[44][45] Mastodon played the alternative music festival Big Day Out, touring across Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2010.

On October 29, 2009, they performed "Divinations" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

On November 4, 2009, Mastodon released their second EP, entitled Oblivion.[46]

Teaming up with bands Deftones and Alice in Chains, Mastodon went on tour in September 2010 in the United States and Canada. The tour was called Blackdiamondskye, a portmanteau of the three bands' latest albums (Black Gives Way to Blue, Diamond Eyes, and Crack the Skye).

Film director Jimmy Hayward contacted the band during their 2009 tour of Europe and expressed how much listening to Blood Mountain had helped his creative process while finishing a screenplay, and he offered Mastodon a chance to score the film he had been working on - Jonah Hex. In an interview with Paste magazine, bassist Troy Sanders said that Hayward "called us out of the blue as a fan. It was the most beautiful, authentic way to collaborate."[47] Mastodon used scenes from the film as inspiration during the writing and recording process, and the instrumental soundtrack, Jonah Hex: Revenge Gets Ugly EP, was released on June 29, 2010, through Reprise Records.[48]

In 2010, the band was confirmed as being part of the soundtrack for Namco Bandai Games' 2010 remake of Splatterhouse. The game's protagonist can also be seen wearing a Mastodon T-shirt in certain flashback cutscenes.

On March 15, 2011, Mastodon released their first live DVD/CD entitled Live at the Aragon through Reprise. The recording features the entire performance of their fourth studio album, Crack the Skye, along with songs from their previous records.

The Hunter (2011–2012)[]

Troy Sanders with Mastodon at Sonisphere, Stockholm in 2011

The Hunter, Mastodon's fifth studio album, was recorded at Doppler Studios in Atlanta with producer Mike Elizondo.[49] The first hints of the new album were given by the band via Facebook in January 2011.[50] Drummer Brann Dailor revealed during interviews the title of the band's new album and described the new material as not so much proggy as riff-oriented and "a little more stripped down".[51][52]

Meanwhile, the band performed in many major summer festivals.[53] On June 28, 2011, Mastodon released through Adultswim.com a leftover track from the Crack the Skye sessions called "Deathbound".

The first taste of The Hunter came in July 2011 where Mastodon released via YouTube the song "Black Tongue", set to a video of AJ Fosik creating the sculpture used for the album cover. By August 12, the band had revealed the track listing from The Hunter and debuted "Curl Of The Burl", the first official single from the new album. Mike Elizondo was chosen to produce the album which marks his first time working with the band. It was also announced that a deluxe edition would be released. It featured the two bonus tracks "The Ruiner" and "Deathbound" and a different cover.

On September 6, Mastodon released a third song from The Hunter, "Spectrelight", featuring Scott Kelly of Neurosis.

On September 16, the band released a 53-minute custom visualizer with all of the album tracks, 11 days prior to the release of The Hunter. In support of the album a North American headline tour was announced. The album was very well received by fans and the media. It also performed strongly on the official charts, rising to number ten on the Billboard 200. On October 5, 2011, they performed "Curl of the Burl" on the Late Show with David Letterman.

On October 12, a UK tour was announced that will run through February 2012 with fellow bands The Dillinger Escape Plan and Red Fang as support acts. They were at Later... with Jools Holland, where they performed "Black Tongue" and "Curl of the Burl". A seventeen-date European tour was announced that featured dates in Scandinavia, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Latvia.

On December 1, "Curl of the Burl" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Metal/Hard Rock performance. It is the band's second nomination with the first being for "Colony of Birchmen" in 2007.

The record was named "Album of the Year" by Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Rock Sound.

In January 2012 it was announced that Mastodon and Swedish prog metal band Opeth will tour together in a joint tour across North America. It was named the "Heritage Hunter Tour" after both bands latest releases, The Hunter and Heritage. The bands took turns in the headlining spot. Support came from the Swedish heavy metal band Ghost.[54] On February 11, 2012, the band performed a sold-out show at the Brixton Academy in London, it was the band's biggest headline show ever.[55] Dry Bone Valley" was released on February 13 as the third single of the album. A music video for the song was also released.

On April 21, 2012, to commemorate Record Store Day, Mastodon released two separate vinyls. The first was a split 7" with Feist titled Feistodon. Mastodon covered Feist's "A Commotion" and Feist covered Mastodon's "Black Tongue". The pair also released a one of a kind interactive, crossfading music video for the song 'A Commotion'.[56] The second release was a cover of The Flaming Lips' "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton".

The band spent the summer performing at festivals across Europe and South America. It was the last tour in support of The Hunter.

Once More 'Round the Sun (2014–2015)[]

Mastodon began recording again in early 2013. Guitarist Brent Hinds described the new music as "really eerie" and "very spooky-sounding", and stated that he has written three new songs.[57] On December 3, 2012, the band announced via their Twitter page that they were writing a song for the film Monsters University.[58] However, the song used in the film was the previously released "Island". They were also part of the 2013 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. On May 6, 2013, the band stated that they are "...Very busy writing and putting songs together for the next studio Mastodon album..."[59] In an interview on July 26,[60] Brann Dailor was reported as saying that the band would "probably [go into the studio] end of September". The band also played at the 2014 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Brent Hinds (left) and Troy Sanders (right) in May 2014

On February 27, Brann Dailor told in the interview that their sixth album would be released in summer of 2014, and he also stated that the band would release an EP in winter of 2014. Some of the confirmed tracks were: "Tread Lightly", "Buzzard's Guts", "Scent of Bitter Almonds", "High Road" and "Aunt Lisa".[61]

In an interview with Troy Sanders in Paste magazine released on April 3, he revealed the album was called Once More 'Round the Sun and had 15 tracks. He also confirmed that Mastodon recorded 90 minutes of material, but only 60 minutes of it will be present on the album; the unreleased material possibly might be released on an EP later in 2014. A few more tracks that have been confirmed are: "Diamonds in the Witch House" (which has Scott Kelly from Neurosis on a guest vocal appearance), and "Ember City".[62]

In an interview on April 11, Dailor revealed the album will be released in June.[63]

On April 17, the first single "High Road" was made available for streaming.

On April 26, Bill Kelliher revealed the title of the second single "Chimes at Midnight".[64]

As of June 16, 2014, the entire album is streaming on iTunes.[65]

The album was released on June 24, 2014 through Reprise Records. The album sold around 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart making it the band's first consecutive top 10 debut, with their previous album, The Hunter, peaking at No.10 after opening with 39,000 copies in 2011.[66]

Emperor of Sand and Cold Dark Place (2015–2018)[]

On January 18, 2015, it was reported that Brent Hinds was working on a new Mastodon album, showing a picture with him playing the 13 string pedal steel.[67] The same report was later confirmed by Troy Sanders, who stated: "Every record that we do is gonna sound different, because we always want to evolve and create our own musical path. And every record will be different. We do not wanna write the same record twice."[68]

On March 12, 2015, Mastodon released a new track called "White Walker", which appears on the Game of Thrones: Catch the Throne Vol. 2 mixtape to promote the fifth season of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones. Dailor, Hinds, and Kelliher also appeared in episode 8 of the season as wildlings.[69] This mixtape will also feature songs by various other acts, ranging from Killswitch Engage to Snoop Dogg.[70] Hinds and Kelliher once again returned to Game of Thrones as wights among the White Walker army for the season 7 finale episode, "The Dragon and the Wolf".[71]

The band's seventh studio album, Emperor of Sand, was released on March 31, 2017.[72] The theme for the album was cancer, inspired by Troy's wife who was diagnosed with cancer, and Bill's mother who lost her life to cancer. It details the story of a traveller banished to the desert by an emperor, in effect giving him a death sentence. The story is a metaphor for someone diagnosed with terminal cancer.[73] The first single, "Show Yourself", was released in February, and had peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June, making it the band's highest charting song to date.[74] The second single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart in October.[75]

Mastodon also released an EP titled Cold Dark Place on September 22 of the same year.[76] It was a four-song EP, featuring three songs recorded during the Once More 'Round the Sun sessions, and one track recorded during the Emperor of Sand sessions. The first single for the EP, "Toe to Toes" was released on September 1, 2017.[77] Brent Hinds stated that the inspiration behind some of the songs recorded for Cold Dark Place, which he wrote, were inspired by a nasty breakup that he had endured. Describing the sound of the record, Hinds stated that "I wrote some pretty dark, beautiful, spooky, funky, ethereal, melancholy music, which also sounds like the Bee Gees a little bit."[78] On December 1, the band released a revised version of the 12-part "The Making of Emperor of Sand" documentary via their official YouTube channel.[79] Mastodon were announced to be on a co-headlining Summer 2018 Tour with Primus spanning across North America lasting from May to July.[80]

Medium Rarities and upcoming eighth studio album (2020-present)[]

On July 31, 2020, Mastodon released a new song titled "Fallen Torches" and announced the release of Medium Rarities, a compilation album with rare tracks, set for September 11, 2020.[81]

As of March 2021, the band's eighth studio album is being mixed with producer David Bottrill, who has worked previously with such artists as Muse, Tool, and Rush.[82] The band is reportedly aiming to release the record in September or October 2021.[83]

Characteristics[]

Musical style[]

Brann Dailor's (pictured) fill-heavy drumming style is influenced by jazz and progressive rock, characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting). He also attributes his style to band practice as a teenager, claiming that practicing with the guitarist instead of the bassist influenced his style.

Mastodon has been described as a heavy metal[84][85][86] band, along with more specific genres such as progressive metal,[87][88][89] sludge metal,[90] alternative metal,[90][91][92][93] stoner rock,[90][89] psychedelic metal,[94] experimental metal,[95] and groove metal.[96] James Christopher Monger of AllMusic describes Mastodon as "one of the more notable new wave of American heavy metal acts, a genre spawned in the mid-'90s" and says that "Mastodon's innovative, lyrically astute blend of progressive metal, grindcore, and hardcore helped position the band as one of the preeminent metal acts of the early 21st century."[90]

Bassist Troy Sanders stated about their musical style:

We don't consider ourselves a metal band. We recognize there is a lot of metal in us, but we also want to believe we have a lot of rock 'n' roll in us, and we have a lot of progressive rock in us, we have bits and pieces of thrash and punk, and psychedelic-ness sprinkled throughout. A lot of times for me personally, just having the metal tag itself seems kind of limiting on us because we have such an appreciation for all styles of music and we like to incorporate bits and pieces of those into our songs. But we also recognize all the different subgenres and the millions of times people say, "Oh, what do they sound like?" and you say something, I understand that. But, it doesn't affect how we create anything at all.[97]

Scott Kelly of Neurosis has appeared to perform guest vocals on a track on every Mastodon album excluding Remission.

Mastodon's musical style has evolved much from their earliest pre-Remission releases to The Hunter. Their early work is significantly heavier and more abrasive than their later work, primarily or exclusively using harsh vocals, more distorted instruments, and more atypical song structures; this is especially prominent in their earliest work. The release of Mastodon's third studio album, Blood Mountain, which incorporates both clean and harsh vocals, marked a shift in the vocal styles used, with subsequent albums favouring clean vocals almost exclusively.

Lyrical themes[]

Over its first four albums, Mastodon had specific concepts in mind, specifically the classical elements of fire, water, earth, and aether.[98][99]

Remission does not deal with a particular theme but it is loosely based on the theme of fire. Songs like "Crusher Destroyer", "Where Strides the Behemoth" and "Ol'e Nessie" deal with the theme of fictional creatures.

Leviathan is about the novel Moby-Dick. It centers around the main characters and their thoughts during the story.[100]

Blood Mountain is about a man who is searching for the "Crystal Skull", which is on top of the "Blood Mountain". According to bassist Troy Sanders, "It's about climbing up a mountain and the different things that can happen to you when you're stranded on a mountain, in the woods, and you're lost. You're starving, hallucinating, running into strange creatures. You're being hunted. It's about that whole struggle."[101]

Crack the Skye deals with many different themes. The title, as well as some lyrical content, is a tribute to Skye, the younger sister of drummer Brann Dailor, who committed suicide at the age of fourteen. Themes touched on within the album include "dark magic(k), astral travelling and the role of Rasputin in the downfall of Czarist Russia".[102]

The Hunter does not deal with an entire concept like their earlier work. The title is a tribute to Hinds' brother, Brad Hinds, who died of a heart attack on December 4, 2010 while hunting.[103]

Once More 'Round the Sun, like its predecessor, is not a concept album. It features themes such as relationships, struggles and hardships. The album was based on the various events that took place in each band member's lives the year before the album release.[64]

Emperor of Sand mainly deals with the themes of death and survival and is about a desert wanderer faced with a death sentence. The lyrics were inspired by the friends and family members of the band who were diagnosed with cancer.[104]

Visual art[]

Artwork[]

A Mastodon backdrop in 2006, showcasing an elaborate painting, using the Leviathan artwork by the painter Paul Romano

Artist Paul Romano was responsible for all of the band's album art and backdrops up to 2011. The artwork for the band's fifth studio album The Hunter was made by AJ Fosik, a woodcarver who was also responsible for the backdrop the band used live at the time. Oakland-based artist Skinner, who, in his own words, specializes in "psychedelic nightmare paintings", has taken the reins on Once More 'Round the Sun. "It's going to be a work of art for sure. It's going to be very eye-opening", said bassist Troy Sanders before the album's release. "Very striking. It's from another dimension, and a lot of our music is geared toward that idea—taking you to another planet on songs. It's out there, and I think it's incredible."[62]

Live presentation[]

Following their first tours in the early 2000s, Mastodon have performed at many major festivals such as Download, Roskilde, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Big Day Out, Rock Werchter, Pinkpop, Metaltown, Ottawa Bluesfest, Sonisphere and Soundwave. When performing the band has traditionally had a fairly lo-fi visual presentation. However, during the band's "Crack The Skye Tour" (2009–2010), they used a large screen behind the drumkit showing a visual show.

Legacy and reception[]

The "sludge/stoner/alternative metal outfit" Mastodon, as labelled by AllMusic, is "one of the preeminent metal acts of the early 21st century".[90] The BBC stated about Mastodon: "They might be bonkers of lyric, full of fantasy mumbo jumbo, but the band is unashamedly committed to its complex-of-composition craft, and the results have frequently stunned ever since their 2002 debut, Remission. They are the most ambitious, most fearless, most fun heavy metal band to have breached the mainstream since the genre oozed its way out of The Midlands in the 1970s."[105] Alternative Press has stated: "Mastodon are one of the all-time great hard rock groups."[106] Rolling Stone stated: "Mastodon are a bunch of doom-haunted, myth-obsessed, meat-and-potatoes Southern badasses who have become the most important new band in metal."[107] Playboy[108] wrote: "one of Mastodon’s greatest talents: the ability to take traditional metal fans along with them into other musical realms, and also appeal to more mainstream rock fans but give them some doses of metal."

Members[]

Timeline[]

Discography[]

Main article: Mastodon discography

Studio albums

Awards and nominations[]

Danish Metal Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Crack the Skye Best International Metal Album[109] Won

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 "Colony of Birchmen" Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance Nominated
2012 "Curl of the Burl"[110] Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Nominated
2015 "High Road" Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance Nominated
2018 Emperor of Sand Grammy Award for Best Rock Album Nominated
"Sultan's Curse" Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance Won

Kerrang! Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 "Oblivion" Best Video Won
2012 The Hunter[111] Best Album Won

Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Blood Mountain Album of the Year[112] Nominated
Brent Hinds & Bill Kelliher Golden Gods Award for Best Shredder[113] Won
2012 The Hunter[114] Golden Gods Award for Best Album Won
2017 Mastodon Best Live Band [115] Won

Metal Storm Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 Leviathan Best Alternative Metal Album [116] Won
2009 Crack the Skye Best Alternative Metal Album Won
"Divinations" Best Video[117] Nominated
2011 The Hunter Best Sludge/Stoner Metal Album [118] Won
2014 Once More 'Round the Sun Best Sludge/Stoner Metal Album [119] Won
2017 Emperor of Sand Best Progressive Metal Album[120] Nominated

Revolver Golden Gods

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2012 Brann Dailor Golden Gods Award for Best Drummer Nominated

References[]

  1. ^ "No. 17: Mastodon, 'Remission' – Best Debut Metal Albums". Loudwire. June 6, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  2. ^ Molenda, Michael (August 2015). "Pop Friction: Mastodon Delivers its Highest Charting Album to Date, But That's Not Exactly a Reason for Total Band Bliss". Guitar Player. pp. 28–32.
  3. ^ Lynch, Joe. "Grammys 2018: See the Complete List of Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  4. ^ Loudwire (January 25, 2017). "Mastodon's Troy Sanders - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?". YouTube.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Mastodon - Official Relapse Records Band Page". Relapse Records. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  6. ^ "Where Swims the Leviathan?". Chronicles of Chaos. August 31, 2004. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  7. ^ "Kerrang! End of year lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  8. ^ "Terroriser Albums of the year". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  9. ^ "The 50 Most Important Recordings of the Last Decade". NPR.org. November 16, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  10. ^ "Metal Hammer Albums of the year". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  11. ^ "Mastodon Announce Special London Headlining Performance". Blabbermouth.net. August 20, 2004. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  12. ^ "Need for Speed Most Wanted Gets Much Music". IGN. August 13, 2008. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  13. ^ "Soundtrack Samples". Project Gotham Racing. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  14. ^ "Saints Row Delivers A Sonic Blitz". IGN. August 8, 2006. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  15. ^ "GuitarFreaksV2 & DrumManiaV2 Official Homepage". Konami. Retrieved August 12, 2008. Specific HTML frames at [1] and [2]
  16. ^ "Rock Band Debuts From Tommy Tutone, Ohio Players & Relient K, Plus Singles From Anberlin & Mastodon". Rockband.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  17. ^ "Mastodon: Collection Of Early Recordings, Three-Hour DVD Due In February". Blabbermouth.net. November 5, 2005. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  18. ^ "Mastodon Cover Metallica's 'Orion' For 'Master Of Puppets' Anniversary CD". Blabbermouth.net. February 18, 2006. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  19. ^ "Mastodon: 'Colony Of Birchmen' Video Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. October 24, 2006. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  20. ^ "Slayer: Australian Tour Dates Announced; Mastodon To Support". January 4, 2007. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  21. ^ "Mastodon: 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien' Performance Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. November 7, 2006. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  22. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of the Year". Rolling Stone. December 8, 2006. Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  23. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2006". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2006. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  24. ^ "Gill: Critics Choice 2006". Metal Hammer. January 16, 2007. Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  25. ^ "Kerrang! End of year lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  26. ^ "Best Albums of 2006". PopMatters. December 23, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  27. ^ "The Best Metal Albums of 2006". PopMatters. December 22, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  28. ^ "Top 20 Heavy Metal CDs Of 2006". About.com. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  29. ^ "GameTap Browse hundreds of your favorite video games". February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  30. ^ "Mastodon, Against Me! Get Tour Off To 'Roaring' Start". Blabbermouth.net. May 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  31. ^ "Mastodon: Illness Forces Milwaukee Concert Cancellation". Blabbermouth.net. May 11, 2007. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  32. ^ "Stone Sour, Mastodon Confirmed For United Arab Emirates' Desert Rock Festival". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  33. ^ "Metallica, Pearl Jam, Mastodon Confirmed For Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival". Blabbermouth.net. February 6, 2008. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  34. ^ "Slayer, Trivium, Mastodon To Team Up For 'The Unholy Alliance: Chapter III' European Tour". Blabbermouth.net. May 16, 2008. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  35. ^ "Mastodon's Brent Hinds Hospitalized With 'Severe Head Injury'". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007.
  36. ^ Peisner, David (April 22, 2009). "Mastodon: Bang Your Head". Spin.com. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  37. ^ "Cellador Guitarist Bill Hudson: I Had Nothing To Do With Mastodon's Hinds Getting Injured". BlabberMouth.net. Archived from the original on August 18, 2009.
  38. ^ "Mastodon To Make Big-Screen Debut In 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force'". Blabbermouth.net. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
  39. ^ "Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  40. ^ "Mastodon Stretches Out On 'Creepy' New Album". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008.
  41. ^ "Interview: Mastodon on The Unholy Alliance and Crack in The Skye". Thrash Hits. November 7, 2008. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  42. ^ "Mastodon Debuts Three New Songs At Bonnaroo; Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008.
  43. ^ "Metallica.com". Metallica.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  44. ^ "Mastodon to record concert at Aragon Ballroom for upcoming DVD". The A.V. Club. October 15, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  45. ^ "Dethklok and Mastodon at the Aragon Ballroom". The A.V. Club. October 19, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  46. ^ "Mastodon Oblivion EP". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  47. ^ Jacobs, Justin (October 23, 2009). "Mastodon Talks Jonah Hex Score". Paste. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  48. ^ Suarez, Jessica (June 24, 2010). "Mastodon – "Indian Theme" (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  49. ^ "Mastodon | 'Playing God' Australian video premiere". Mastodonrocks.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  50. ^ "Mastodon announce new album". Facebook. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  51. ^ "Rock am Ring Video: Mastodon Interview". MTV Festival-Blog. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  52. ^ "Mastodon: First New Songtitles Revealed". Roadrunnerrecords.com. May 23, 2011. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  53. ^ Bhamra, Satvir. "Motorhead, Mastodon, In Flames and Parkway Drive join Sonisphere line-up". Amplified.tv. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  54. ^ "Mastodon, Opeth, Ghost: North American Tour Dates Announced". BlabberMouth. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012.
  55. ^ "Live: Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan + Red Fang @ London Brixton Academy – 11 February 2012". Thrash Hits. February 16, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  56. ^ "Feist and Mastodon release crossfading interactive new video". The Line Of Best Fit. August 1, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  57. ^ "Mastodon's Brent Hinds Working On 'Really Eerie' And 'Very Spooky-Sounding' New Music". Blabbermouth.net. December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  58. ^ "Mastodon Writing/Recording Track for Upcoming Monsters, Inc. Sequel". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. December 4, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  59. ^ "Mastodon - For those of you who are interested, Yes we..." Facebook. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  60. ^ "Brann Dailor Clarifies Status Of New Mastodon Album, Involvement With 'Monsters University'". Metal Insider. July 26, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  61. ^ "Mastodon Near Completion of 'Wild' Summer LP". Spin. February 27, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  62. ^ Jump up to: a b Kane, Tyler (April 3, 2014). "Mastodon's Troy Sanders Talks New Album Once More 'Round the Sun". Paste. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  63. ^ "Mastodon's Brann Dailor on new album: We want it to be at every 15 year old party in the woods". Metal Insider. April 11, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  64. ^ Jump up to: a b "Mastodon's Bill Kelliher Talks 'Once More 'Round the Sun'". Loudwire.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  65. ^ "Drop Everything and Stream the New Mastodon Album, Once More 'Round The Sun In Full". Metal Injection. June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  66. ^ "Mastodon's 'Once More 'Round The Sun' Cracks U.S. Top 10". Blabbermouth.net. April 17, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  67. ^ "Brent Hinds Working On New Mastodon Music". Blabbermouth.net. January 18, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  68. ^ "Mastodon's Troy Sanders: 'We Just Write What We Love, And We Love What We Write'". Blabbermouth.net. January 23, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  69. ^ "Yes, That Was Mastodon On Game of Thrones Last Night!". Metal Injection.net. June 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  70. ^ "Check Out New Mastodon Track 'White Walker'". Ultimate-Guitar.com. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  71. ^ "Mastodon Return to Game of Thrones, Announce Details of New EP". MetalSucks. August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  72. ^ "Mastodon To Release 'Emperor Of Sand' Album In March; Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. January 26, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  73. ^ "Inside Masotodon's Dark, Emotional New LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  74. ^ "Mastodon - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  75. ^ "Mastodon Steambreather Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  76. ^ "Mastodon To Reportedly Release New Album 'Cold Dark Place' In September". The PRP. August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  77. ^ "Mastodon: 'Cold Dark Place' EP Details Revealed". Blabbermouth. August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  78. ^ "Mastodon's Brent Hinds Teases Release of New Album 'Cold Dark Place'". Loudwire. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  79. ^ "The Making of Emperor of Sand - Full Length Documentary". Mastodon Rocks. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  80. ^ "New Summer Tour Dates with Primus". Mastodon Rocks.
  81. ^ "'Medium Rarities' Out September 11". Mastodonrocks.com. July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  82. ^ "Mastodon tap Tool producer David Bottrill for new album". December 17, 2020.
  83. ^ "MASTODON Guitarist Talks 'Amazing' New Album: 'It's the Fullest-' and 'Biggest-Sounding Record We've Done So Far'". March 19, 2021.
  84. ^ Buchanan, David. "Mastodon The Hunter". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  85. ^ Lawson, Dom (June 19, 2014). "Mastodon: Once More 'Round the Sun – brilliant but familiar metal bluster". The Guardian. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  86. ^ Dedman, Remfry (December 8, 2017). "The top 20 rock & metal albums of 2017". The Independent. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  87. ^ "Liquid Metal". Chicago Reader. Retrieved July 17, 2008. They (Yakuza) have admirers in world-class progressive-metal outfits like Isis, Mastodon, and Tool"
  88. ^ Reed, Ryan (March 28, 2017). "Mastodon on Real-Life Tragedies That Inspired Harrowing New LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  89. ^ Jump up to: a b Roche, Jason. "Primus, Mastodon". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  90. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Monger, James Christopher. "Mastodon Biography". Allmusic.
  91. ^ "Scott Kelly and the Road Home". Boise Weekly. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  92. ^ "Cursive Ready To Rock On Mastodon Tour". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  93. ^ "Make room for the Badass music issue!". Las Vegas Weekly. April 16, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  94. ^ Micallef, Ken (June 14, 2017). "Mastodon's 'Emperor Of Sand'". Mix Online. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  95. ^ Buchanan, David. "CoS Year-End Report: The Top 100 Albums of '09: 50-26 - Mastodon, Crack the Skye". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 20, 2012. Mastodon represents experimental metal in the genre's American 'new wave' at the turn of last decade.
  96. ^ "Mastodon, Against Me! Stop, Smell Roses". Spin. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  97. ^ "Mastodon's Troy Sanders Talks 'Once More 'Round the Sun'". Loudwire. May 13, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  98. ^ Khan-Anselmo, Alexandra (January 27, 2012). "A chat with Mastodon". Exberliner. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  99. ^ Stosuy, Brandon. "Mastodon: The Hunter". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  100. ^ "White Whale, Holy Grail: Moby Dick and Mastodon's Leviathan". LitReactor. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  101. ^ Lampert, Eva (April 26, 2006). "Beware Of The Cysquatch On New Mastodon Album". Chart. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  102. ^ Blackeney, Jerome. "Review of Mastodon's 'Crack the Skye'". BBC Music. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  103. ^ "Biography". Mastodon Rocks. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  104. ^ Appleford, Steve (December 19, 2016). "Inside Mastodon's Dark, Emotional New LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  105. ^ "Review of Mastodon - The Hunter". BBC Music. September 14, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  106. ^ Ferris, D. X. "File Under: Heavier than metal". Alternative Press.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  107. ^ Hermes, Will (March 17, 2009). "Mastodon: Crack the Skye". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 4, 2017. Mastodon are a bunch of doom-haunted, myth—obsessed, meat—and—potatoes Southern badasses who have become the most important new band in metal.
  108. ^ "Thrashing Outside Genre Lines: How Mastodon's Experimentation Reaffirms Metal in 2018". www.playboy.com. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  109. ^ "DANISH METAL AWARDS: I vincitori".
  110. ^ "2011 – 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners: Rock Field". The Recording Academy. November 30, 2011.
  111. ^ "Kerrang! Awards Winners 2012". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  112. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  113. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  114. ^ ""Metal Hammer" Golden Gods Awards Winners 2012". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  115. ^ "Winners of Metal Hammer Golden Gods 2017 Revealed". Metal Injection.net. June 12, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  116. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2004". Metal Storm.net. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  117. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2009". Metal Storm.net. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  118. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2011". Metal Storm.net. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  119. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2014". Metal Storm.net. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  120. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2017". Metal Storm.net. Retrieved January 22, 2020.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""