 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mastodon" band – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Mastodon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Past members |
|
| Website | mastodonrocks |
Mastodon is an Americanheavy metal band fromAtlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2000, the band's lineup ofTroy Sanders (bass/vocals),Brent Hinds (lead guitar/vocals),Bill Kelliher (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), andBrann Dailor (drums/vocals) remained unchanged for 24 years, until Hinds's departure in March 2025. Mastodon has released eight studio albums, as well as anumber of other releases.
The band's 2002 debut album,Remission, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound. Mastodon's second full-length release,Leviathan, is aconcept album based on the novelMoby-Dick byHerman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record "Album of the Year" in 2004:Revolver,Kerrang! andTerrorizer. The song "Colony of Birchmen" from the band's third album (released in 2006),Blood Mountain, was nominated for aGrammy Award forBest Metal Performance in 2007.Blood Mountain was followed in 2009 byCrack the Skye, and in 2011 byThe Hunter, which debuted at No. 10 on theBillboard 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 forBest Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2012.
Mastodon's 2014 albumOnce More 'Round the Sun peaked at No. 6 on theBillboard 200 chart and features the band's third Grammy-nominated song, "High Road". The band's seventh album,Emperor of Sand, was released in 2017 and features the band's most commercially successful song to date, "Show Yourself", which peaked at No. 4 on the USBillboardMainstream Rock Songs chart. The album's opening track, "Sultan's Curse", earned the band its first Grammy award.Emperor of Sand was the band's first album to receive a Grammy nomination; it was nominated forBest Rock Album. Mastodon's most recent album,Hushed and Grim, was released in 2021.
Hinds departed Mastodon in March 2025 and died five months later in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta, Georgia.[1]
In 2016, the staff ofLoudwire named them the 20th-best metal band of all time.[2]
Mastodon was formed on January 13, 2000,[3] after drummerBrann Dailor and guitaristBill Kelliher moved from their home state ofNew York toAtlanta, Georgia, and met bassistTroy Sanders and guitaristBrent Hinds at aHigh on Fire show.[4] Dailor and Kelliher previously played inLethargy and had performed on theToday Is the Day albumIn the Eyes of God,[5] while Sanders and Hinds had played together in a band called Four Hour Fogger. The four men discovered they had a mutual appreciation ofsludge metal bandsMelvins andNeurosis,heavy metal legendsIron Maiden, and 1970shard rockersThin Lizzy, and began working on music together shortly thereafter. In a 2009 interview, Kelliher revealed that the first time Hinds attended a practice with the band, he "showed up so wasted he couldn't play".[6]
The band recorded a nine-songdemo in June 2000,[7] which featured Eric Saner on vocals,[4] and they sold it to fans at early shows.[8] After just a few months, Saner left the band for personal reasons, and the songs from9 Song Demo were re-recorded with vocals from Hinds and Sanders.[9] In 2001, Reptilian Records released a 7"picture disc containing three of the re-recorded tracks. That same year, Mastodon landed a record deal withRelapse Records,[4] and five more of the re-recorded songs were released as theLifesblood EP.
Mastodon's first studio album,Remission, was released on May 28, 2002. It featured the song "Crusher/Destroyer" (which was included on theTony Hawk's Underground soundtrack) and the band's firstsingle, "March of the Fire Ants".[4] Coinciding with a music video for "March of the Fire Ants", a deluxe edition ofRemission was released in October 2003. This version of the album contained acover of the Thin Lizzy song "Emerald" and a bonus DVD featuring a professionally filmedlive set recorded atThe Masquerade in Atlanta.
The band's second full-length album,Leviathan, was released in 2004; it's aconcept album loosely based onHerman Melville's novelMoby-Dick.[10] The band received critical acclaim forLeviathan and the record was named album of the year byKerrang![11] andTerrorizer.[12] "Blood and Thunder", which featuredClutch vocalistNeil Fallon, was chosen as one of the most important recordings of the decade byNational Public Radio in November 2009; National Public radio coverage described the entire album as epitomizing "a phenomenal decade for metal".[13]Leviathan also ranked second in a list byMetal Hammer of the best albums of 2004.[14]
The band went on tour in support of the album, playing throughout North America and Europe inThe Unholy Alliance tour along withSlayer andLamb of God and later on withSlipknot.[15]
"Iron Tusk", the fifth track on the album, can be found on the soundtrack of the skateboarding video gameTony Hawk's American Wasteland and in2K Sports video gameNHL 2K9. "Blood and Thunder" is featured in the video gamesNeed for Speed: Most Wanted,[16]Project Gotham Racing 3[17] andSaints Row,[18] as well as Japanese music gamesDrummania V2 andGuitarfreaks V2,[19] and was added as a playable track on all instruments inGuitar Hero: Metallica. It has also been released as downloadable content forRock Band 3, with Pro Guitar support also available at extra cost.[20]
Leviathan was followed by the 2006 release ofCall of the Mastodon, a remastered collection of the band's first nine songs, as well as a DVD of interviews and concert footage calledThe Workhorse Chronicles that includes material from the band's early days as a five-piece. The band has stated that they considerCall of the Mastodon to be their first studio album, as its songs were recorded and released prior toRemission. These two releases were the band's last forRelapse Records, as they would later go on to sign withWarner Bros.[21] Mastodon also recorded a cover version ofMetallica's "Orion" for a 2006Kerrang! tribute album marking the 20th anniversary of the release ofMaster of Puppets.[22]
The band's third studio album,Blood Mountain, was released on September 12, 2006, followed by a tour to support the album along withTool in Europe[23] and Slayer in Australia and New Zealand.[24]The Mars Volta frontmanCedric Bixler-Zavala lent his vocals to the track "Siberian Divide".Queens of the Stone Age frontmanJosh Homme contributed vocals for the song "Colony of Birchmen". The band performed the song "Colony of Birchmen" onNBC'sLate Night with Conan O'Brien on November 1, their first appearance onnetwork television, to a viewing audience of around 2.4 million people.[25]
The band's first single fromBlood Mountain, "Capillarian Crest", was ranked No. 27 inRolling Stone Magazine's Top 100 Songs of 2006.[26] The album itself was ranked ninth in the magazine's best albums of the year chart.[27] The UK'sMetal Hammer voted it the best album of 2006 in its end of year critic's poll.[28] The album was voted in at No. 5 byKerrang! in its end-of-year list,[29] as well as No. 6 and No. 1, respectively, onPopMatters' Best Albums of 2006[30] and Best Metal Albums of 2006 lists.[31] About.com rated it the top metal album of 2006.[32]Blood Mountain was also named best album of 2006 in the 10th-anniversary birthday edition (issue 119) ofBizarre. It also came in at No. 2 onRevolver magazine's list of the top albums of 2006. The band was named Artist of the Month for March 2007 atGametap.com.[33]
Mastodon toured and played numerous shows during this time. The band joinedAgainst Me! andCursive for a North American tour, withPlanes Mistaken for Stars opening for one leg andThese Arms Are Snakes the other.[34] A performance inMilwaukee had to be canceled due to illness on the part of Brent Hinds.[35] Mastodon would play theHove Festival in Norway as well as on the Main Stage of the Download Festival and then thePitchfork Music Festival. During this time, the band opened forMetallica on the Sick of the Studio tour. The band also played at the 2007Dubai Desert Rock,[36] the 2008Bonnaroo Music Festivals[37] and the inauguralMayhem Festival. Mastodon then toured withSlayer,Trivium,Lamb of God and several other metal bands in 2008 forThe Unholy Alliance tour 2008.[38]
The band performed "Colony of Birchmen" at the2007 MTV Video Music Awards live withJosh 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,[39] but the police report later suggested that aninebriated Hinds had started a fight withSystem of a Down bassistShavo Odadjian and vocalist William Hudson, also known as Reverend William Burke ofAchozen.[40][41]
"Sleeping Giant" was made available as a downloadable song forGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, "Colony of Birchmen" was included on Harmonix'sRock Band 2 and Volition'sSaints Row 2, and "Divinations" was featured inMadden NFL 10 andSaints Row: The Third. Mastodon contributed a cover version ofHarry Nilsson's "One" to the video gameArmy of Two's advertisement campaign. The band members are fans ofAqua Teen Hunger Force and in 2007, Mastodon performed the opening song ofAqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, "Cut You Up with a Linoleum Knife".[42]
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.[43] The album is produced byBrendan O'Brien[44] andScott Kelly ofNeurosis returns as a guest musician on the title-track.[45]In aMusicRadar 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 aquadriplegic who learnsastral 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 inCzarist 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.[46] Drummer Brann Dailor sings lead vocals for the verses of the song "Oblivion".
Mastodon was a headliner at theScion Rock Fest on February 28, 2009, performing a set containing three tracks fromCrack 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 theLate Show with David Letterman. In support of their new album, Mastodon toured withMetallica on the latter part of the 2009 European leg of theirWorld Magnetic Tour.[47] In Fall of 2009, they embarked withDethklok on the "Adult Swim Presents" tour along withConverge andHigh on Fire. On October 17, 2009, they recorded a DVD documenting the tour at theAragon Ballroom in Chicago.[48][49] Mastodon played the alternative music festival Big Day Out, touring across Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2010. On November 4, 2009, Mastodon released their thirdEP, titledOblivion.[50]
Mastodon headlined a spring 2010 tour with supporting actsBetween the Buried and Me,Baroness andValient Thorr.[51] On April 29, Baroness guitaristsJohn Baizley and Pete Adams filled in for Bill Kelliher when he was unable to perform due to illness.[52] Mastodon canceled a summer tour[53] but resumed performing withDeftones andAlice in Chains in September. The tour was calledBlackdiamondskye, a portmanteau of the three bands' latest albums (Black Gives Way to Blue,Diamond Eyes, andCrack the Skye), and it took place in the United States and Canada.
Film directorJimmy Hayward contacted the band during their 2009 tour of Europe and expressed how much listening toBlood 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 withPaste 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."[54] 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, throughReprise Records.[55] That same year, the band was confirmed as being part of the soundtrack forNamco Bandai Games' 2010 remake ofSplatterhouse. 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, titledLive 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.
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Hunter, Mastodon's fifthstudio album, was recorded atDoppler Studios in Atlanta with producerMike Elizondo.[56] The first hints of the new album were given by the band viaFacebook in January 2011.[57] Drummer Brann Dailor revealed during interviews the title of the band's new album and described the new material as not so much proggy or riff-oriented and "a little more stripped down".[58][59][60] Meanwhile, the band performed at many major summer festivals.[61] On June 28, 2011, Mastodon released a leftover track from theCrack the Skye sessions, called "Deathbound", throughAdultswim.com.
The first taste ofThe Hunter came in July 2011 when Mastodon released the song "Black Tongue" viaYouTube, 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 fromThe Hunter and debuted "Curl of the Burl", the first official single from the new album. It was also announced that a deluxe edition would be released, which featured the bonus tracks "The Ruiner" and "Deathbound" in addition to different cover art. On September 6, Mastodon released a third song fromThe Hunter, "Spectrelight", featuringScott Kelly ofNeurosis. On September 16, the band released a 53-minute custom visualizer with all of the album tracks, 11 days prior to the release ofThe Hunter. The album was very well received by fans and the media. It also performed strongly on the official charts, rising to number ten on theBillboard 200.
In support ofThe Hunter, a North American headline tour was announced. On October 5, 2011, they performed "Curl of the Burl" on theLate Show with David Letterman. On October 12, a UK tour was announced that will run through February 2012 with fellow bandsThe Dillinger Escape Plan andRed Fang as support acts. They were atLater... 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 aGrammy Award in the categoryBest Metal/Hard Rock performance. It is the band's second nomination with the first being for "Colony of Birchmen" in 2007.The Hunter was named "Album of the Year" byMetal Hammer,Classic Rock andRock Sound.
In January 2012, it was announced that Mastodon and Swedish prog metal bandOpeth will tour together in a joint tour across North America. It was named the "Heritage Hunter Tour" after both bands latest releases,The Hunter andHeritage. The bands took turns in the headlining spot. Support came from the Swedishheavy metal bandGhost.[62] On February 11, 2012, the band performed a sold-out show at theBrixton Academy inLondon, it was the band's biggest headline show ever.[63] 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 records. The first was a split 7-inch withFeist titledFeistodon. 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'.[64] The second release was a cover ofThe Flaming Lips' "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton".
Mastodon began recording again in early 2013. GuitaristBrent Hinds described the new music as "really eerie" and "very spooky-sounding", and stated that he has written three new songs.[65] On December 3, 2012, the band announced via their Twitter page that they were writing a song for the filmMonsters University.[66] 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..."[67] In an interview on July 26,[68] Brann Dailor was reported as saying that the band would "probably [go into the studio] end of September". Mastodon released its second live album,Live at Brixton, in December 2013.[69] The band also played at the 2014 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
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 anEP in winter of 2014. Some of the confirmed tracks were: "Tread Lightly", "Buzzard's Guts", "Scent of Bitter Almonds", "High Road" and "Aunt Lisa".[70]
In an interview with Troy Sanders inPaste magazine released on April 3, he revealed the album was calledOnce 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".[71]
In an interview on April 11, Dailor revealed the album will be released in June.[72] 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".[73] As of June 16, 2014, the entire album was available for streaming on iTunes.[74]
The album was released on June 24, 2014, throughReprise 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.[75]
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-stringpedal steel.[76] 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."[77]
On March 12, 2015, Mastodon released the song "White Walker" for theGame of Thrones: Catch the Throne Vol. 2 mixtape, in promotion for the fifth season of theHBO TV seriesGame of Thrones.[78] Dailor, Hinds, and Kelliher also appeared in episode 8 of the season aswildlings.[79] 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".[80]
The band's seventh studio album,Emperor of Sand, was released on March 31, 2017.[81] 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 traveler 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.[82] The first single, "Show Yourself", was released in February, and had peaked at number 4 on the USBillboardMainstream Rock Songs chart in June, making it the band's highest-charting song to date.[83] The second single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart in October.[84]
Mastodon also released an EP titledCold Dark Place on September 22 of the same year.[85] It was a four-song EP, featuring three songs recorded during theOnce More 'Round the Sun sessions, and one track recorded during theEmperor of Sand sessions. The first single for the EP, "Toe to Toes" was released on September 1, 2017.[86] Brent Hinds stated that the inspiration behind some of the songs recorded forCold 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 theBee Gees a little bit."[87] On December 1, the band released a revised version of the 12-part "The Making ofEmperor of Sand" documentary via their officialYouTube channel.[88] Mastodon were announced to be on a co-headlining Summer 2018 Tour withPrimus spanning across North America lasting from May to July.[89] In September 2018, the band's manager Nick John died, and the band paid tribute to him by releasing a cover ofLed Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" in April 2019.[90][91]
On July 31, 2020, Mastodon released a new song titled "Fallen Torches" and announced a compilation album of rare material titledMedium Rarities, which was released on September 11, 2020.[92] On June 17, 2021, the band announced a partnership with livestreaming company Dreamstage to present a live acoustic set in their hometown ofAtlanta at theGeorgia Aquarium on July 15, with $1 from each sale of a ticket/merchandise package going toward supporting the aquarium.[93] Mastodon released their eighth studio album,Hushed and Grim, on October 29, 2021.[94] The double album was produced by David Bottrill, who had worked previously with such artists asPeter Gabriel,Muse,Tool, andRush.[95] In 2024, Mastodon co-headlined a tour withLamb of God, and the bands released the collaborative track "Floods of Triton" in September.[96]
On March 7, 2025, Mastodon announced that the band and Brent Hinds had mutually decided to part ways.[97] While guitarist Bill Kelliher said "Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart... it's amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us", Hinds was less amicable, commenting "I won't miss being in a shit band with horrible humans."[98][99] On March 9, 2025, Mastodon headlined the final night of the Tool Live in the Sand festival with Ben Eller filling in on lead guitar.[100] In May, the band brought in guitaristNick Johnston to tour with them on their run of shows withCoheed & Cambria andPeriphery.[101] In June, Kelliher confirmed onPatreon that Johnston was writing and recording new material with the group inAtlanta.[102][better source needed] In August, Hinds claimed that he was kicked out of Mastodon and continued to insult the remaining members.[103]
On August 20, 2025, Hinds was killed in atraffic collision after he was hit by another vehicle while riding his motorcycle. The band made a statement saying: "We are heartbroken, shocked and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many."[104][105] On August 22, 2025, at the end of their first show following Hinds' death at theAlaska State Fair, the band paid tribute to their former bandmate, with drummer Brann Dailor addressing the audience about his death: "We had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship. You know what I mean? It's not always perfect, it's not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end. And we really loved each other and we made a lot, a lot of very beautiful music together. And I think that that’s gonna stand the test of time, evidenced by you people here tonight".[106]
Mastodon has been described asprogressive metal,[107][108][109]alternative metal,[110][111][112]sludge metal,[113][114]stoner metal,[113][109] psychedelic metal,[115]experimental metal,[116] andgroove metal.[117] James Christopher Monger ofAllMusic describes Mastodon as "one of the more notablenew 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, andhardcore helped position the band as one of the preeminent metal acts of the early 21st century."[113] The band's earlier material such as the EPLifesblood was described as "In the Eyes of God-eraToday Is the Day [...] butting heads with the more technically demanding school ofRelapse-style hardcore/metalcore (e.g.,Dillinger Escape Plan orBurnt by the Sun, although Mastodon is much less hyper)."[5]
BassistTroy 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 ofrock 'n' roll in us, and we have a lot ofprogressive rock in us, we have bits and pieces ofthrash andpunk, andpsychedelic-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.[118]
Scott Kelly ofNeurosis has appeared to perform guest vocals on a track on every Mastodon album fromLeviathan (2004) to the compilationMedium Rarities (2020).
Mastodon's musical style has evolved much from their earliest pre-Remission releases toThe Hunter. Their early work is significantly heavier and more abrasive than their later work, primarily or exclusively usingharsh vocals, more distorted instruments, and more atypical song structures. 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 favoring clean vocals almost exclusively.
Over its first four albums, Mastodon had specific concepts in mind, specifically the classical elements of fire, water, earth, andaether.[119][120]
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 novelMoby-Dick. It centers around the main characters and their thoughts during the story.[121]
Blood Mountain is about a man who is searching for the "Crystal Skull", which is on top of the "Blood Mountain". According to bassistTroy 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."[122]
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 drummerBrann Dailor, who committed suicide at the age of fourteen. Themes touched on within the album include "dark magic(k),astral travelling and the role ofRasputin in the downfall ofCzarist Russia".[123]
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.[124]
Once More 'Round the Sun, like its predecessor, is not a concept album. It features themes such as relationships, struggles, hardships and addiction. The album was based on the various events that took place in each band member's lives the year before the album release.[73]
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.[125]
Hushed and Grim has to do with grief, guilt, and the afterlife. Mastodon pays tribute to the memory of longtime friend and manager Nick John with their first ever double-album and a surrounding death mythology. According to drummer and co-vocalistBrann Dailor, in this mythology "When you die, your soul inhabits the heart of a living tree. You have to experience the seasons the way that a tree does through a whole calendar year. That's the way you have to say goodbye to the natural world. And in that time, you reflect on the pillars of the life that you lived. You get to atone for things that you've done."[126]
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 albumThe 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 onOnce 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."[71]
Following their first tours in the early 2000s, Mastodon have performed at many major festivals such asDownload,Roskilde,Coachella,Bonnaroo,Big Day Out,Rock Werchter,Pinkpop,Metaltown,Ottawa Bluesfest,Sonisphere andSoundwave. 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 with an elaborate visual presentation.
The "sludge/stoner/alternative metal outfit" Mastodon, as labeled byAllMusic, is "one of the preeminent metal acts of the early 21st century".[113] TheBBC 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 ofThe Midlands in the 1970s."[127]Alternative Press has stated: "Mastodon are one of the all-time greathard rock groups."[128]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."[129] Playboy[130] 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."
Studio albums
Danish Metal Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Crack the Skye | Best International Metal Album[131] | Won |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Colony of Birchmen" | Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance | Nominated |
| 2012 | "Curl of the Burl"[132] | 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 | |
| 2022 | "Pushing the Tides" | Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance | Nominated |
Kerrang! Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Oblivion" | Best Video | Won |
| 2012 | The Hunter[133] | Best Album | Won |
Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Blood Mountain | Album of the Year[134] | Nominated |
| Brent Hinds & Bill Kelliher | Golden Gods Award for Best Shredder[135] | Won | |
| 2012 | The Hunter[136] | Golden Gods Award for Best Album | Won |
| 2017 | Mastodon | Best Live Band[137] | Won |
Metal Storm Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Leviathan | Best Alternative Metal Album[138] | Won |
| 2009 | Crack the Skye | Best Alternative Metal Album | Won |
| "Divinations" | Best Video[139] | Nominated | |
| 2011 | The Hunter | Best Sludge/Stoner Metal Album[140] | Won |
| 2014 | Once More 'Round the Sun | Best Sludge/Stoner Metal Album[141] | Won |
| 2017 | Emperor of Sand | Best Progressive Metal Album[142] | Nominated |
| 2021 | Hushed & Grim | Best Progressive Metal Album[143] | Won |
Revolver Golden Gods
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Brann Dailor | Golden Gods Award for Best Drummer | Nominated |
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)They have admirers in world-class progressive-metal outfits like Isis, Mastodon, and Tool
Mastodon represents experimental metal in the genre's American 'new wave' at the turn of last decade.
Mastodon are a bunch of doom-haunted, myth—obsessed, meat—and—potatoes Southern badasses who have become the most important new band in metal.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |