Mastodon - "Once More 'Round The Sun"

Mastodon, the Atlanta heavy music heavy-weights returned last week with their sixth album, Once More Round The Sun via Reprise Records.  Produced by the Grammy award-winning Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Foo Fighters), the new album sees the band continuing down the path set on The Hunter, as they strip away much of the ambitious lyrical concepts and twisty prog-rock tendencies of their previous albums for a more straight-forward yet still sludge-heavy rock sound that includes doses of arena-worthy alt-rock hooks and looser grooves that have the band reaching for and attaining the stars.         

“Tread Lightly” opens the album and doesn’t heed its own advice with its roaring riffs and soaring hooks.  The single, “The Motherload” pairs a frenetic rhythm with psychedelic vocal effects and an enormously catchy refrain.  The super-charged chug and monstrous riff of the standout single “High Road” follows with its howling vocals, melodic dual guitar solo and sing-along chorus and leads into the searing, Sabbath-loving title track, “Once More ‘Round The Sun”.  The most dynamic track on the album, “Chimes At Midnight” ebbs and flows with a heavy churn before it fades out with cascading guitars.  Later, “Ember City” is propulsive on the verses but lightens up with a rafters-reaching chorus that doesn’t quite fit but redeems itself with several swirling guitar solos.  Another standout, “Aunt Lisa” features the members of fellow Atlanta garage-punk band The Coathangers chanting like cheerleaders singing along to The Ramones.  To end the album, Mastodon gives us a taste of their beloved past with the epic, nearly eight-minute long “Diamond In The Witch House”, which also features guest vocals from Scott Kelly of Neurosis.  

Caught between two worlds – underground and mainstream metal – Mastodon deliver with their riff-heavy and hook-leaden new album, Once More “Round The Sun that gives us the best of both of those worlds. 

Stream “High Road” here:

For more info: http://www.mastodonrocks.com/