Album Rating: 4.0

"Our man is still in the "anger" phrase of grief."

lol



"I don't think they should have called it a day, but their music is missing the bite and experimentation that it previously had. Moments from Emperor and Hushed give me hope that we could still get a more aggressive album in the future, but the clock is certainly ticking."



Agreed, but I would emphasize how good Hushed really is.

Album Rating: 2.0

Emperor of Fecalmatter

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Hue hue

Album Rating: 1.0

@WalrusTusk I hope your mother is doing well and I'm glad to know this album helped you during a hard time of your life.

Album Rating: 4.0

@Vlac thanks man. She's currently three or four years in remission so she's doing really well.

Album Rating: 2.5

"Our man is still in the "anger" phrase of grief."

lol yep, it does appear that way, although I cannot disagree with Vlac's general sentiment in all honesty

vlac is correct except

"I hate Mastodon so much. They should've called it a day after releasing Crack The Skye."

*remission

Album Rating: 2.5

no, pretty sure that part was correct also

especially as their best was yet to come / is Blood Mountain

This is probably their "worst" album for me, but even then it's totally fine and has a few really cool songs.

There's definitely some magic that they haven't really recaptured from the times where they were putting their all into the large, sweeping conceptual stuff but they still kick a lot of ass and clearly know how to riff. They are just such an agreeable band lol

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

High Concept Mastodon was just something else. Those albums felt biblical. They still riff but albums since The Hunter don't have the same magic (see related: Opeth, Heritage). But there's a worse timeline than 'Don easing off the gas.

Album Rating: 4.0

it really is a shame what Mastodon has become. these last few albums of theirs, post Crack, have been so uninteresting in both a writing and musical sense. They have stated they plan to go in more heavy direction with their next album, so maybe we will finally have a properly heavy, good album again? (I doubt it, but maybe.)

Album Rating: 3.0

I think hushed is a strong album, but I don't care to listen to it again one damn bit. Sometimes a band just puts something out that poisons their catalog moving forward for me, I guess, and that was definitely Once More Around the Sun.



"This has jaguar god"



Hunter also had T/T, which IMO hangs with it and even Last Baron. No question Hunter is a step down from the previous three, but I have never felt it was anywhere near as big a drop as people acted like it was. Curl of the Beurl may have started the show yourself / motherlode trend, but it did it best and that riff is still dirty AF even today.



I'm also of the opinion that Brann should scale it way back on the amount of his vocals. Gimme more weirdo brent and gruff troy.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

But that doesn't play as well on the radio

Album Rating: 4.0

The only Mastodon I've heard on the radio was "Divinations" when it first dropped... back when singles used to hit the radio first. They played it once. Never heard it or any Mastodon after that.

Album Rating: 1.0

@WalrusTusk Glad to know she's doing well.

Album Rating: 4.0

guess a lot of people here don't like any fun in their music, as there's enough of that to go around on this record. I'm not a fan of early Mastodon, but to me they do this kind of music amazingly, and despite the lyrical themes, it sounds like they had the time of their lives making this record. sometimes that's just enough, but this album also has banger songs, riffs and vocals which are really fucking awesome.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

"[Emperor of Sand] grapples with themes of mortality – inspired by seeing close friends and family diagnosed with cancer in recent years. 'It’s about going through cancer, going through chemotherapy and all the things associated with that,' says drummer-singer-lyricist Brann Dailor. 'I didn’t want to be literal about it. But it’s all in there. You can read between the lines.'" - Rolling Stone interview 2016



* ~ f u n ~ *

Album Rating: 4.0

DESPITE that, but yeah cancer fucking sucks

Album Rating: 2.5

got ‘em, lol

a surefire recipe for a rip-roaring time

Album Rating: 1.0

"guess a lot of people here don't like any fun in their music, as there's enough of that to go around on this record."



If I wanted fun, I would listen to House Music. Thank you.