Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun (Album Review)
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Written by Alec Chillingworth
Mastodon have a lot to live up to. Since the release of their debut LP, 'Remission', back in 2002, the Georgia quartet have defied expectations, shunned conformity and done a good job of creating some of the most forward-thinking, skin-peelingly visceral music of the 21st century.
So, imagine the air of discontent and, in some cases, general terror when Mastodon announced an album further exploring the chorus-friendly territory of 'The Hunter’, their 2011 album.
Is this the end for these much-loved progressive geniuses? Is it fuck. The focus might be more on individual songs on this occasion, but 'Once More 'Round The Sun' manages to surpass just about every other metal release this year.
The riffs remain. Mastodon have always excelled at churning out guitar lines heavier than a caravan full of Daleks and 'Once More 'Round The Sun' delivers on this front. Tread Lightly is a monumental opening statement, its driving riff a blend of 'Crack The Skye' spaciness and 'Leviathan' levels of heavy. Basically, it rocks.
And that's the thing that makes 'Once More 'Round The Sun' so special. It seems that, after all these years, Mastodon have finally figured out how to let their hair down and rock the fuck out. High Road, The Motherload and Halloween are absolute ragers, taking the chorus ideas from 'The Hunter' and multiplying them by some unidentifiable, monolithic number.
That's not to say Mastodon have turned into AC/DC; there's still enough experimentation here to have your brains leaking out of your ears. Diamond In The Witch House is a sprawling, eight minute epic, pledging allegiance to the Mastodon we used to know while simultaneously tying up 'Once More 'Round The Sun' in a neat little bow. Asleep In The Deep is a haunting mess of crooning and dirge-like guitar, while Aunt Lisa boasts grainy synth and female gang vocals to recall Faith No More's Be Aggressive.
Mastodon’s evolution is one that’s both obvious and surprising at the same time. The band that recorded 'Remission' is a completely different beast to the one you hear today, yet 'Once More 'Round The Sun' cements itself as one of the most complete, abundantly impressive works of their career to date.
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