Review Summary: With "Hushed and Grim," Mastodon finds ways to blend their old selves to create a new identity. If there's one thing this band is known for, it's their strong ability to reinvent themselves with every album they release.
Reflecting on the grief of losing long-time manager Nick John, Mastodon encapsulates many of the feelings we have all had during the coronavirus pandemic in Hushed and Grim. Fear, dealing with loss, estrangement from reality, and many other emotions come to mind. Hushed and Grim features some of the best Mastodon riffs, occasionally with a heaviness that borders on levels of Leviathan, and at times even Remission, scattered throughout. See the ending of Pain with an Anchor, the mammoth-sized chorus riff of Sickle and Peace, the bouncy riff of More Than I Could Chew, or the doomy Gobblers of Dregs.
True, there are a lot of ballads on this album, but these ballads create a sense of delicate beauty blended with the brutality of 2004/2006 Mastodon. Skeletons of Splendor, Dagger, Had It All, and Eyes of Serpents are the most haunting and sing-along songs from a metal band I've heard in a long time. During these ballads, especially the second halves of both Gobblers of Dregs & Peace and Tranquility, Mastodon builds on the theme of their 2017 EP Cold Dark Place. Although these ballads do appear, this does not mean that there are no absolute rippers on this album. Pushing the Tides, The Crux, and Savaged Lands are sure to start a mosh pit during Mastodon concerts in the future.
Unfortunately, long-time "fifth member" of the band, Scott Kelly, is nowhere to be heard. However, Mastodon seems to pick up a different fifth member this time around: Mr. João Nogueira of The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Stone Giant fame. Nogueira's synth lines are featured throughout Hushed and Grim and provide a perfect backdrop for the core of Mastodon to 'shine' their grim and dark light. This yin-yang effect creates a perfect balance of peace and gloom throughout the album.
Although guitarist Brent Hinds takes a backseat with his vocals this time around, his guitar work does not go unnoticed. For example, the guitar passages in Pain with an Anchor and The Beast, along with the southern-style breakdown of Peace and Tranquility, are one thousand percent Brent's work. Especially with Pain with an Anchor and The Beast, his gentle guitar passages evoke the deep-sea imagery of Leviathan. Personally, his ability to lay down bluesy and country-like guitar riffs in a rock/metal setting has always amazed me. Another Brent guitar line that showcases that he is still present is the beginning of Peace and Tranquility, being very reminiscent of the breakdown riff of Megalodon.
With "Hushed and Grim," Mastodon finds ways to blend their old selves to create a new identity. If there's one thing this band is known for, it's their strong ability to reinvent themselves with every album they release. Doing so allows them to set themselves apart from other rock/metal bands in the scene today. Not as heavy as Gojira or as mainstream as Avenged Sevenfold, Mastodon have carved themselves their piece of rock/metal greatness and continue to strive down this road. Frankly, I'm happy to join them with every twist and turn.
