Album Rating: 2.5

There's definitely a major focus on vocal hooks here, now whether that's something to applaud depends on your disposition I imagine. Many of the riffs unfortunately do sound like old Mastodon repurposed / repackaged in a way that diminishes their impact.



It would undoubtedly work better with more impressive vocalists.

false! i like the shit vocalists!

Album Rating: 4.5

Best Mastodon probably since Cracked. Long but very rewarding with great melodies, powerful riffs, musicianship and more focus on atmosphere. Feel like a total wanker for dimissing it after the first couple of listens (thought the production was bad, turns out it was probably the stream's fault that somehow compressed the audio into shit).

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

"what's dr? dick radius?"



lmao

i think the issue is less the vocalists and more how repetitive their hooks are; a lot of their choruses don't really gain anything past the first instance and are old old news by the end of the song
which is part of why More Than I Could Chew does so well saving its hook til halfway thru the song well done boys that is how you write songs with ur bigbrain for an audience with smolbrain

I want nothing but to climb unto the tree safely, I want nothing but to climb unto the tree safely,

Cool tree, much potency..
Pos'ed,
But let me climb please respond

Album Rating: 4.5

Savage Lands has a very Anacrusis like chorus, which is quite amusing. As I'm conducting the blind-test of the Hi-Res version I'm losing myself in the pensive, reflective tone of this album again. I'm gonna end up 4,5ing it again soon. Rules hard. I propose the "middle-aged man's metal" tag. I remember when the "thinking man's metal" tag was used to define bands of many different genres such as Gorguts, Isis, Death....

i listened to this album on laptop speakers and it sounded alright. skipped the second half of many of the songs. 3/5

giggle

Honestly can't get over how eager I am to give the third full spin to Mastodon double album

I like this quite a bit, I enjoy mastodon and think they have one of the best drummers of our time. I also like how this feels like a well crafted album and not just a bunch of songs. Im not quite ready to commit to a score though. I could write a review and try to tell you why I like it, but its mostly just the way it feels... it creates emotion like all my favorite music does. Also, like all mastodon records its the drums that drive the sound.

Album Rating: 4.5

Agreed about the drummer kevnb! Brann Dailor, Lille Gruber, Mario Duplantier, whoever is behind the kit in Deathspell Omega and Danny Carey are my Top 5 right now. Honorable mentions to Ulcerate's drummer and the cymbal game from Mgla's drummer haha.



@Pika, I did the blind test and I could barely hear any difference between the Hi-Res [24-48] and the FLAC from the CD. There are some tracks where I could somehow hear a more natural reverb from the bass (in the drumming intro from the first track and the intro from Pushing the Tides) but even then not 100% of the times, so I don't think this Hi-Res version is something to consider.

Album Rating: 3.5

Damn, to me the difference is very apparent.



The guitars sound much deeper and the wall of sound factor is knocked down a couple notches. It's like every instrument is breathing its own life as opposed to everything being meshed together in a treble-heavy mess.

Album Rating: 5.0

I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Pika

So is the whole album saturated with Brann choruses again?

Album Rating: 4.0

Still enjoying this a ton.

Album Rating: 4.5

Sowing you mean you can tell the difference between the Hi res and the Flac version easily aswell? It's not that easy for me. Perhaps another part where it's more apparent is the first chorus of Peace and tranquility, in the hi res it does sound smoother and less trebly.

Btw: Fuck it but this is a 4'5. Sincerely I love this album

Wow this is actually really good.

Album Rating: 4.0

@kevnb Brann has always been a cool drummer. I think the way he interacts with the guitars is great, particularly in anything from/before the Blood Mountain era.

My favorite Brann performance is Call of the Mastodon, that album is just what the fuck.