Mastodon
Once More 'Round the Sun

Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist

Since their Paleolithic and rugged debut album, Mastodon have continuously evolved, trading aggression in vocals for more melodic deliveries. "Leviathan" was a solid stepping stone into the world of sludge, something that Blood Mountain lifted to a higher level by introducing prog elements and technical prowess. "Crack the Skye" and "The Hunter" took a turn towards more psychedelic trips, something that Once More Round the Sun explores in greater detail. The result is a highly focused, consistent and accessible album that loses very little of the technicality and signature sound they managed to create over the course of 12 years.

While accessibility is the keyword here, the album still blasts a constant wave of energy for nearly an entire hour. There's a plethora of crushing riffs and solos that resurrect the nature of their live performances, with "Feast Your Eyes" and the title track emulating a persistent switch from sludge to raging doom in instrumentation. There's very little room for any slow burners, but tracks like "Asleep in the Deep" halt the album's momentum, allowing the listener to take a much needed breather before resuming the adrenaline-filled roller-coaster ride. Tracks like "The Motherload" and "Ember City" boast some of the band's catchiest and most captivating deliveries, while "Diamond in the Witch House" and "Tread Lightly" display monolithic appearances that traverse slightly more desolate landscapes.

That said, there's a preeminent and all-round improvement after "The Hunter" - the vocals sound richer and the instrumentation is more complex, without compromising the fun. The atmosphere resembles the Mastodon of the old fusing the poppy singing of the new, creating a modern take on their vintage signature sound. It's far more rewarding listening to the album as a whole: "High Road" and "Chimes at Midnight" sound better in context than as singles, while the flow is visceral as the record progresses through the psychedelic and the heavy without losing an ounce of focus.

By the time Mastodon bring the album to a halt, you realize this is an all-killer, no-filler. The consistency is admirable, though it often leads the audience feeling a sense of void. With no specific track that stands out, it's easy to get lost in this journey, because most of the songs appear to be sonically and structurally similar. However, that doesn't affect the quality of the record, which is aided by the crispy production and excellent song writing from beginning to end. In fact, it amplifies the evidence that Mastodon are far more complete and experienced musicians than 10 years ago. It might seem inappropriate to associate a metal band to a soft alcoholic drink, but the quartet are very similar to good wine - their music aged well and leaves you with a more delicious taste than the one you first experienced a decade ago.

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3.6 great

Rank: #0 for 2014