with aggressive, sludgy vocals. Blood Mountain brought relentless exploration of guitar textures, packed with searing runs, time changes and noise experiments, as well as bringing in more vocal clarity over the usual roar. Crack the Skye ploughed elaborate and eloquent heavy ideas into seven tracks and 50 minutes, making for an absorbing, fascinating and singular listen. So what does The Hunter achieve?
Mastodon may have discovered a lightness of touch not afforded them before but fans of the band’s behemoth-sized riffage won’t find themselves disappointed, either…
It comes down to this, according to Brann: “The Hunter represents a new lease on life for the band and a continuation of what we’ve been doing for the last twelve years. It’s a record that’s a vehicle for us to keep going as human beings and keep things interesting for ourselves.” For a band 12 years into their career, and having already gone through so much together, it’s to be expected that the support group they have is each other and their music. When asked what it is that keeps them positive on the road, Brann’s answer is touching and honest.
“Getting up onstage with my friends and playing a good show,” he says,
without hesitation. “We don’t fight that much, but if someone gets really drunk and fucks up, and it’s all forgotten somehow. We’ll just play a great show and if we’re sick of being on the road, that’s what it’ll all be about. It’s totally worth it. We’re addicted to that. I miss my family, my wife and my dog but I’m doing the most fun thing in the world, every day. If you were constantly on vacation, you’d get sick of it at some point and want to go home you know? But if I was stuck at home too long I’d get bored too. It’s the mind of a touring musician. You’re either home for too long or gone for too long.”
Which may explain the restlessness of Mastodon’s music. Removing one of
the key expectations for both themselves and their fans, a grand overarching idea to hang the album onto, has meant a more enjoyable process for themselves that translates to the music itself. In relaxing their approach, they’ve crafted their least demanding record –this is Mastodon at their most comfortable and excelling even outside of their wide boundaries. And if it affords them the time, emotion and energy they need to spend on other things without compromising on the music they’ve made, then it’s almost certainly their best and healthiest record yet. PM
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