It's finally here, the follow-up to Mastodon's acclaimed 2004 release Leviathan, and the band's major label debut on Reprise/Warner Music Group. Blood Mountain is a fantastic metal release from a band that is just thriving with creativity right now. While it's still early to judge whether Blood Mountain is as groundbreaking an album as Leviathan was, it's certainly a continuation, as well as a departure, from the sounds heard on that stellar album.
For one, Blood Mountain is less brutal than either of its predecessors, which for many might indicate the dreaded "sellout" since signing the major label deal. It's not that the songs here are not heavy-they certainly are. The vocals of bassist Troy Sanders and guitarist Brent Hinds are just more melodic and less gruff this time around. Whereas in the past these two bridged the gap between brutal hardcore and growling death metal, on Blood Mountain the norm is mostly gravelly rock and metal styles, certainly more melodic than ever. Musically, the band is more complex and more progressive than we have heard them previously. We all saw this coming on Leviathan, but the band has definitely dug deep into their prog roots here. Just listen to the amazing interplay on "Capillarian Crest", a wild romp through dizzying guitar patterns, speedy, bone crunching riffs, and blistering drum fills. The crusher "The Wolf is Loose" could easily have come off of Remission or Leviathan, and along with "Cycle of Cysquatch" are two of the more brutal pieces here, with rampaging riffs and Brann Dailor's mesmerizing drum work. Weaving guitar lines from Hinds and Bill Kelliher run rampant throughout "Bladecatcher", a sort of King Crimson-meets-The Dillinger Escape Plan romp that is a real winner save for some annoying blurred vocals which sound really out of place. Other highlights include the thick guitar sludge of "Hunters of the Sky", the shuffling tempo of "Hand of Stone", the dreamy yet complex prog of "This Mortal Soil", and the mix of melodic and harsh tones on the atmospheric "Siberian Divide".
The band's hard core fans might have issues with a song like the closing track "Pendulous Skin", which is a very psychedelic, progressive piece, very much in the style of Pink Floyd. It's just another example of the avenues that Mastodon takes on this latest album. While there seems to be a shortage of those "killer riff monster" songs that were in abundance on their first two albums, this one definitely is more intricate, more daring, more progressive, and more varied. Is it better? That's for the listener to decide. Some may say the band has softened since signing their big deal, but overall there's a good possibility that Mastodon will expand their audience a great deal with Blood Mountain.
Track Listing
1. The Wolf Is Loose
2. Crystal Skull
3. Sleeping Giant
4. Capillarian Crest
5. Circle Of Cysquatch
6. Bladecatcher
7. Colony Of Birchmen
8. Hunters Of The Sky
9. Hand Of Stone
10. This Mortal Soil
11. Siberian Divide
12. Pendulous Skin
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