Mastodon
- GENRE: progressive metal, sludge metal
- COUNTRY: USA
Mastodon is something above our earthy metal labels – they are one of the last bands to have changed the course of the genre. For years, wholly their own, they don’t belong to any single scene, and they’ve been writing songs equally heavy-hitting and hit-heavy, and ambitious as hell at that. Sludge, prog, something else entirely? Yup, that’s them – a whole spectrum of colour.
History:
Mastodon was formed in 2000 in Atlanta by Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, Troy Sanders, and Brent Hinds. The band continued with an unchanged line-up for a quarter of a century. From the beginning, they stood out with their blend of sludge’s heaviness with the exacting songwriting and progressive structures that imbued their music with epicness, their nonchalant playing style notwithstanding. Their debut album, Remission, caught the attention of the metal underground, but it was only with their sophomore record, the 2004 Leviathan – a concept album inspired by Moby Dick – that the band reached the higher echelons of fame. Their subsequent records, such as Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye in particular, solidified their reputation as an ambitious, piercing and multilayered band – one that does not record the same material twice. With time, they began developing a more approachable iteration of their style, as evident on The Hunter and, in particular, Once More ‘Round the Sun, though still keeping to the progressive mode. Today, they are counted among the most important contemporary metal bands. In 2025, one of the co-founders, Brent Hinds, departed the band and died not long after in a motorcycle accident. The band continues as a three-piece.
Discography:
LP:
Remission, 2002
Leviathan, 2004
Blood Mountain, 2006
Crack the Skye, 2009
The Hunter, 2011
Once More ‘Round the Sun, 2014
Emperor of Sand, 2017
Hushed and Grim, 2021
EP:
Slick Leg, 2001
Lifesblood, 2001
March of the Fire Ants, 2003
Oblivion EP, 2009
Jonah Hex: Revenge Gets Ugly EP, 2010
Crack the Skye – Abridged, 2010
Cold Dark Place, 2017
Demo:
9 Song Demo, 2000
Demo 2001, 2001
Singles:
Iron Tusk, 2004
Blood & Thunder, 205
Crystal Skull, 2006
Capillarian Crest, 2006
The Wolf Is Loose, 2006
Colony of Birchmen, 2007
Divinations, 2009
Oblivion, 2009
Just Got Paid / The Bit, 2010
Black Tongue, 2011
Curl of the Burl, 2011
Dry Bone Valley, 2012
High Road, 2014
Chimes at Midnight, 2014
The Motherload, 2014
Atlanta, 2015
Asleep in the Deep, 2015
White Walker, 2016
Toe to Toes, 2017
Stairway to Nick John, 2019
Forged by Neron, 2021
Fallen Torches, 2021
Teardrinker (Acoustic Version), 2022
Splits:
Mastodon / American Heritage, 2003 (z American Heritage)
Mastodon / High on Fire, 2003 (z High on Fire)
The Dillinger Escape Plan / Mastodon / The End, 2004 (z The Dillinger Escape Plan i The End)
Mastodon / Avenged Sevenfold, 2005 (z Avenged Sevenfold)
Mastodon / Deftones, 2007 (z Deftones)
Just Got Paid, 2011 (z ZZ Top)
A Spoonful Weighs a Ton, 2012 (z The Flaming Lips)
Feistodon, 2012 (z Feist)
2014 Tour Sampler, 2014 (z Gojira i Kvelertak)
Live albums:
Live at the Aragon, 2011
Live at Brixton, 2013
Compilations:
Call of the Mastodon, 2006
Crack the Skye / Blood Mountain, 2012
Medium Rarities, 2020
Cooperation:
Floods of Triton, 2024 (z Lamb of God)