THOUGHTS ON: MASTODON - HUSHED AND GRIM

Sinner Get Ready is tied.

Fuck. I didn't think I'd be as into this album as I was. Believe me, I was wary of the collaborations and it being a double album, I know they'd always talked about not being sure of doing one. I went in excited, but not completely over the moon. I thought I was prepared, and I still got my fucking face melted and my heart broken. I don't say this lightly, but I think Mastodon have finally... truly surpassed what's often been considered their very best work. If you could say that. If anything, they raised their own bar enormously high. I didn't know exactly how possible that was considering the vast, dense musicality of "the big four" and 2017's Emperor of Sand. 

Yes, I'm serious. This is an absolute triumph. Some may argue it's bloated, too "mid-tempo," it's not "sludgy" enough as a certain melon has griped on their more recent material. You can think that. It's ok. I feel otherwise. This is a lumbering, overwhelming behemoth of music. It is a haunting reflection of grief, loss, and terror of the world around us and it is exceptional. This is not for everybody and I am completely fine with that. It's not a cheery record. There's no fun to be had here, and it's easily their darkest yet. This is something I can easily see the vast majority of people greatly misunderstanding, not connecting with. While there's accessibility here, this has far more going against it if we're talking commercial success. This will be no Emperor, I can't see this winning a Grammy but it will certainly be one of their most celebrated in the years to come. I could see people being polarized on it, and I understand why it wouldn't be immediately grasped. This is a band that's always been a step ahead of the majority of people listening to them. The most similar band I can compare them to is Deftones. Deftones have always been ahead of the curve, always consistent. If they're experimenting a-la Gore or Saturday Night Wrist, people are quick to bitch about it despite those two albums being their absolute BEST.

Hushed and Grim shares a spot with Blood Mountain in my book. While it's not exactly a casual listen, it's a slow, methodical burn of a record with no filler. The album's main dynamic contains blistering heaviness and graceful instrumentation. Much akin to their peers in Opeth, soaring passages and immaculate hooks contrast gorgeously with crushing, monstrous riffage. However, where Opeth would carry songs on for 8, upwards of 15 minutes, Mastodon favor breaking these sections up into more palatable (if you could say that) 5-6 minute chunks. Tracks like More Than I Could Chew, Sickle and Peace, and Skeleton of Splendor were pleasant surprises. The intensity of More Than I Could Chew makes for an absolute standout moment The colossal chorus of Sickle, combined with a jazzier verse and one of Troy Sander's best vocal performances on the record brings so much weight to the themes of the music. You definitely feel the impending doom, the frailty of mortality is brought front and center in the track. One of my most anticipated tracks was Skeleton of Splendor, and the wait was more than worth it. I managed to hear the acoustic version they performed earlier this year and the atmosphere, loftiness, and studio polish that's been delivered here is exceptional.

If there's literally ANY "complaint" I might have here, and this is very minor, I didn't pick up on the overall concept in the lyrics. The band has spoken a number of times of the record being about what happens in the afterlife, in response to the passing of longtime friend and manager Nick John from pancreatic cancer in 2018. A cruel tragedy in the midst of an album cycle that dealt with the hardships of cancer and loss as well in Emperor of Sand, with personal tragedies and struggles from the four band members stemming the inspiration for that record as well. In Hushed, the mythos goes: when you die, your soul is formed into a tree, and you live out your last year on the earth through all four seasons and reflect on your life over that calendar year. After the year is up, you become one with the universe and go into whatever great beyond is out there. However, this is completely inessential to feel the urgency, emotion, and themes on the album. The concept doesn't need to be here at all times to make the themes known. This has been a long-running thing with the band. While they might drift from the blueprint at times, unless there's a clear-cut story like on Crack the Skye or Leviathan, this doesn't lessen the impact of the music by ANY means. This isn't an uncommon thing for the band to do, it could be argued that Blood Mountain does this "detouring" as well.

This album was more than worth the wait, I can't WAIT to see them live again. What a fucking album. What an emotional, dense listen. A stunning tribute to their beloved friend. This may not have been what I expected, but it's exactly what THEY needed. This album had to happen and holy hell, did they bring it this time around. I'm so fucking down with this you have no idea.

10/10

VERY FAVORITE TRACKS IF I HAD TO REALLY JUST PICK A SELECT FEW: MORE THAN I COULD CHEW, SKELETON OF SPLENDOR, PAIN WITH AN ANCHOR, DAGGER, HAD IT ALL, GOBBLERS OF DREGS, EYES OF SERPENTS

LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: [ITEM(S) NOT FOUND]

Albums of the year as of 10/29/2021, no specific order:

Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready

Mastodon - Hushed and Grim

Backxwash - I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses

Lil Nas X - Montero

Alessandro Cortini - Scuro Chiaro