Mastodon - Once More Round the Sun - Music & Performance - CD

2014 release from the Metal monsters. Art is a cyclical beast. The same can easily be said of Grammy Award nominated Hard Rock juggernaut Mastodon. The group's four members recognize the importance of life's omnipresent cycles on their sixth full-length album, ONCE MORE 'ROUND THE SUN. The band orbits around themes of loss and rebirth, twirling a sonic spiral of it's signature robust riffing, hypnotically haunting sound atmospheres, triage of dynamic voices, and thundering seismic grooves. The very title says something slightly different for each member. Quite literally, ONCE MORE 'ROUND THE SUN means a year-in-the-life, explains Dailor. Lyrically, we were discussing things that happened to US recently, whereas in the past we looked further back for inspiration. It's about 365 days in this band. It was a tough and strange journey. We happened to be in the middle of completing a full rotation musically as everything else was going on.

Given the title of its sixth release, it's fair to wonder if Mastodon is hinting at 2011's The Hunter or its back catalog. Many of the tracks on Once More 'Round the Sun dig into the band's seemingly inexhaustible bag of monstrous riffs and wonderfully fractured motifs. That said, as a collective, they unapologetically explore the more polished and accessible songwriting and performing craft found on The Hunter. This set marks a fork in the road where Mastodon evolves once more, to cross over from metal's angular, sludgy power to adrenaline-fueled, hook-laden, hard rock. The album was produced by Nick Raskulinecz, best known for his work with Foo Fighters and Rush. The sound Mastodon pursues here draws inspiration from the '70s, without remotely being an exercise in nostalgia. There is one notable exception; it's deliberate and obvious: "The High Road" boasts unapolgeting Thin Lizzy worship, albeit ambitiously updated. (Who better?) Its verse/riff structure weds Lynott's rhythmic sensibility to Mastodon's dynamic aggression. The anthemic chorus melody and harmonies, and twinned lead guitar roar, were trademarked by Lizzy's Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham long ago. "Chimes at Midnight" is intense, fueled by a mammoth chugging riff. It lets the "drop D" freak flag fly, with a near-shouted vocal, harmonic chorus, and spacey six-string interludes. "The Motherload," with its swaggering guitar heroics, is a wound-out yet nearly hummable prog melody, with a relentless bass and snare attack. "Aunt Lisa," with its knotty guitar intro, contains processed vocals, a series of rising and falling key changes, and the Coathangers guesting -- cheerleader style -- in a chanted vocal chorus ￃﾃￂﾠ la Faith No More's "Be Aggressive!" There are also some substantive guitar pyrotechnics in the extended solos in "Halloween" and "Ember City," which, due to their imagination and focus, add dimension to them as songs. "Diamond in the Witch House" is a sprawling, nearly eight-minute closing jam. Neurosis' Scott Kelly and his menacing growl guest as it lumbers, trudges, and lurches ever forward (longtime fans will likely dig this). Once More 'Round the Sun furthers what Mastodon began on The Hunter: expanding their music past metal's rigid borders -- even with its many subgenres -- toward an integrative hard rock that doesn't leave metal out. The songwriting, playing, and production here are inspired, kinetic, and far more accessible than ever before. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

Performer	Mastodon
Music genre	Rock
Music subgenre	Rock
Music release type	Release
Media format	CD
Original release date	2014
Edition	Standard
Language	English
Is collectible	Y
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Series title	Mastodon - Once More Round the Sun [CD]
Track listing	Tread Lightly, The Motherload, High Road, Once More 'Round the Sun, Chimes at Midnight, Asleep in the Deep, Feast Your Eyes, Aunt Lisa, Ember City, Halloween, Diamond in the Witch House
Record label	Warner Records
Songwriter	songwriter
Track name	Diamond In The Witch House, High Road, The Motherload, Asleep In The Deep, Aunt Lisa, Ember City, Once More 'Round The Sun, Feast Your Eyes, Halloween, Chimes At Midnight, Tread Lightly
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N