No one doubts that Atlanta’s Mastodon is one of the best and biggest metal bands on the current scene. They have consistently put out engaging and complex music for their entire career, music that manages to be at once brutal, melodic, and thematically cohesive. However their past few studio releases have slowly shifted away from the bludgeoning aggression that made their initial run so gripping, towards a more mainstream sound that can fit (maybe, slightly) on the radio. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not bad stuff. Like I said, Mastodon is one of the best metal bands going, and their recent stuff is no exception. It just hasn’t been as heavy as the first half of their career.

Last year, the band released the compilation Medium Rarities, which rounded up unreleased tracks and stray live cuts from throughout their career. The included material is much more of a piece with their early stuff than the polished constructions of late. In a word, it’s raw. This made me wonder if the band was turning back to their roots, getting in touch with the aggression that made them belles of the headbanger’s ball. 

This brings us to Hushed and Grim, their newest LP – a double album, no less. Inspired by the death of their longtime manager from cancer, it is a rumination on death and remembrance. Mastodon is no stranger to concept albums; in fact, almost every record they’ve ever put out has a unifying theme. They’ve never done one that’s so long, however, but all in all the double album format gives them time to stretch out, incorporate almost every facet of themselves, and put together a fantastic return to form.

The metal world is obsessed with sub-genre classification, and Mastodon has had lots of labels thrown at them over the years. Sludge metal, psychedelic metal, alternative metal, even hard rock – but I think the best term that encapsulates everything is progressive metal. It’s a broad term, but their knotty riffs, syncopated drumming, experimental song structures, and cerebral lyrics fit them perfectly into the genre, in a way that’s much more satisfying than the pseudo-”classical” wankery of Dream Theater and their ilk. Hushed and Grim exemplifies this by incorporating all the above signifiers into a unified whole. 

The album’s mood, as the title implies, is serious and somber. It opens with a drumroll into “Pain with an Anchor,” which demonstrates that they aren’t abandoning melodicism, just using it to more effectively further their musical goals. One of the best aspects of the band is their use of 3 vocalists. Bassit Troy Sanders’ voice goes from a bellow to a thunderous roar. Lead guitarist Brent Hinds sings in a craggy voice that reminds me of grunge, and drummer Brann Dailor has very clean, soaring pipes. Their interplay contributes greatly to the shifting tones of the songs and their lyrics, enhancing the epic feel that the best metal should provide. Third track “Sickle and Peace” is a good example, with Dailor’s voice echoing through the canyons of the guitars to deliver the hook.

The second half begins with “Peace and Tranquility,” which hits with a riff as fast and viscous as anything they’ve ever done. It’s a great kick in the pants to pull you back in toward the back half. “Had It All” is an actual ballad, and “Gigantium” closes it all out on a suitably epic note.

Admittedly, it’s not a perfect album. As a double release, there’s certainly tracks that could have been cut. Many of the songs are mid-tempo, which isn’t a bad thing, but if you aren’t actively listening they could blur together in grey waves. However, this same quality makes it ripe for repeat listenings, and I look forward to revisiting it more in the future. I’m sure it will reveal more moments that tickle my fancy as I part the twists and turns of the compositions. It’s also not the best way to discover Mastodon if you’ve never gotten into them. I think one needs some context to appreciate how this album references their back catalogue, and it’s not a showcase for their primal might like Leviathan, their full technical ambition like Crack the Skye, or even their best commercial effort that is The Hunter.

That said, Hushed and Grim is a perfect consolidation of everything Mastodon can do, a treat for fans and a fitting tribute to their departed friend. I can’t help but feel that this marks the start of Phase Three of their career, one in which their well-earned clout and maturity will push them to take more chances with their music, a sort of mirror image of the hungry band that rose out of the pits at the turn of the millennium. If you like metal, give it a spin, and keep rocking on.

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