Thinks that Mastodon on their fifth album "The Hunter" shows that they are one of the big new bands when it comes to progressive rock. Is not a huge fan of their earlier records where they were a bit too hard and unmelodic for my taste, but this album is quite different in several ways.
Certainly there are similarities with their early albums like "Blood Mountain" and "Crack the Skye" as the band continues to deliver dark and relatively aggressive melodies in a personalized format. But quite a lot of the metal is gone and think that it is a positive step forward when talking about commerciality.
Can imagine some of their early fans think that they have become all too melodic and arena soundng. But Mastodon is very far from being a radio hit band as "The Hunter" is a heavy and mysterious album like a Tool meets Deftones meets Porcupine Tree.
Personal favorites are the calmer and magical "Stargasm" and "Thickening", but the tougher "Black Tongue" and "Blasteriod" are also insanely good. However, the album is not a song album, but a 52.54-minute journey that takes its time and attention. You have to give it several spins as it’s pretty complex, but once it’s there you will have a favorite record for sure!
Great album from a band that will reign in many stadiums in years to come!
