Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Mastodon have had a long career that has seen each album bring them more acclaim and popularity. While just a few years ago they were unknown to many metal fans they have since exploded, sharing stages with some of the biggest names in the genre, becoming themselves an act to admire and aspire towards.

And now they have the chance to prove themselves once again as titans of modern metal with their latest album Once More ‘Round The Sun, which follows 2011’s fantastic release The Hunter. But does this release showcase their gargantuan strengths or does it falter, crumbling and collapsing across the land? Find out below!

The album opens with “Tread Lightly”, easing the listener in with twanging, psychedelic 12-string guitars, very much influenced by Oriental or Middle Eastern styles. What was hypnotic quickly turns into a monstrous beast of pure adrenalized rock. Huge and expansive, the song utilizes strong vocal harmonies and and shred-tastic guitar solo to create a perfect opening track, one that outlines precisely what people are going to be in store for.

“The Motherload” moves a bit faster and makes use of crazy guitar effects while maintaining an attitude that will get crowds entirely riled up at concerts. Meanwhile, the title track “Once More ‘Round The Sun” sounds like a mash of Mastodon with Foo Fighters, further solidifying the knowledge that these guys are embracing and flaunting their love of rock.

A personal favorite of mine was “Chimes At Midnight”, which features vicious and badass riffing, becoming a menacingly heavy track. It is followed by “Asleep In The Deep”, a strangely romantic – in a gothic way – track that reminded me of Tod Browning’s Dracula. “Aunt Lisa” opens with a riff that will put a smile on the face of any fan of King Crimson but then takes a sharp, Faith No More-esque turn by having cheerleader chants of “Hey! Ho! Let’s fucking go! Hey! Ho! Let’s get up and rock and roll!”

The following two tracks, “Ember City” and “Halloween”, have some truly entertaining usages of panning and auditory space. The former has an opening guitar riff that I immediately fell in love with while the latter gets angry and heavy.

The closer, “Diamond In The Witch House”, opens with an acoustic, hearkening back to the opening of the album. Then it becomes menacingly methodical, plodding almost like some militaristic march. It closes Once More ‘Round The Sun on a dark, morose note.

By the end of the album, I felt like I had listened to something that was carefully and thoughtfully pored over. Each song flows consistently into the next, creating a dynamic musical journey that thrills, terrifies, and excites. In short, Once More ‘Round The Sun is an absolute joy to listen to.

The Final Word: Mastodon has constantly and consistently grown into a new beast with each release and Once More ‘Round The Sun is no exception to that rule. While the band may no longer sound like some massive prehistoric colossal beast thundering and lumbering its way across the landscape, they have instead evolved into a far more deadly and clever creature, one that is conniving and vicious, thirsting for blood. For those of you who fear this change, I assure you that they still have that giant beast nestled deep within their breast, pumping the same blood that you’ve loved from the very beginning.