Scaling Blood Mountain

Many people rightfully though that it would be impossible for Mastodon to surpass their last concept album, Leviathan. However, their newest release Blood Mountain has everything a Mastodon fan could ever hope for.Blood Mountain is the band’s second concept album, this time based on climbing a mountain. Mastodon bassist Troy Sanders says, “It’s about climbing up a mountain and the different things that can happen to you when you’re stranded on a mountain, in the woods, and you’re lost. You’re starving, hallucinating, running into strange creatures. You’re being hunted. It’s about that whole struggle.” Conceptually, the album is brilliant and Mastodon is one of the few metal bands to experiment with a concept album and succeed with it. The record is not short on cameos either. Joshua Homme lends his vocal support on “Colony of Birchmen,” thus making it a song that any Queens of the Stone Age fan should “drop to their knees for and worship.” In addition, two members of The Mars Volta are featured on Blood Mountain as well as a return visit by Scott Kelly from Neurosis.

Musically, the album leaves nothing to be desired. Blood Mountain is a complete experience of all facets of possible metal sound, from the most straightforward Slayer riffs, such as “The Wolf is Loose” to noise-rock experiments like “Pendulous Skin” where Mastodon sounds like the metal Pink Floyd. This record more than lives up to the standard set by Leviathan, and considering its maturity of arrangement, concept, diversity and cameos it may even surpass it. Blood Mountain is the third full length release by one of the best bands in metal and it is worth the purchase over the download considering Paul A. Romano’s incredible artwork. Will another concept album come from Mastodon? Time will tell if they can add to the stellar repertoire they have just ensured with Blood Mountain.