The Hunter

by Mastodon

Overview

On 2011's The Hunter, Mastodon abandoned the proggy, conceptual route taken on previous outings, choosing instead to mine the trailblazing, riff-heavy abandon of their 2004 masterpiece, Leviathan. Mastodon's increasingly accessible sound may not land them a hit anytime soon, but cuts like "Black Tongue," "Curl of the Burl," and "Balsteroid," all of which arrive in sequence at the front of the set, show a willingness to write within the parameters of 21st century pop music's dark side. That's not to say that the band has pulled its head out of the vastness of space, as there are more than enough tracks here to satisfy fans who prefer the sludgy, drop-D epics of yore to the more organized roar of The Hunter's front end. Fueled by Brann Dailor's jazzy, machine-gun drumming, songs like "Octopus Has No Friends," "All the Heavy Lifting," and "Bedazzled Fingernails," despite coming in at under five minutes, are epically arranged, and the surprisingly hummable, bass melody-led swamp monster anthem "Creature Lives" sounds like a Sabbathy, Lovecraftian take on Jane's Addiction's "Summertime Rolls." The closest Hunter comes to reaching an apex is on the breathless "Spectrelight," a relentless three-minute slab of pure unadulterated fury that will probably clock in at around a minute and half live, but it's an album that doesn't really need to peak, as it never promises a thing it can't back up, boldly and loudly. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/04/2011
Label:	Roadrunner Records
UPC:	0016861767525
Rank:	47508

Tracks

1. Black Tongue
2. Curl of the Burl
3. Blasteroid
4. Stargasm
5. Octopus Has No Friends
6. All the Heavy Lifting
7. The Hunter
8. Dry Bone Valley
9. Thickening
10. Creature Lives
11. Spectrelight
12. Bedazzled Fingernails
13. The Sparrow

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mastodon   Primary Artist
Troy Sanders   Bass,Vocals
Bill Kelliher   Guitar
Brent Hinds   Guitar,Vocals
David Palmer   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Dave Palmer   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Will Raines   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Rich Morris   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Scott Kelly   Vocals
Brann Dailor   Drums,Vocals

Technical Credits

Brann Dailor   Group Member
Nick DiDia   Recording
Troy Sanders   Group Member
Mastodon   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Bill Kelliher   Group Member
Mike Elizondo   Producer
Doug Hill   Recording,Vocal Engineer
Brent Hinds   Group Member
Adam Hawkins   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Tom Tapley   Mixing
Brent Arrowood   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Frank Maddocks   Creative Director
Xavier Ramos   Marketing
Donny Phillips   Design,Art Direction
Nick Haussling   Project Coordinator
Alicia J. Rose   Photography
Casey Howard   Illustrations
Norman Wonderly   Creative Director
A.J. Fosik   Sculpture
Alex Eremin   Assistant Engineer
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Scott Kelly   Composer,Lyricist