Overview
Today I am listening to Mastodon’s third studio album “Blood Mountain”, released September 12, 2006 from Reprise Records. This album features their singles “Crystal Skull”, “Capillarian Crest”, “The Wolf is Loose”, and also “Colony of Birchmen”. It is a solid progressive metal album that you can listen to many times and always notice something new.
Song Analysis
Starting off the album, “The Wolf is Loose” begins with some crazy drums and jumps right into distorted guitars and chaotic vocals. The guitar melody lining up with the singing is pretty pleasing. the guitars and the drums in the middle sound crazy, they feed off of each other so well. This song ends with insane drums and a catchy riff.
I love the beginning of “Crystal Skull”, the different percussion instruments I am hearing are enjoyable. It is pleasing to hear the way it transitions to the punishing riffs and vocals bursting forth. The lyrics are so fascinating:
Guide a truth
Prevail and ride
Into the black hole
Searching for crystal
Making the veins bleed
The source of consciousness
Alive”
The words make me imagine some weird sci-fi space universe that is heavily influenced by modern day spirituality. We are led out of the song with some shredding guitar followed by a gnarly riff featured throughout the song.
“Sleeping Giant” begins in a pretty chill instrumental manner with the unique percussive themes layered in with their normal instruments. The vocals slowly join in in a pretty relaxed manner compared to other Mastodon songs. There are nice instrumental themes through the middle of the song that match with the themes in the introduction. I love the sounds of the two guitars together, one often sounds so bright while the other one is heavily distorted. I enjoy how the ending words of the song are basically spoken and it is interrupted with the arpeggiated guitars. We are led out of the song with the sounds of distorted guitars.
Opening with very catchy riffs, “Capillarian Crest” sounds so neat. The beginning words are so catchy the way they are sung, “Capillarian gone away”. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean though. Half way through there are a lot of different instrumental sections where they are totally just jamming out together. Everything fits so well together, the chaos every member brings to the table is highly compatible.
“Circle of Cysquatch” has an intense initial riff that repeats, soon to be joined in by everyone else. There is this interesting effect on the vocals where the words are:
Eyes all around you
Enter the labyrinth
Visions of the hunted
Beware the birchmen”
What is that effect? It sounds like it is supposed to be a spirit communicating with the listener. Toward the end we are hit with some heavy chugging riffs which fade away as the song shifts to the next one.
An instrumental track, “Bladecatcher” has such a beautiful opening intro with appregiated guitar, which transitions into chaotic drums and this very weird sound that I have no idea how to describe. This track has a lot of different shifts in the composition, it really feels like a piece of art to observe and not so much analyze (like I am doing now hahaha).
“Colony of Birchmen” begins with guitar riffs that really hook in the listener. It follows such interesting rhythms throughout the song. Around half way through, there is an instrumental break that urges you to bob you head, despite the challenge of keeping up with the changing rhythms. The song ends by the guitars fading out into mild distortion.
Filled with nice layers of guitars and bass is how “This Mortal Soil” begins. This slowly transitions into melodic guitar and a nice drum rhythms, it has such a moving sound. The vocals join in, singing very slowly the words:
Floating in red again
A deepened soil
Nothing
Empty cup
Trade not known”
I enjoy the contrast of the different styles of the vocalists, it’s enjoyable hearing all of the switches as they transition between each other. This song ends with some weird noises that transition into the next song very well.
“Siberian Divide” starts with the haunting melody of the guitar. The drum beat becomes full when they vocals join in. The song alternates between a chill and chaotic vibe. There are tons of shifts in the composition that it can be difficult to keep up with. We are led out of the song with some high pitched vocal sounds that can be heard a few different times in this song.
Finishing the album, “Pendulous Skin” has a beautiful and strong acoustic introduction, layered with some unique synth sounds, which eventually join with other instruments and vocals. After half way through there is a nice and sultry solo. Toward the end I hear some keys, and we are led out of the album with delay heavy guitar, definitely a rock vibe.
Final Thoughts
It was great to hear this album again, I cannot remember the last time I listened to it straight through. How do you feel about this album?