By Jonah Ruddock
Mastodon’s latest work, the richly unconventional Medium Rarities, was released on September 11th. This diverse compilation album includes covers, instrumentals, and live versions, showcasing the sludge metal band’s versatility. The sixteen tracks are arranged in such a way that each song is distinctly different from those following and preceding them, causing the album to be endlessly interesting. Mastodon formed in Atlanta in 2000 and consists of guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher, bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor.
It opens with the fast-paced single ‘Fallen Torches’, which Kerrang called “a heroic attempt to salvage 2020.” Featuring additional vocals from Scott Kelly of Neurosis, it is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, with charging riffs and a wild outro. The song grinds to a halt halfway through, gradually building up again to the thrilling chorus with an added degree of eeriness. It’s a promising first song, and will leave you optimistic for the rest of the album.
‘Fallen Torches’ is followed by the more introspective ‘A Commotion’, a Feist cover. Where the original is tentative and flimsy, the cover simmers with a quiet intensity. The verses have a portentous feel to them before they spring into the punk-like chorus, guitars wailing in the background with a sinister edge. To cover an indie pop song seems an odd choice, but Mastodon does not disappoint. It has the quality of a medieval fantasy novel. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that the album also sports a Game of Thrones cover. ‘White Walker’, a slow, haunting song, exhibits Dailor’s remarkable vocal prowess. It has a melancholy guitar solo comparable to the one in Pantera’s ‘The Sleep.’ The poignant harmonies dredge up a kaleidoscope of emotions, including awe, sadness, and foreboding.
The absurdity of the band covering a Feist song dulls the shock of the alternative rock cover that comes two tracks later. In ‘A Spoonful Weighs A Ton’, originally by The Flaming Lips, Dailor emulates Wayne Coyne’s unusual singing style while adding a more determined feel to this sad but hopeful song. With an intro that sounds like something off a Muppets CD, a verse reminiscent of early punk, and a surprising chorus, it’s a jarring yet enjoyable contrast to the rest of the songs on the album.
Mastodon’s cover of ‘Cut You Up With a Linoleum Knife’ from Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theater shows that the band has not lost their sense of humor. It includes the comedic lines, “If I see you videotaping this movie/ Satan will rain down your throat with hot acid/ And dissolve your testicles/ And turn your guts into snakes.” Aside from having hilarious lyrics, it’s also a smashing song with a charging tempo, splendidly rough vocals, and a roaring guitar solo at the end. The last cover of the album is Metallica’s ‘Orion’, which they’ve done well by. They mainly stayed true to the original version, since there’s not much room for improvement with a tune like that.
The live versions are by far the most exciting part. From the dizzying guitar riffs of ‘Crystal Cysquatch’ to the beautifully brutal ‘Iron Trusk’, they will engulf you and leave you reeling with adrenaline. There are six in total, all from the 2006 album Blood Mountain or the 2004 album Leviathan. They provide the heavier vocals that the covers were lacking, along with the classic Mastodon sound. ‘Capillarian Crest’ has a bassline like a horde of Mongols riding across the steppe, and ‘Blood and Thunder’ is almost impossible to not sing along to. ‘Crystal Skull’ just might be the pinnacle of the album, with its unique intro, harsh vocals, and awe-inspiring guitar lines that sweep you away with their energy.
The album is sprinkled with impressive instrumentals, exemplifying the prog rock side of the band. The first is ‘Asleep in the Deep’ from their 2014 album Once More ‘Round the Sun. It’s complex and immersive, if a bit repetitive, and will leave you spell-bound. Also from Once More ‘Round the Sun comes ‘Halloween’, my personal favorite instrumental on the album and one I plan to blast this October 31st in lieu of actually trick-or-treating. Bursting with personality, this is a song just as energetic without vocals as with them. The music comes in tidal waves, with themes recycled and revitalized throughout the course of the track. There are even a few masterful guitar solos thrown in to complete the controlled chaos of this song.
From Emperor of Sand and almost eight minutes in duration, ‘Jaguar God’ is even longer than Troy Sanders’ beard. It’s worth every second. It’s enchanting and sounds like it would fit right in on a video game soundtrack. This rich, layered song will make your mind drift to other worlds, and, even better, it ends with a gorgeous guitar solo. ‘Toes to Toes’ is from their 2017 EP Cold Dark Place, released a few months after their album Emperor of Sand. It has a brighter tone than the rest of the collection, bringing to mind more images of dancing in the grass than of gruesome torture. It highlights Mastodon’s talent for composing and will test your composure as you struggle not to headbang to it while on your Zoom calls.
‘Atlanta’ was written with the Butthole Surfers, and features their frontman Gibby Haynes on vocals. This genre-bending track hosts some interesting new sounds (including one that sounds like a zipper being loudly undone), a brief rap, and a short soliloquy by a man with a Southern accent. The effect is a confusing and unexpected song that is altogether a bop. It strays far from Mastodon’s normal sound, but it’s weirdness just might make you love it.
Medium Rarities once again shows why Mastodon is one of the most popular metal bands in contemporary music. It’s an exhibition of Mastodon’s creativity over the past twenty years, featuring surprisingly good covers, exhilarating live versions, and skillfully wrought instrumentals that are definitely worth a listen.
