Ahead of the October 29 release of their highly anticipated eighth studio album Hushed And Grim, Grammy Award-winning Atlanta heavy rock quartet Mastodon present a brand new single, “Sickle And Peace,” which premiered today on New Music Daily with Zane Lowe on Apple Music.
Their first full-length studio work in four years, Hushed And Grim was recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, over the course of the past 12 months with producer David Bottrill (Tool, Rush, Muse, Peter Gabriel). Their most ambitious body of work to date, each of fifteen tracks, survey the sonic landscapes of the band’s vast confluence of influences and inspirations.
An atmosphere of very real loss, loneliness, and longing permeate through the trio of cathartic vocals as they musically say goodbye to an old friend, confidant, and long-time manager the late Nick John by architecting an affecting, intense body of work that bears the influence of his eternal memory.
Founded in Atlanta, GA during 2000 by Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds (guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (guitar) and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals), Mastodon continue to chart their own course through their highly successful music career. The group have unleashed a series of influential albums, with Rolling Stone notably citing 2004’s Leviathan on its coveted ‘100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.’
Meanwhile, 2009’s Crack The Skye featured on numerous year-end lists by everyone from TIME to SPIN. They delivered three consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with The Hunter (2011), Once More ‘Round the Sun (2014), and Emperor of Sand (2017). “Sultan’s Curse” notably garnered their first Grammy Award in the category of Best Metal Performance.
Hushed And Grim represents the next step on Mastodon’s endless path of natural evolution. By removing boundaries and creating in a free form they evolved with a combination of newfound melodic confidence and their signature musical intricacy intact. In the end, Hushed And Grim is hard-hitting, hypnotic, and heart-wrenching. More than ever before, Mastodon continue to be one of the most influential forces in modern rock music.
Listen to “Sickle and Peace” below:
Pre-order Hushed and Grim here.
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