Can you guess what the update is? Go ahead, make a guess! I’ll even give you a hint. It involves three mouths, four sets of ears, scales, and horns.
Yes! It’s the just-revealed cover art for Mastodon’s next album, The Hunter. It’s not your typical metal-album style of artwork, and it’s not the work of Paul Romano, who was the artist behind all of Mastodon’s previous cover art. Instead, it was created by AJ Fosik, a wood carver who’s also responsible for the backdrop the band uses in their live shows.
I think it’s damned cool, not only in the composition, but also in the use of vivid colors. You can see some of AJ Fosik’s other work at this location. It’s damned cool, too.
Mastodon is currently in Europe for a summer-long tour that includes all the dates on this year’s Sonisphere festival as well as the Rock Im Park, Rock Am Ring, and Roskilde festivals, among others. The band is also scheduled to play a one-off show at The Gorge near Seattle on July 30, with Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, and the venerable Meat Puppets.
Speaking of the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, after the jump we’ve got some quality fan-filmed video of Mastodon’s July 1, 2011 performance there.
A bunch of additional Mastodon Roskilde performance clips can be viewed here.
20 Responses to “MASTODON UPDATE”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
That album cover has ensured that I will never own the album. Just kidding. Mastodon’s boring ass music does that one it’s own.
I realize Mastodon is incredibly popular, and I am 100% sure that they are all excellent musicians who write very thoughtful and interesting music. But, aside from some interesting grooves/riffs/whatever, the songs tend to be very…boring. At least to my ears.
Yeah, i didn’t figure you’d be too enthused about this post. 🙂 The Hunter is supposed to be heavier than Crack the Skye, but it’s not like the band are going to completely morph into something radically different.
I am rather predictable, hunh?
They are already kind of heavy, just very….stonerific?
Yeah, definitely stonerific.
That sir, is blasphemy!
I’ve been waiting for you to weigh in here. 🙂
I’m really liking the cover and twice as anxious for the new album now. The difference in art styles coupled with Brann’s comments on the varied sounds to be expected has me very curious, not to mention those crazy-ass song titles. I expect a very interesting and fun listening experience in The Hunter.
Hahaha!
Forgive us our trespasses, we know not what we do!
Did I get that right?
Ok, I forgive you. You should probably still pray to the Mastogods though, you know, just to be on the safe side.
I’m with you 100%, Phro. This is a band the whole metal realm seems to jizz over, and I have to admit, I just don’t *get* their music. I did like that one, “Colony of Birchmen,” I think it was called, but other than that, the music is so boring and completely lost on me. I feel this exact same way about Clutch.
YES!!!
I’m so glad I’m not alone on this one!
I don’t know who Clutch is, but I agree with you as an expression of solidarity!
I think you missed a trick not naming this post “Mastodupdate”.
Or Mastodonna!
Crap. Mastodupdate would have gone well with the Opeth Opdates. Mastodonna?
Mastodon + Madonna?
That, sir, is blasphemy!
Hey, I’m on a roll!
There’s a special place in my heart for Mastodon. I remember the days when I only listened to them to annoy other people (I was not a metalhead at the time). But slowly, Leviathan grew on me. As I was introduced to metal more and more, I began to fall in love with the genre and Mastodon was my first obsession. Right after I came home from Basic Training I found out the newest album “Crack the Skye” had just been unveiled. I was a rabid follower, lurking every forum about every new piece of info. I remember waiting on iTunes until 4am the night the first song “Divinations” was released. By about 3 I couldn’t stand the wait any longer and had a forum mate from Europe email me the mp3 (it was released there first). I listened to it on repeat for hours. I saw them play that album live twice, once they were headling, the other they were co-headlining with Dethklok.
Those days may be gone for me as my metal tastes have moved elsewhere (though I still own over a weeks worth of Mastodon t-shirts). However I still eagerly anticipate this album, as they seem to top their last album with their newest consistently. I’m expecting this to be a throwback to the days of Remission, but who knows. They always surprise me.
I actually got into Mastodon after I had developed a taste for much more extreme music, and became a complete convert after seeing that Mastodon-Dethklok tour where they played Crack the Skye straight through (only time I’ve gotten to see them live). I’m also looking forward to The Hunter. I’m hoping they’ll have a shirt with this album art on it. 🙂
They better prove they aren’t burnt out. Jonah Hex was a flop.