Many think of Heavy Metal or any of the subgenres like Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, Sludge Metal, Serbian Turbo-Folk Metal and the like as an acquired taste. Some are right to think that way, but it gives us the chance to laud some of the albums that let us enter into another world of music without being punched in the face with some of the deeper cuts in the genre. The only reason I’m saying this is because Mastodon’s “Once More ‘Round the Sun” is an accessible metal album that also delivers for the fans who want to hear more of the sludginess and technicality.
If you’re coming from albums like Blood Mountain, Remission and Leviathan then this is going to be a bit weird. The vocals are a lot cleaner and the production value changes IMMENSELY from Mastodon’s earlier stuff. There are some gruff moments like in the title track “Once More ‘Round the Sun”, “Tread Lightly” and “Feast Your Eyes” where the vocals seem to growl with the fury of the Metal Gods. But the main thing to praise throughout this entire album is the technicality in the instrumentation. The drums have never felt so evil and blasting with quick snare hits, and the use of the ride in almost every song swoops in and takes you in the talons of a winged beast. And “Halloween” has that punk rock energy that has an original Mastodon flair to it, progressive in every way down to the end.
But heavy metal mythology aside, the songs that are brimming with influences on its sleeves are fantastic. Songs like “Chimes at Midnight” have that Avenged Sevenfold-like doom looming over it and the vocals seem to take the same road without being so 7th grade, whereas “Asleep in the Deep” takes the Soundgarden (yeah, I said it) aesthetic of alternative rock that’s so prominent in the chorus that you wouldn’t be able to tell who was playing. “Ember City” also continues the soft vocals with a catchy chorus that pleads “And it was slipping away! What do I say to you? What do I say to you? And if I want you to stay? What do I say to you? What do I say to you?” It almost rivals the little “I need a little escape” on “Black Albino Bones” from Fucked Up’s The Chemistry of Common Life.
There might be a few moments on here that don’t quite hit the mark. “Aunt Lisa” sounded a bit noisy and scatter-brained and although it had QOTSA-like choral vocals, the music itself was way too distracting for me to pay attention, just like “Floating Coffin” from Thee Oh Sees’ album last year. And the last track “Diamond in the Witch House” is just another one of the final tracks that I utterly ignored. Not only is the length daunting, but it’s almost constant in terms of the beat and it’s forgettable in my opinion.
Final Verdict: This is easily one of the most catchy, accessible, and yet well-crafted metal albums I’ve heard since Kvelertak’s debut. It will entertain even the most novice of metalheads and the most devout of alterna-rockers. With its clean production but sludgy and progressive technicality, it has some of my favorite songs of the year so far and will be going in my book as a near-perfect metal album.
Hey everyone! I'm Christopher Hopkins, friends call me Oatmeal, and I'm a music reviewer, graphic designer, gamer, and artist. Can't wait to start posting up on here!