The song "Colony of Birchmen" from the band's third album (released in 2006), Blood Mountain, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2007. Blood Mountain was followed in 2009 by Crack the Skye, and in 2011 by The Hunter, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved major commercial success in the United States. The Hunter features the song "Curl of the Burl", which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2012. Mastodon's 2014 album, Once More 'Round the Sun, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and features the band's third Grammy-nominated song, "High Road". The band's seventh album, Emperor of Sand, was released on March 31, 2017, and features the band's most commercially successful song to date, "Show Yourself", which peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June 2017. The followup single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart in October 2017. The album's opening track, "Sultan's Curse", earned the band their first Grammy award. Emperor of Sand was the band's first album to receive a Grammy nomination; it was nominated for Best Rock Album.
Mastodon was formed on January 13, 2000, after drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher moved to Atlanta from Victor, New York, and met bassist/singer Troy Sanders and guitarist/singer Brent Hinds at a High on Fire show. They discovered they had a mutual appreciation of sludge metal bands Melvins and Neurosis, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, and 1970s hard rockers Thin Lizzy, and shortly thereafter formed Mastodon. In an interview in 2009, Kelliher revealed that the first time Hinds attended a practice with the band, he "showed up so wasted he couldn't play".
The band recorded a demo in 2000, which featured Eric Saner on vocals. Saner left the band for personal reasons after just a couple of months. After recording a four-song demo and a 7-inch picture disc through Reptilian Records, Mastodon landed a record deal with Relapse Records in 2001. Mastodon released the EP Lifesblood in 2001, and its first full-length album, Remission, in 2002, with the singles "March of the Fire Ants" and "Crusher/Destroyer" (which was also featured on Tony Hawk's Underground). On each of Mastodon's first three full-length albums, the last track was an instrumental composition with a title that related to the Elephant Man.
Artist Paul Romano was responsible for all of the band's album art and backdrops up to 2011. The artwork for the band's fifth studio album The Hunter was made by AJ Fosik, a woodcarver who was also responsible for the backdrop the band used live at the time. Oakland-based artist Skinner, who, in his own words, specializes in "psychedelic nightmare paintings", has taken the reins on Once More 'Round the Sun. "It's going to be a work of art for sure. It's going to be very eye-opening", said bassist Troy Sanders before the album's release. "Very striking. It's from another dimension, and a lot of our music is geared toward that ideaβtaking you to another planet on songs. It's out there, and I think it's incredible."
Studio albums
Remission (2002)
Leviathan (2004)
Blood Mountain (2006)
Crack the Skye (2009)
The Hunter (2011)
Once More 'Round the Sun (2014)
Emperor of Sand (2017)
Hushed and Grim (2021)
EPs
Lifesblood (2001)
Cold Dark Place (2017)
All the Heavy Lifting
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give you to the trees
All sound and visions are
What they ask of me
Let's run fast through the fields
Over mountaintops
Let's swim through ocean water
Just close your eyes
And pretend that everything's fine
Just close your eyes
I'll tell you when
Can you show me
Where to find the stream
I've been told before
That the water's clean
Will you come with me
Two of us can drink
Move quick we've got to hurry
There's no time to think
Just close your eyes
And pretend that everything's fine
Just close your eyes
I'll tell you when
We didn't come this far
Just to turn around
We didn't come this far
Just to run away
Just ahead
We will hear the sound
The sound that gives us
A brand new day
Just close your eyes
And pretend that everything's fine
Just close your eyes
I'll tell you when
The lyrics to Mastodon's song All the Heavy Lifting evoke a sense of adventure and escape, as the singer promises to lift the listener up and take them on a journey through nature. The repetition of the lines "Just close your eyes and pretend that everything's fine" suggests a need for temporary escape from reality, while the lines "We didn't come this far just to turn around / We didn't come this far just to run away" imply a desire for more meaningful or fulfilling experiences.
The theme of nature is particularly prominent throughout the song, as the singer describes running through fields, climbing mountains, and swimming in the ocean. The lines "Can you show me where to find the stream / I've been told before that the water's clean" suggest a desire for purity and simplicity, while the urgency of "Move quick we've got to hurry / There's no time to think" suggests a need to escape quickly or seize the moment.
Overall, the lyrics to All the Heavy Lifting suggest a longing for freedom and connection with nature, as well as a need for temporary escape from reality. The repetition of the closing lines "Just close your eyes / I'll tell you when" allows the listener to feel a sense of trust and guidance from the singer, while also reinforcing the idea of temporary escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Lift you up again
I'll help you rise from a setback
Give you to the trees
I'll let nature take care of you
All sound and visions are
I'll create what people want to hear and see
What they ask of me
That's my job as an artist
Let's run fast through the fields
Let's experience life to the fullest
Over mountaintops
And explore the world's highest peaks
Let's swim through ocean water
And dive into the ocean's depths
And we'll never stop
We'll keep going without hesitation
Just close your eyes
Escape from any troubles
And pretend that everything's fine
For just a moment
I'll tell you when
I'll let you know when to open them
Can you show me
Do you know where
Where to find the stream
To locate the water's source
I've been told before
I've heard that it's there
That the water's clean
It's pure and untainted
Will you come with me
Will you accompany me on this exploration
Two of us can drink
We can share in the experience
Move quick we've got to hurry
Let's move fast and make the most of our time
There's no time to think
Just act and experience life
We didn't come this far
We've come too far
Just to turn around
To give up now
Just to run away
To run from our challenges
Just ahead
Our destination is close
We will hear the sound
We'll be rewarded with new experiences
The sound that gives us
The satisfaction we've been searching for
A brand new day
A fresh start to our journey
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRANN TIMOTHY DAILOR, TROY JAYSON SANDERS, WILLIAM BREEN KELLIHER, WILLIAM BRENT HINDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheSneezyP
The Hunter is deep and soulful. If you're ranking it low compared to their other albums you need to dig deeper. There is a lot to take in on the album - took me at least 5 full listens through to fully appreciate it. A lot of folks are saying there is no theme to this album but most of the songs seem to be written about death and grievance.
@mindofmatter071
Lol...11 yrs ago!
Very true though.
@DrBetz13
Now, am I the only one whose heart gets ripped out of their chest when Troy screams "Just close your eyes"? So full of emotion. So heavy. So great.
@Sauze123
I had no idea Brann Dailor sang for Mastadon besides drumming. And holy fuck, what a multi-talent. I was so excited for the concert because he is one of my favorite drummers. And when i saw the show live, he sang too? God, what a genious.
@TobyKBTY
First Devin Townsend's Deconstruction had me in a different musical place ever since it came out. Now here comes Mastodon's new album taking me to a new universe altogether. Dear God.
@thoughtheglass
That was a wonderful time to be alive and listening to metal
@ShapeShiftv2
This whole album showed such a different and melodic side of the band. I donβt care what anyone else says, The Hunter kicks ass.
@nqualmann
one of the best songs ever written.
@mindofmatter071
Just close your eyes!
@Feistycadaver
Caught them @ the Riviera in Chicago a few weeks ago and was really impressed. No monologues between songs, no "Haaaaaaaay CHICAGOOOOOOOO!", no bs. Just a straight ahead, charged rock show. Their gratitude was evident at the end. Great job fellas.