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)
Blood_and_Thunder
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Infecting my blood and destroying my mind
No man of the flesh could ever stop me
The fight for this fish is a fight to the death
White whale, holy grail
White whale, holy grail
I no longer govern my soul
I am completely immersed in darkness
As I turn my body away from the sun
White whale, holy grail
White whale, holy grail
Split your lungs with blood and thunder
When you see the white whale
Break your backs and crack your oars men
If you wish to prevail
This ivory leg is what propels me
Harpoons thrust in the sky
Aim directly for his crooked brow
And look him straight in the eye
White whale, holy grail
White whale, holy grail
The lyrics to Mastodon's 'Blood and Thunder' tells a story of a man who believes that someone is trying to kill him as they infect his blood and destroy his mind. He feels like he has lost control over his soul and is immersed in darkness, turning his body away from the sun. The man is on a quest to hunt down the 'white whale', which he sees as the holy grail, on a fight to the death. He is driven by a remorseless emperor and claims that no man of the flesh could stop him.
The chorus stands out as a significant part of the song, repeatedly referring to the white whale as the holy grail. The line, "split your lungs with blood and thunder when you see the white whale" adds intensity to the song and reflects the character's determination to get what he is after. The verse, "this ivory leg is what propels me, harpoons thrust in the sky" shows how the man believes he needs to conquer the whale, aiming directly for its crooked brow, and looking it straight in the eye.
Overall, the lyrics to 'Blood and Thunder' take the listener on a dark, intense journey of a man's quest to hunt down and defeat the white whale, which he sees as the holy grail. The story's imagery is symbolic and powerful, capturing the character's obsession, determination, and relentlessness.
Line by Line Meaning
I think that someone is trying to kill me
The singer feels that they are being threatened and facing danger
Infecting my blood and destroying my mind
The danger the singer faces is affecting them on a physical and mental level
No man of the flesh could ever stop me
The singer is not afraid of physical harm, as it cannot stop them
The fight for this fish is a fight to the death
The artist is in a literal or metaphorical battle where only one party will emerge victorious
White whale, holy grail
The white whale represents a sought-after prize or victory
What remorseless emperor commands me
The singer feels controlled by a merciless force
I no longer govern my soul
The singer has lost control over their own life and choices
I am completely immersed in darkness
The artist feels consumed by negativity and despair
As I turn my body away from the sun
The artist retreats from light and positivity
Split your lungs with blood and thunder
The situation is so intense and dangerous that the artist advises one to give it their all, even if it causes physical harm
When you see the white whale
The victory or success being sought is clearly visible
Break your backs and crack your oars men
The artist urges their allies to work tirelessly and push through extreme physical effort
If you wish to prevail
Success will only come to those who put in the necessary effort and determination
This ivory leg is what propels me
The source of the singer's drive and motivation is a specific thing, represented by the ivory leg
Harpoons thrust in the sky
The singer indicates a tactical move or strategy employed in the fight for victory
Aim directly for his crooked brow
The artist advises a precise, targeted approach to achieve victory
And look him straight in the eye
The artist emphasizes the importance of confronting the enemy and facing them head-on
White whale, holy grail
Reiterated; representing a sought-after prize or victory
Lyrics Β© DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TIMOTHY BRANN DAILOR, WILLIAM BRENT HINDS, WILLIAM B. KELLIHER, JAYSON TROY SANDERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fabioriato
SPLIT YOUR LUNGS WITH BLOOD AND THUNDEEEEEEER
WHEN YOU SEE THE WHITE WHAAAAAAAALE
BREAK YOUR BACKS AND CRACK YOUR OARS MEN IF YOU WISH TO PREVAAAAAAAAIL
THIS IVORY LEG IS WHAT PROPELS MEEEEEEEE
HARPOONS THRUST IN THE SKYYYYYYYY
AIM DIRECTLY FOR HIS CROOKED BROW AND LOOK HIM STRAIGHT IN THE EEEEEEEEEEYE
Yup, he absolutely kills it! π€
@knightdados
βOh,well, I dont know if my boyfriend would like that.β
@Shinyfur5474
"wat?"
@denver376
"Oh, here he comes now!"
@baconmasterleo328
Sup baby
@eldinosaurio225
SPLIT YOUR LUNGS WITH BLOOD AND THUNDER
@Shinyfur5474
"SPLIT YOUR LUNGS WITH BLOOD AND THUNDER!"
@calvinanderson4245
"*WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!*" -a girl who made it pretty apparent she's attracted to you
@scarsaturati9705
Wut?
@7kVestra
@@scarsaturati9705 It's crazy because that's literally the last thing the guy Calvin is referencing said before snapping
@mikeoxmall69420
I know this is half a decade old and all, but I came here from that