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 idea—taking 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)
Crystal Skull
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A truth
Prevail and ride
Into the black hole
Searching for crystal
Making the veins bleed
The source of consciousness
Crystalline resonance
Into the black hole
Searching for crystal
Making the veins bleed
A deep breath before the plunge
One million voices
Dispelling
A thousand faces
Disarming
Running through the darkness
Holding hearts in my eyes
Falling short of gauntlet
Covered in bloodsucking flies
The touch is cold
I tore a path screaming through wind and blood
I will it all
Burning deep
In my skull
The lyrics to Mastodon's song Crystal Skull seem to be speaking about a journey of some kind, a search for (or possibly battle against) an entity that the singer is calling "the black hole." The lines "Guide, a truth, prevail and ride" can be interpreted as a call to action, perhaps even an invocation of some sort. The singer seems to be on a quest for something precious - "crystal" - and is willing to make sacrifices to obtain it. The idea of "making the veins bleed" suggests that this might be a painful process. However, the singer also says that this crystal is "the source of consciousness," which implies that it is extremely valuable.
The second verse describes a moment of reckoning, when the singer is faced with many obstacles and is forced to confront their limitations. They may be surrounded by enemies ("bloodsucking flies") or simply overwhelmed by the darkness. However, the singer is not willing to give up, and seems to find strength in their own determination. The line "the touch is cold" might refer to the idea that this journey is a lonely one, or that the goal is so remote that it feels almost unattainable. The closing lines, "I tore a path screaming through wind and blood, I will it all, burning deep in my skull," seem to speak to the intensity and focus that the singer brings to this quest.
Overall, the lyrics to Crystal Skull offer a vivid portrait of a person embarking on a difficult and dangerous journey. The references to crystals and consciousness suggest that this journey might have spiritual dimensions as well.
Line by Line Meaning
Guide
Preparation to embark on a journey with a guide.
A truth
An undivulged truth that will be discovered on the journey.
Prevail and ride
To succeed and move forward on the journey.
Into the black hole
Entering the unknown or unexplored territory.
Searching for crystal
Quest for something precious and valuable.
Making the veins bleed
Struggle and hardship faced in pursuit of the goal.
The source of consciousness
The crystal represents enlightenment or awakening.
Alive
The crystal is a living, conscious entity.
Crystalline resonance
The energy emitted by the crystal.
A deep breath before the plunge
Pausing to prepare oneself for a major challenge ahead.
One million voices
Voices of doubt and uncertainty that need to be disregarded.
Dispelling
Overcoming or removing the doubts.
A thousand faces
Obstacles that need to be overcome.
Disarming
Finding weaknesses or solutions to overcome the obstacles.
Running through the darkness
Moving fast despite the lack of clarity on the path ahead.
Holding hearts in my eyes
Focusing with love and passion to keep going despite the hardships.
Falling short of gauntlet
Failing to achieve the expected level of success.
Covered in bloodsucking flies
Being haunted by past failures and negativity.
The touch is cold
The obstacles and challenges faced are harsh and unforgiving.
I tore a path screaming through wind and blood
Overcoming adversity with strength and determination.
I will it all
Commitment to not giving up on the journey.
Burning deep
Passion and motivation that keeps the journey moving forward.
In my skull
The crystal - the end goal - is always at the forefront of the journeyer's mind.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENT HINDS, TROY JAYSON SANDERS, BRANN TIMOTHY DAILOR, WILLIAM BREEN KELLIHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind