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)
Deathbound
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thrown in end all because death waits
Throughout during the winter
Guardian of land and sea
Standing close to the throne
Violent 'cuz I can not see
No one left here anymore
[Chorus:]
Icy Squall on the Tundra
Obedience how we reign
Enjoy the sights we know
Soon it will be turned
Grovel Life Expelled Become Immortal
Forceful hand, unfeeling
Groaning dead are near
Sordid tale of man
Molten rock renown
Distant brother of man
Groaning dead are near
Sordid tale of man
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Mastodon's "Deathbound" paint a picture of a desolate, wintry landscape where death and violence reign. The song represents the guardians of the land and sea, who are caught in a struggle for power and control. The harshness of the surroundings is emphasized with the line "Going through the deep icy waves, thrown in end all because death waits", which illustrates the danger lurking in the icy waters. The chorus refers to the destruction and impending doom that is inevitable in such a place, with "icy squall on the tundra" representing the cold, harsh winter and "obedience how we reign" speaking to the struggle for power between the guardians.
The lyrics mention "molten rock renown" which could refer to the underlying volcanic activity in the region, possibly adding to the bleakness and danger of the territory. There are also references to "groaning dead" which could represent the casualties of the power struggles and the harsh environment. The song ends with the line "sordid tale of man", which indicates the tragic nature of the struggles depicted.
Line by Line Meaning
Going through the deep icy waves
Navigating through challenging and harsh circumstances
Thrown in end all because death waits
The inevitability of death and how it can quickly end everything
Throughout during the winter
Enduring the hardships that come with a difficult season
Guardian of land and sea
Protector of all aspects of the environment and its inhabitants
Standing close to the throne
Being in a position of power and influence
Violent 'cuz I can not see
Reacting aggressively due to a lack of understanding or clarity
Power royalty our Presidents hanging
Those in positions of power and leadership are always at risk of losing their authority
No one left here anymore
A sense of loneliness or isolation due to loss or change
Icy Squall on the Tundra
Harsh and unforgiving conditions in an isolated area
Obedience how we reign
Maintaining control through strict adherence to rules and commands
Enjoy the sights we know
Finding pleasure in familiar and predictable surroundings
Soon it will be turned
Change is inevitable and will soon occur
Grovel Life Expelled Become Immortal
The desire to be remembered and live on beyond death
Forceful hand, unfeeling
An aggressive and insensitive approach to handling situations
Groaning dead are near
The inevitability of death and its proximity
Sordid tale of man
A dark and unpleasant history of humanity and its actions
Molten rock renown
A substance known for its intense heat and transformative properties
Distant brother of man
Something that is familiar yet also very different or removed from humanity
Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KingKosno
This is easily the best music video I've seen in ages. Stupidly childish grin spread across my face for the whole darn thing. Well done, Mastodon.
@thomasfokas
This is the best music video ever made in the entire history of music videos and no other music video will ever be better
@VEMERARE
I concur
@sloshed-rat
Asleep In the Deep is a close second though.
@LololovesFrodo
yes
@roberth1728
10 years later and I'm pretty sure this is still my favorite music video that's not "Sabotage"
@craig9306
Brann only ended up doing the intro for the video cuz the actor that was hired blew it off. He did a fine job, what a pro.
@SoggyFish7
Only Mastodon could make something so ridiculous and bad ass at the same time.
@smshinn
LOVE THIS VIDEO. Goddamned if Mastodon isn't one of the best bands out there.
@panchamk3721
This should have crossed a million views
what a shame their videos are being underrated