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)
Diamond in the Witch House
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Separates the rivers from the dirt
All the while I wonder who's the one
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
Within the one and only eye (Self-blinded to see through the veil)
Can you see there's a child
Standing idle by us in this mess
Who am I to cause this emptiness
Willing the sea to cleanse my soul
Of all that I've been
To bring me free to this clarity
Clarity
Trouble rolls in
As the tides, they twist and make the turn
Pain subsides
And sweeps across the earth again
Willing the sea to cleanse my soul
Of all that I've been
To bring me free to this clarity
Clarity
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
Within the one and only eye (Self-blinded to see through the veil)
I'm standing deep in these waters
Bleeding free and bent
To drag us onto the new visions
Only loss fills my void
Only loss fills my void
Only loss fills my void
Only the void connects me
With these mountains
Of dust, blood and soil
The stones born in the flames of truth
Demand a sacrifice
A sacrifice
A sacrifice
A sacrifice
Don't just bleed us and leave us to ourselves
We will return so deeply harmed
And we will shatter you
And we will shatter you
And we will shatter you
The opening lines of Mastodon's Diamond in the Witch House reflect the idea of a clear dividing line between two contrasting entities; the rivers and dirt which symbolize the pure and the impure, the beautiful and the ugly, and the good and the evil. The singer wonders who is responsible for this separation and who should be held accountable. The repeated chorus lines suggest the idea of a third eye, which is commonly associated with transcendence, spiritual awakening, and esoteric knowledge.
The lines "Can you see there's a child/ Standing idle by us in this mess/ Who am I to cause this emptiness" reflect a feeling of guilt, shame, and remorse as the singer realizes the impact of their actions on innocent bystanders. There is also a sense of longing for a fresh start and a desire to be cleansed by the sea, which symbolizes purification, renewal, and liberation. The repeated lines "To bring me free to this clarity" suggest that the singer seeks a state of mental and spiritual clarity, which would enable them to see through the veil of illusion and ignorance.
The song's lyrics become more intense in the final lines, where the singer speaks of standing deep in the waters, bleeding free and bent, suggesting a sense of vulnerability and surrender. The idea of sacrifice, which is repeated four times, further symbolizes the need for something to be surrendered or given up in order to gain something greater. The final lines "Don't just bleed us and leave us to ourselves/ We will return so deeply harmed/ And we will shatter you" reflect a sense of anger, resentment, and vengeance, suggesting that the singer is ready to pay back those who have wronged them.
Line by Line Meaning
Wide is the line
The boundary between two opposing elements is vast and distinct.
Separates the rivers from the dirt
The line separates the pure from the impure.
All the while I wonder who's the one
I am curious about who or what creates this division.
Within the one and only eye (we all stood cut free)
In the singular and unique perception, we are all liberated.
Within the one and only eye (Self-blinded to see through the veil)
By purposely blinding ourselves, we become capable of understanding what lies beyond the veil.
Can you see there's a child
Can you perceive the vulnerable innocence present amidst this chaos?
Standing idle by us in this mess
The child remains still beside us amidst this disorder.
Who am I to cause this emptiness
Why should I be responsible for this feeling of vacancy?
Willing the sea to cleanse my soul
I want the power of the water to purify me from my past.
Of all that I've been
Of all the experiences that have formed me up until now.
To bring me free to this clarity
To guide me towards this state of mind free from confusion.
Trouble rolls in
Problems come towards me as unstoppable waves.
As the tides, they twist and make the turn
The tides fluctuate and rotate, creating new twists and turns in my life.
Pain subsides
Sorrow diminishes.
And sweeps across the earth again
And once again spreads throughout the world.
I'm standing deep in these waters
I am immersed in profound emotions.
Bleeding free and bent
I am releasing my pain and weakness.
To drag us onto the new visions
To pull me towards new and better perspectives.
Only loss fills my void
All that remains when something is gone is emptiness.
Only the void connects me
There is only absence to link me to the desolate landscape.
With these mountains
With these large obstacles.
Of dust, blood and soil
Composed of earth, human agony, and dirt.
The stones born in the flames of truth
The facts forged in the passionate heat.
Demand a sacrifice
Require an offering.
Don't just bleed us and leave us to ourselves
Do not just hurt us and leave us adrift.
We will return so deeply harmed
We will be irreparably damaged when we come back.
And we will shatter you
We will destroy you.
And we will shatter you
We will ruin you.
And we will shatter you
We will crush you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRANN TIMOTHY DAILOR, TROY JAYSON SANDERS, WILLIAM BREEN KELLIHER, WILLIAM BRENT HINDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind