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)
Sleeping Giant
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mountain flames
Moon beheld
Father snake
Mind control
Has left its nest
Shame on
Bulls roar loud
Wooden vessel
Broken wings
Caught my killer
In my grave
Shame on
Eyes of grace
Kill again
Trapped in maze
Trembling fear
Head scorched brow
Perish the land
Shame on
A vast calm wilderness
The call to adventure comes
Lead and land atop this rock
Infinite path carved with unrivaled skill
The lyrics of Mastodon's "Sleeping Giant" are full of vivid imagery and metaphorical language that conveys a sense of unease and danger. The opening lines, "Earth has burst, mountain flames, moon beheld, father snake" evoke chaos, destruction, and perhaps even some sort of apocalyptic event. The mention of "mind control" suggests that there may be some sort of malevolent force at work behind the scenes, manipulating events from secret.
Later in the song, the lyrics become even more ominous, with lines like "eyes of grace kill again" and "trapped in maze, trembling fear." The sense of danger and impending doom is palpable, and the repeated refrain of "shame on" seems to be a sort of indictment of the forces that have brought the world to this state. The final lines of the song, which describe a "vast calm wilderness" and a call to adventure, suggest that there may be hope for the future, but that the journey ahead will be a difficult and perilous one.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sleeping Giant" read like a dark and foreboding prophecy, warning of a world on the brink of collapse and urging listeners to take action before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Earth has burst
The ground ruptured
Mountain flames
Volcanic activity is occurring
Moon beheld
The moon is visible in the sky
Father snake
A large snake is present
Mind control
A powerful force is manipulating thoughts and actions
Has left its nest
The source of the mind control has moved on
Shame on
There is a feeling of disappointment or disapproval towards something or someone
Bulls roar loud
Bulls are making a loud noise
The fearless fall
Those who are brave may still fail
Wooden vessel
A boat made of wood
Broken wings
Wings are damaged or no longer functional
Caught my killer
The person responsible for a death has been apprehended
In my grave
The singer is deceased
Eyes of grace
Gentle and kind eyes
Kill again
Taking another life
Trapped in maze
Feeling stuck or lost in a complicated situation
Trembling fear
Intense fear causing shaking
Head scorched brow
The head and face are burning hot
Perish the land
The land is dying or being destroyed
A vast calm wilderness
A large peaceful area of undeveloped land
The call to adventure comes
An opportunity for excitement and exploration presents itself
Lead and land atop this rock
Take charge and claim victory on this challenge
Infinite path carved with unrivaled skill
The journey ahead is long and difficult, but the skills to conquer it are unparalleled
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENT HINDS, TROY SANDERS, WILLIAM KELLIHER, BRANN DAILOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@manuelmonreal8377
Earth has burst
Mountain flames
Moon beheld
Father snake
Mind control
Has left its nest
Shame on
Bulls roar loud
The fearless fall
Wooden vessel
Broken wings
Caught my killer
In my grave
Shame on
Eyes of grace
Kill again
Trapped in maze
Trembling fear
Head scorched brow
Perish the land
Shame on
A vast calm wilderness
The call to adventure comes
Lead and land atop this rock
Infinite path carved with unrivaled skill
@Bullet4MyA7X
I think this is probably thier most under-rated song
@adamgufbeam1560
I discovered this song on the arcade "Guitar Hero" at my local Chuck E. Cheese. Now when I take my kids there, I treat everyone to a Mastodon Break. Lol
@rickavis7340
10 years later just found this band few months back. This song is epic. DMT trip 100.
Thank you.
@jr34v3r
the drumming in this song is out of control. Brann Dailor is definitely my favorite modern progressive metal drummer. Dont ever stop making albums Mastodon!
@fruitypebs1868
this never happens to any band that i listen to, but for some reason i like every song these guys made.
@glazedgamer7661
Haven't one that I'd skip over in an album yet, it's always just like FUCK YEAH and I turn it up a little bit louder each track
@MDMetalManiac
Any band ?
@logancampos2436
Factz. Like I'm truly amazed. The only band that I could listen from the very top track...& down to the bottom. I like every song & every album these guys have been putting out.
@tertiaoptio4938
Just got into metal and I feel the same
@jameswallace2057
Mastodon is definitely one of those bands. Completely agree.