Mastodon is an American metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2000. T… Read Full Bio ↴Mastodon is an American metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2000. The group is composed of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds (lead guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals). Mastodon has released seven studio albums, as well as a number of other releases. The band's 2002 debut album, Remission, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound. Mastodon's second full-length release, Leviathan, is a concept album based on the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record Album of the Year in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer.

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)

Thank You For This
Mastodon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let's throw down the love
I catch eyes open far and wide
Ability
It's intense
Golden
Lace it fills the magic flies
I wonder where is this list
Give in next time

This will be a blast
Ability
It's intense
Golden

Lace it fills the magic flies
I wonder where is this list

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Thank You For This" by Mastodon are quite abstract and open to interpretation. It seems to be a song about feeling grateful for intense experiences, possibly related to romantic love. The line "Let's throw down the love" can be read as a call to fully embrace love and passion. The next line, "I catch eyes open far and wide" suggests a sense of intense vulnerability or exposure.

The lines "Ability, it's intense, golden" could be interpreted as an acknowledgement of one's own power or capacity for feeling, and recognizing that these feelings are valuable and beautiful ("golden"). The next lines "Lace it fills, the magic flies" suggest a kind of enchantment or intoxication with the intensity of the experience. The final lines "I wonder where is this list, give in next time, this will be a blast" could be read as an acknowledgement that these experiences are unpredictable and intense, but ultimately worth it.

Overall, the song seems to be celebrating the intensity of love and other powerful experiences, and expressing gratitude for the ability to feel deeply.

Line by Line Meaning

Let's throw down the love
Let's express our affection and spread positivity

I catch eyes open far and wide
I notice that people are paying attention and receptive to our message

Ability
We have the capability to create positive change

It's intense
Our emotions and energy are strong

Golden
Our intentions are pure and valuable

Lace it fills the magic flies
Our positive energy is spreading and affecting others

I wonder where is this list
I am curious about the things we can achieve with our love and positivity

Give in next time
Join us in spreading love and positivity in the future

This will be a blast
This experience will be exciting and enjoyable

Ability
We have the capability to create positive change

It's intense
Our emotions and energy are strong