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)
The Bit
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not for the size of me
Into my mouth
Nine-hundred and fourteen
Try some force
Try to lead
The foundling die is close determinate
I'm not even sound raid
I'm alive
I got the silver
And I wonder
What will you follow?
When your head is not in order
And I'm stomping your little
How can you laugh
How can you lie awake
Making me drive
Making my heart a
Not too fat
Not to lean
The foundling die, is close excitedly
Raise head and stomp the blood
I'm not even soundly
I'm alive
I got the silver
And I wonder
What will you follow?
When your head is not in order
And I'm stomping your little
The lyrics of Mastodon's song The Bit appear to be cryptic and open to interpretation. The verses seem to describe a violent struggle between two beings, possibly a person and a cow, as suggested by the first line "This is for cows." The language used is graphic and brutal, with the mention of "stomping the blood" and "foundling die," which can be interpreted as a reference to the slaughter of animals.
The chorus, on the other hand, is more introspective and abstract, with the singer stating "I'm alive, I got the silver, and I wonder what will you follow?" The mention of "silver" can be assumed as a metaphor for personal wealth, power or happiness, while the question directed at the listener seems to concern their own desires and aspirations. The phrase "when your head is not in order" implies a state of confusion or lack of clarity, and the assertion that the singer will be "stomping your little" suggests a possible power dynamic at play.
Overall, the lyrics of The Bit are enigmatic and open to interpretation, leaving it up to the listener to make their own meaning out of the words.
Line by Line Meaning
This is for cows
This song is dedicated to less intelligent or less evolved beings, such as cows.
It's not for the size of me
The song is not about the physicality of the singer.
Into my mouth
The singer is introducing a subject into their mouth, possibly representing the consumption or acceptance of an idea.
Nine-hundred and fourteen
This could be a reference to the number 914 or a way to emphasize a quantity.
Try some force
The singer is encouraging a display of strength or power.
Try to lead
The singer is suggesting someone tries to take charge.
The foundling die is close determinate
The end or conclusion of a situation is imminent, hopeless or inevitable.
Raise head and stomp the blood
A display of aggression or violence, possibly representing taking control of a situation.
I'm not even sound raid
The singer is not entirely coherent or making sense.
I'm alive
The singer is stating that they are living or present.
I got the silver
The singer has something valuable or important in their possession.
And I wonder
The singer is curious or questioning.
What will you follow?
The singer is asking what people will choose to believe or support.
When your head is not in order
When someone is not thinking clearly or logically.
And I'm stomping your little
A display of power or aggression towards someone else.
How can you laugh
The singer is questioning how someone can find humor in a situation.
How can you lie awake
The singer is questioning how someone can stay awake at night, possibly due to stress or anxiety.
Making me drive
Someone is causing the singer to act or react in a particular way.
Making my heart a
Someone is affecting the emotional well-being of the singer.
Not too fat
The singer is not describing themselves as overweight.
Not to lean
The singer is not describing themselves as skinny or underweight.
The foundling die, is close excitedly
The situation is becoming more urgent or intense, with a potential negative outcome.
Raise head and stomp the blood
A display of aggression or violence, possibly representing taking control of a situation.
I'm not even soundly
The singer is still not entirely coherent or making sense.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DALE CROVER, ROGER OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard M
As a fan of both bands, how the fuck did I miss this. Goddamn!
michael rollo
This song is perfection
Michael R
Facts.
michael rollo
i agree the original is better but wow! either way it's still killer S.D.M.F. Pa chapter
Dan 3002
Love it! I listened to the Melvins' version right before this one. I think this cover is great in its own way. More of a raw feel than the original, IMO.
Adolph Oliver Bush
This song has turned me on to the Melvins.
B.Nash.
Check out Stoner Witch, Houdini, and Lysol. That's the prime of Melvins in my opinion.
Edward Navedo
@Axwage any way to Melvins is the way.
Axwage
You're doing it backwards, but at least you're listening to the Melvins.
Farmer Dang
jack black wrote the opening