Once More 'Round the Sun | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 24, 2014 | |||
Recorded | December 2013 – February 2014 [1] [2] | |||
Studio | Rock Falcon Studios, Franklin, Tennessee | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 54:08 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Producer | Nick Raskulinecz | |||
Mastodon chronology | ||||
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Singles from Once More 'Round the Sun | ||||
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Once More 'Round the Sun is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on June 24, 2014, via Reprise Records. [8] On April 17, 2014, Mastodon released the album's first single, "High Road". [9] On June 16, 2014, the album was made available for streaming on iTunes. Once More 'Round the Sun sold around 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the band's highest-peaking album on the chart and their second consecutive Top 10 debut after their previous album, The Hunter , peaked at No. 10. [10]
In late 2012, Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds mentioned in an interview that he had begun writing material for the band's next release. [11] The band continued writing and demoing their sixth studio album throughout 2013, while touring for their 2011 release The Hunter . [12] The band began recording in late 2013 at Rock Falcon Studios in Franklin, Tennessee, with producer Nick Raskulinecz. [13] [14]
Troy Sanders stated in an interview that the album is a continuation where the band left off with their previous one, The Hunter . [15]
Bill Kelliher stated also about the album's musical style: "We're always trying to surprise ourselves and write something that's new and fresh. It's definitely got the elements of The Hunter in there, but also [of] Remission and some heavier stuff. There's a lot of different influences, from Alice in Chains to Deftones. There's a lot of rock going on." [16]
Brann Dailor stated following about the album: "It's gonna be massive and insane, lots of epic greatness. There will be lots of huge riffs and new directions. It's real weird, real "math-y", real straightforward. It's up, down and all around." [17]
Kelliher also stated that the album's theme might be "death". He stated the following: "It always makes for really good story telling. It's kind of the theme that we have a lot in our music. We've had a lot of friends pass away since the last record. I'm not really sure yet. I think we're kind of focusing more about living on this earth and what would happen if this was your last year to live. I think that's sort of maybe a little bit of what we might be kind of touching on." [18]
Oakland-based artist Skinner, who characterizes his work as "psychedelic nightmare paintings", created the album's artwork. Prior to its release, bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders stated: "It's going to be a work of art for sure. It's going to be very eye-opening. 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." [19]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 78/100 [20] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Consequence of Sound | B [21] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 6.3/10 [22] |
PopMatters | 8/10 [23] |
Spin | 8/10 [24] |
Sputnikmusic | 4.1/5 [25] |
Once More 'Round the Sun was well received by contemporary music critics upon its initial release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album received an average score of 78, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 30 reviews. [20]
In the review for AllMusic, writer Thom Jurek wrote that "Once More 'Round the Sun furthers what Mastodon began on The Hunter : expanding their music past metal's rigid borders – toward an integrative sound that doesn't leave metal out." [5] Michael Madden also praised the album in the review for Consequence of Sound , claiming that "Mastodon are starting to look more like that band's peers [ Slayer ], not disciples. Nick Raskulinecz's eternally crunchy production helps them reach those heights on Once More 'Round the Sun, and, as Oakland artist Skinner's cover suggests, the record is vibrant, too. There could be more structural risk-taking and the band could stand to have more grandiose moments, but, well, you know: consider them six for six." [21] Dom Lawson spoke highly of the album in his review for The Guardian , writing that "Once More 'Round the Sun sounds very much like the album they need to make to edge a little further into the mainstream – it has a largely straightforward air and a tendency to favour the big hooks of 2011's The Hunter over the labyrinthine weirdness of 2009's Crack the Skye ." [3]
Giving the album an eight out of ten for PopMatters , Dean Brown felt that "when compared to the band's previous stratospheric evolutions, its substance may be just as important to the tale of Mastodon when the inevitable is written, hopefully decades into the future and many albums later from one of the best bands, regardless of genre, roaming the earth at present." [23] Spin writer Johnathan Zwickel shared similar sentiments, claiming that "While the rest of heavy music's luminaries follow in their wake, Mastodon's sound – and their ambition – is bigger than metal." [24]
Zoe Camp was more critical of the album in the review for Pitchfork , stating "it's possible to view Once More 'Round the Sun as a vow to honor their roots, even as they set out in search of broader horizons. So far, however, Mastodon's paradigms simply don't mesh the way they should. Evolution takes time, and Mastodon continue to publicly work out their growing pains as they determine which traits best represent the unified sound they've been chasing this decade."
The album appeared on several album of the year lists published in 2014. Kerrang! ranked it as its 28th best album of the year,[ citation needed ] it appeared on Decibel magazine's end-of year list at #29[ citation needed ] and on Terrorizer magazine's list at #35.[ citation needed ] Loudwire list the album as number 5 on their list of the 20 Best Metal Albums of 2014 [26] and the song "Chimes at Midnight" at number 3 on their list of the 20 Best Metal Songs of 2014. [27] Metalsucks ranked it as the 20th best metal album of the decade. [28]
All lyrics and music by Mastodon, except additional lyrics on "Diamond in the Witch House" by Scott Kelly.
No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
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1. | "Tread Lightly" | Troy Sanders, Brann Dailor | 5:14 |
2. | "The Motherload" | Dailor, Sanders | 4:59 |
3. | "High Road" | Sanders, Dailor | 4:15 |
4. | "Once More 'Round the Sun" | Brent Hinds, Sanders | 2:58 |
5. | "Chimes at Midnight" | Sanders, Hinds | 5:32 |
6. | "Asleep in the Deep" (featuring Valient Himself & Isaiah "Ikey" Owens) | Dailor, Hinds, Sanders, Valient Himself | 6:12 |
7. | "Feast Your Eyes" | Sanders, Dailor | 3:23 |
8. | "Aunt Lisa" (featuring The Coathangers & Gary Lindsey) | Dailor, Hinds, Gary Lindsey, The Coathangers | 4:08 |
9. | "Ember City" | Sanders, Dailor | 4:59 |
10. | "Halloween" | Hinds, Dailor | 4:39 |
11. | "Diamond in the Witch House" (featuring Scott Kelly) | Scott Kelly, Sanders | 7:49 |
Total length: | 54:08 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2000, the band's lineup of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals) has remained unchanged since 2001. Mastodon has released eight 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.
Remission is the debut album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on May 28, 2002 through Relapse Records. A deluxe edition was released on October 21, 2003.
Blood Mountain is the third full-length studio album and major label debut by American metal band Mastodon. The recording of the album finished in April 2006 and it was released on September 12 in the UK and September 12, 2006 in North America through Reprise Records. The album in full could be streamed at the band's MySpace page a few days prior to the release.
Troy Jayson Sanders is an American musician, best known as the bassist and one of the vocalists of heavy metal band Mastodon. He is also active in the supergroups Killer Be Killed and Gone Is Gone and is the current touring bassist for rock band Thin Lizzy.
Shogun is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. The album was released worldwide on various dates between September 23, 2008, and October 1, 2008, through Roadrunner Records. It is their last release to feature original drummer Travis Smith. Work on the album is noted to have begun with producer Nick Raskulinecz in October 2007, with the band stating that they chose not to work with Jason Suecof again as they wanted to explore new ideas.
The discography of heavy metal band Mastodon consists of eight studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, one video album, six extended plays, 28 singles and 23 music videos.
Crack the Skye is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon, released on March 24, 2009, through Reprise, Sire and Relapse Records. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. In Australia, the album debuted at number 19. It had sold 200,000 copies in the US as of September 2010, making it one of their highest-selling albums to date.
Oblivion is the second single from Crack the Skye by American progressive metal band Mastodon. It is their second-most successful single and song from Crack the Skye, reaching #30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart; however, it has since been surpassed by "Curl of the Burl," which peaked at #16. It is the opening track on the band's live album Live At The Aragon.
Live at the Aragon is a live CD/DVD by the metal band Mastodon. It was released on March 15, 2011. It was filmed on October 17, 2009 during a Mastodon live show in the historic Aragon Ballroom of Chicago, part of their world tour to support their fourth album, Crack the Skye. It features Crack the Skye at its entirety as well as other Mastodon songs from Remission, Leviathan and Blood Mountain, their first, second and third records respectively. To promote the album the band released the live versions of "Oblivion", "Ghost of Karelia" and "Crack the Skye" on YouTube. The DVD also features the Crack the Skye film, which is the album in video format, in its entirety.
The Hunter is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. Released through Roadrunner Records on September 26, 2011, in the UK and one day later in the US via Reprise Records, The Hunter is their first release with producer Mike Elizondo. In its first week of release in the UK, the album reached number 19 on the UK Albums Chart and position number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart selling over 39,000 copies in the first week. As of December 2011, The Hunter has sold over 75,133 copies in the United States.
"Curl of the Burl" is a single by American heavy metal band Mastodon from their fifth studio album, The Hunter. It was released August 16, 2011, as the second single from the album. The single was the band's most successful song on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart at release, peaking at No. 15. It would eventually lose its title to Emperor of Sand's "Show Yourself". It was nominated for a 2011 Grammy award in the category Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.
Killer Be Killed is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera in early 2011. The lineup also features Mastodon bassist and co-vocalist Troy Sanders and Converge drummer Ben Koller. The band had slowly been working on material before announcing its name in October 2013, along with their signing to Nuclear Blast. The group's self-titled debut record was released in 2014. In September 2020, the group returned with a new single, and released their second album Reluctant Hero in November of that year.
"High Road" is a single by American heavy metal band Mastodon. The song was released as the debut single from their sixth album, Once More 'Round the Sun. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, but lost to Tenacious D's cover of Dio's "The Last in Line."
"The Motherload" is a song by American progressive metal band Mastodon. The song was released as the third and final single from the band's sixth studio album, Once More 'Round the Sun.
Emperor of Sand is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on March 31, 2017 through record label Reprise Records. The album's first single, "Show Yourself", peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2017. The second single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart. It was ranked on several year-end lists, including at number three on The Independent's "Top 20 Rock & Metal Albums of 2017".
Cold Dark Place is an EP by American metal band Mastodon. It was released digitally and on CD on September 22, 2017 via Reprise Records, and a limited-edition ten-inch vinyl followed on October 27. Three of the tracks were recorded during the recording sessions of 2014's Once More 'Round the Sun, while "Toe to Toes" was recorded during the recording sessions of 2017's Emperor of Sand.
Vicious is the fourth studio album by American rock band Halestorm. It was released on July 27, 2018, through Atlantic Records. Four singles were released, three of them having a music video. The video for the lead single "Uncomfortable" was directed by Evan Brace.
Medium Rarities is a compilation album by American metal band Mastodon. It was released digitally and on limited edition vinyl on September 11, 2020 via Reprise Records. The album is a collection of rare tracks that include covers, instrumental versions of previous songs, and live recordings. Its opening track, a new song titled "Fallen Torches", was released on July 31, 2020. The song features Scott Kelly from Neurosis for his final guest appearance with Mastodon before his withdrawal from the public eye that was not announced until August 2022.
Hushed and Grim is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released as a double album on October 29, 2021, through Reprise Records. The album is the band's longest to date, their first double album. Guest appearances include Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on "Had It All" and Troy Sanders' mother Jody Sanders on French horn. There is no guest vocal appearance by Scott Kelly from Neurosis for the first time since their 2002 debut Remission, due to Kelly's domestic abuse allegations, which the singer confirmed were true in a statement in August 2022, where he also stated his intention to withdraw from the public eye. The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, after his death from cancer in 2018.
The Gang's All Here is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Skid Row, released on October 14, 2022. It is the band's only release with lead singer Erik Grönwall who replaced ZP Theart in March 2022, and is the band's first studio album in sixteen years since Revolutions per Minute in 2006.
These are all elements Mastodon has used before, edited then distilled into impeccable, prog-metal songcraft.
This set marks a fork in the road where Mastodon evolves once more, to cross over from metal's angular, sludgy power to adrenaline-fueled, hook-laden, hard rock.
For two records now, Mastodon have jettisoned the overarching concepts of old for a simpler mission: to be a hard rock band making hard rock records.
For two records now, Mastodon have jettisoned the overarching concepts of old for a simpler mission: to be a hard rock band making hard rock records.