A good chunk of Mastodon's extensive discography has made it to the stage, but these seven haven't yet… and they really should. Check out all of our Never Played Live series here!
"Hunters Of The Sky" from Blood Mountain (2006)
All of Blood Mountain has made it to the stage (moreso recently) except for "Hunters Of The Sky". Clocking in at just under four minutes, here's hoping Mastodon adds this mid-paced old school crusher to their set soon! Or at the very least, celebrates Blood Mountain turning 20 years old with a full album tour in a few years.
"Deathbound" from The Hunter (2011)
"Deathbound" was originally written during the Crack The Skye sessions, released as a part of the Adult Swim Summer Singles Series, and officially included as a bonus track on The Hunter. It's a short one that would certainly get the crowd moving, and it seems like "short" might be on the menu for Mastodon soon enough.
"Word To The Wise" from Emperor of Sand (2017)
"Word To The Wise" feels like "Hunters Of The Sky" in that it'd be great right in the middle of a set. "Word To The Wise" is short enough, keeps the energy up, and has a pretty singable chorus. Plus that section that starts around 1:27 would sound positively massive live.
"Jaguar God" from Emperor of Sand (2017)
"Jaguar God" might be hard to fit into a setlist considering it's nearly 8 minutes long. That being said, if Mastodon could find the time (and manage to recruit guest guitarist Mike Keneally live), "Jaguar God" is sure to bring the house down. Talk about an emotional album closer, right?
"North Side Star" from Cold Dark Place (2017)
Cold Dark Place was released six months after Emperor Of Sand and feels like an overlooked segment of Mastodon's discography. "Toe To Toes" is the only song from the EP that's made it to the stage thus far, and we're kindly requesting that "North Side Star" does too. That second half has some serious groove.
"The Beast" from Hushed & Grim (2021)
Not quite "Jaguar God" length, but "The Beast" isn't exactly a Napalm Death song either. "The Beast" is a slow burner that builds toward an energetic explosion, and would probably be best slotted into a show aimed at Mastodon's slower material. Also, we need a slow Mastodon show to happen.
"Savage Lands" from Hushed & Grim (2021)
"Savage Lands" is an ass kicker through and through. Brann Dailor's drums are pummeling, the gallop that kicks in as a part of the verses is savage (made heavier with the background screams), and the slowdown shortly after is full-body headbang worthy. "Savage Lands" deserves a shot, and I'm sure that end solo could segue into something else.
