A few days ago, we learned some minimal info about the new Mastodon record, but today I can report a ton more information has surfaced on one of the most anticipated releases of 2011. Brent Hinds recently spoke to SPIN Magazine and gave up a ton more info on what bands can expect from the album:
On how this record compares to previous releases:
"Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye — those albums took too long to make," says Hinds. "This only took us a couple weeks to record and there's a totally different feeling to it. It's a jump-on-your-bed, get naked, and go streaking kind of record. I haven't had this feeling about a Mastodon record since [2004's] Leviathan. It's just fucking awesome.
"We've got a song about fighting, there's a song about lifting heavy stuff, there's a song about people on meth creeping around in trees trying to get the best wood grain out of a tree to sell it at Lowe's for [drug] money… The album is kind of silly. We're taking the piss out of things."
On the working title for the record:
Still, the album won't be totally "silly" — it will also include reflections on personal tragedies the band has undergone over the last year. For "The Sparrow," Hinds penned a tribute to his brother, who died unexpectedly last December while hunting. (In fact, Mastodon have two working titles for the album in honor of Brad: The Hunter or Brother.)
On the sonic vibe of the record:
"It sounds like Zeppelin with these smooth buttery vocals and a huge Jimmy Page-style guitar solo. Me and Brann play off each other also in this sort of proggy way. There's a lot of stuff for the listener to tweak their ear to."
Hinds is certainly saying all the right things to get me super excited for this record. While I really enjoyed Blood Mountain and especially Crack The Skye, I love that the band is going back to their less-proggy roots and just seemingly having fun with recording again. This one should be a fun release!
