Mastodon’s “Once More ‘Round the Sun” is as Exciting as Hard Rock Gets

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Mastodon
Once More ‘Round the Sun
Reprise

Heavy metal is so prone to self-parody and general silliness that it’s shocking to remember how powerful the music can be when done correctly. Current Exhibit A: the Atlanta quartet Mastodon, whose ear-shredding Once More ‘Round the Sun is as exciting as hard rock gets. Of course, they’ve never been a stereotypical knuckle-dragging crew, with earlier credits including a concept album inspired by Moby Dick (Leviathan) and a split seven-inch collaboration with folk-pop siren Feist, on which both parties covered one of the other’s tunes. Here, songs like “The Motherload” and “Aunt Lisa” are taut, soaring epics marked by piercing guitars, clattering drums and heroic vocals. There’s plenty of spots on the album where Mastodon could be mistaken for a punk band, so don’t be afraid to shed those preconceptions and dive in for a righteously noisy experience.