Atlanta metal band Mastodon have released their much-anticipated eighth studio album, Hushed and Grim, via Reprise Records.
As Troy Sanders explained to Heavy Consequence, the new double album is deeply personal for Mastodon. Late band manager Nick John served as the inspiration for the set, as the band chronicled his battle with pancreatic cancer.
“He was monumental in our existence,” Sanders says. “Almost as important, or more important, than being our band’s manager, he was our dear friend. I always called him my friend before I called him, ‘Oh, He’s also our manager.’ That’s kind of how our relationship worked, not just with me and him but all four of us in the band. He scooped us up in 2004 and, without compromising anything at all, brought us to many bigger and better stages all over the whole world, so we wouldn’t have the career that we have if it weren’t for him.”
That said, the Hushed and Grim isn’t all “gloom and doom.” Sanders adds, “The record is not intended to bring people in and make people sad and cry. But, there’s a depth to the album, and the meaning of the album will hopefully translate to a lot of people and be very relatable and hopefully touch people in a good way.”
The album’s lead single, “Pushing the Tides,” arrived in September of this year and served as the first bit of music off the release. The track was classic Mastodon, featuring dark riffs, mountainous rhythms and an eerie melody.
Leading up to the full release of Hushed and Grim, Mastodon unleashed two other tracks: “Teardrinker” and “Sickle and Peace.”
The band also announced a co-headlining tour with Opeth, which kicks off November 16th in Asheville, North Carolina. Tickets for the outing, which features support from Zeal & Ardor, are available here.
Purchase Hushed and Grim from Amazon. Stream the full album below, followed by our recent video interview with Troy Sanders.
