Listening to it once again, in preparation for them playing the whole album on tour later this month. Over time I've found myself going from enjoying High Road less than the rest of the album to now actively disliking it. It just kills the momentum from the first two tracks, and whilst I'm not sure I'd count any of the songs on the album as brilliant, they're all consistently fine with great moments, aside from this tedious chugger. Why it was the leading song I have no idea.

Written by musclassia on 11.11.2014 at 17:24

Listening to it once again, in preparation for them playing the whole album on tour later this month. Over time I've found myself going from enjoying High Road less than the rest of the album to now actively disliking it. It just kills the momentum from the first two tracks, and whilst I'm not sure I'd count any of the songs on the album as brilliant, they're all consistently fine with great moments, aside from this tedious chugger. Why it was the leading song I have no idea.

Maybe because of the catchy chorus? Which is a good change-up from those chugging verses with Troy singing roughish vocals. On another issue, just so happy that Brann is playing a lot of china crash on this album.

Written by Ace Frawley on 12.11.2014 at 05:22

Written by musclassia on 11.11.2014 at 17:24

Listening to it once again, in preparation for them playing the whole album on tour later this month. Over time I've found myself going from enjoying High Road less than the rest of the album to now actively disliking it. It just kills the momentum from the first two tracks, and whilst I'm not sure I'd count any of the songs on the album as brilliant, they're all consistently fine with great moments, aside from this tedious chugger. Why it was the leading song I have no idea.

Maybe because of the catchy chorus? Which is a good change-up from those chugging verses with Troy singing roughish vocals. On another issue, just so happy that Brann is playing a lot of china crash on this album.

Maybe I guess, by this point I don't even find the chorus catchy anymore, just dreary. I still like the instrumental bridge, but then I like all the instrumental bridges on the album so it's not that big a deal. But if people do like it, more power them.

First time I listened to this around 3 am out of town riding to airport, it was raining, such great record to hear in the car.

Never been able to understand the assumed majesty of this band. Is this a good place to retry?

Written by mz on 19.12.2014 at 14:26

Never been able to understand the assumed majesty of this band. Is this a good place to retry?

Yes. I keep repeating that, but Mastodon is a hit/miss band for me, and this one is a hit.

Written by mz on 19.12.2014 at 14:26

Never been able to understand the assumed majesty of this band. Is this a good place to retry?

Crack The Skye is the only one I found myself liking.

Written by mz on 19.12.2014 at 14:26

Never been able to understand the assumed majesty of this band. Is this a good place to retry?

Once again, we share opinions. I've tried Crack the Skye, too, and Blood Mountain. Nothing satisfies.

Written by mz on 19.12.2014 at 14:26

Never been able to understand the assumed majesty of this band. Is this a good place to retry?

I'd suggest starting from the debut ... it's the best thing they've written.

Written by InnerSelf on 19.12.2014 at 16:54


I'd suggest starting from the debut ... it's the best thing they've written.

Indeed. It is by far the best album they have released.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.12.2014 at 17:16

Indeed. It is by far the best album they have released.

Hmmm maybe I should go over them again but this one was more awesome to me.

Written by angel. on 19.12.2014 at 17:29


Hmmm maybe I should go over them again but this one was more awesome to me.

It is totally different, far harsher and grittier and has way more noisecore in it and has nothing to do with the slick sounding progressive sludge they play nowadays.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.12.2014 at 17:32

It is totally different, far harsher and grittier and has way more noisecore in it and has nothing to do with the slick sounding progressive sludge they play nowadays.

Yeah I see what you mean, they're far different, still this record also clicked right when I played it. Do you mean untidy sound is preferred when it comes to sludge ?

Written by nocty on 24.10.2014 at 09:51

Written by Ace Frawley on 17.07.2014 at 10:43

I dunno, some of this stuff is just so catchy that it gets stuck in my head like a pop song and I can't get rid of it and then I start hating it. Still love it but maybe loving it too much, if that makes sense.

i feel you completely
go lsten to the new at the gates album
its one of the best of the century
this album is top 5 of the year and altogether a masterpiece cant say its not well made.

"its one of the best of the century "
Seriously?

Motherload and High Road are really good songs! This album is what I waited from them!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ye heavy, it's definitely heavy
Heavy Score: 7 or 8 (can't decide my system is fucked)

For ranking system see: Poat's Heavy Ranking System

Nothing interesting for me in this album, just boring songs going nowhere... I guess I'll have to stick with Crack the Skye.

Written by koob on 10.11.2015 at 21:05

Nothing interesting for me in this album, just boring songs going nowhere... I guess I'll have to stick with Crack the Skye.

Definitely their peak was Crack The Skye. This album is a pile of meh.

This album is great until the middle. Then I feel, for the first time with Mastodon, that they ran out of gas and filled in the album to make it long enough. No matter what kind of music they were writing, they've always been able to make an idea go somewhere. On this one, something is off. I think The Hunter was incredibly more interesting.

Fairly cool. High Road rocks.

Written by afu on 05.12.2015 at 20:03

I feel, for the first time with Mastodon, that they ran out of gas and filled in the album to make it long enough.
...
I think The Hunter was incredibly more interesting.

Pretty sure The Hunter had just as much filler material, they just more effectively spaced it out between the actually decent songs.

Written by Jaeryd on 17.05.2016 at 21:46

Written by afu on 05.12.2015 at 20:03

I feel, for the first time with Mastodon, that they ran out of gas and filled in the album to make it long enough.
...
I think The Hunter was incredibly more interesting.

Pretty sure The Hunter had just as much filler material, they just more effectively spaced it out between the actually decent songs.

That's possible. I think it was an overall better album than this, but it's opinion and taste. However, they were playing nearly every song in their sets. They thought highly enough of the songs from The Hunter to play most of them live, which is not a normal thing an established band would do if they felt the songs were filler to round out an album.

On OMRTS, there're about 4 or 5 songs I think are awesome, there're a few I like, and a couple I don't like at all. I still gave it a very good rating, because the good songs shine quite brightly, but the overall quality seems to be lowered just a bit.

I hope Brent got the break he needed and they eventually come back with a totally mind-blowing album.

Written by afu on 19.05.2016 at 17:56

I hope Brent got the break he needed and they eventually come back with a totally mind-blowing album.

I personally would love more stuff like Remission or Leviathan, but I know that's never going to happen, so I at least hope they go back to doing something more interesting in the same vein as Crack the Skye, which is my other favorite album from their discography, and much closer to the style of The Hunter and OMRTS.

Pretty much a perfect album to me, apart from those annoying chants at the end of "Aunt Lisa" - would have worked better without! This album clicked with me on first listen unlike other Mastodon albums.

The chants of Aunt Lisa omg what were they thinking