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COLD DARK PLACE

Mastodon

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal


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Mastodon Cold Dark Place album cover
3.26 | 47 ratings | 3 reviews | 21% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, released in 2017

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. North Star (6:10)
2. Blue Walsh (5:12)
3. Toe To Toe (4:29)
4. Cold Dark Place (5:59)

Total Time: 21:50



Line-up / Musicians

- Brent Hinds / lead guitar, vocals
- Troy Sanders / bass, vocals
- Brann Dailor / drums, vocals



Releases information

Label: Reprise Records
Format: CD, Digital, Vinyl (Ltd Ed)
September 22, 2017 (CD, Digital), October 27, 2017 (Vinyl)

Three of the songs were recorded during sessions for 2014 album Once More 'Round The Sun, while the fourth was laid down while the band worked on most recent LP Emperor Of Sand.

Thanks to mbzr48 for the addition
and to TCat for the last updates
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MASTODON Cold Dark Place ratings distribution


3.26
(47 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(21%)
21%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(40%)
40%
Good, but non-essential (30%)
30%
Collectors/fans only (6%)
6%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

MASTODON Cold Dark Place reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by siLLy puPPy
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
2 stars Following 2017's full release album "Emperor Of The Sand," Atlanta based sludge metal outfit MASTODON gave hardcore fans another slice of their unreleased material on this four track EP titled COLD DARK PLACE which came out in September digitally and on CD but also as a limited edition ten-inch vinyl edition that came out at the end of October 2017.

COLD DARK PLACE is basically the leftover tracks from the band's last two album session. "North Side Star," "Blue Walsh" and the title track all date back to 2014 from the "Once More 'Round The Sun" sessions and "Toe To Toes" comes from the latest "Emperor Of Sand" sessions.

There is nothing on this EP that you wouldn't expect. Nothing here is experimental or out of the parameters of the band's established style that was displayed on the retrospective albums that these were initially recorded for. MASTODON has been toning down the heaviness in their music ever since the 2011 album "The Hunter" and COLD DARK PLACE shows the band continuing their journey into less metal territory with more emphasis on progressive rock.

While most tracks are on the borderline of progressive rock and metal, "Toe To Toes" is exceptionally mellow for MASTODON's overall sound. There are more clean vocals displayed on this EP than on any proper album. Overall i'm not too keen on MASTODON's direction that they've been going.

While metal bands mellowing out and going prog rock isn't anything new or something i'm against in any way, MASTODON seems to be getting stale with super predictable tunes that cruise on auto pilot. This EP is okay with nothing being offensive but i find it quite boring compared to the greatness they unleashed a decade ago.

2.5 but rounded DOWN!!!

Review by Rivertree
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions
3 stars It is said that this EP originally was conceived as a Brent Hinds solo album. Die-hard MASTODON fans might be disappointed or maybe even upset. No reason to be biased though, as this is my first encounter with the band, for what I can remember. And, if well crafted, I do like such stuff in general. Anyway, heavy prog songs are given here, the focus is more on melody and atmosphere instead of shredding, brachial, thrashy metal riffs. Well, this move is not really surprisingly new, other bands like Opeth or Pain Of Salvation are brothers in arms here. Who really is keen on being repetitive in style again and again? And so the opening song North Side Star delivers a somewhat southern rock style, amongst other things due to the use of a pedal steel guitar.

The title track even unfolds a slight psychedelic orientation, multiple acoustic and electric guitar input plus extraordinary solo right towards the end. Super! If there is a minus ever, unfortunately the cover picture is too much darkened when it comes to me. Yes, this matches to the global design according to the album title. But you are not really able to explore the painting's expensive details, too bad. Though the main conclusion is that 'Cold Dark Place' offers four enjoyable songs in a highly melodic heavy rocking manner, coming closer to bands like Magnum, Tiles, Zip Tang instead of genuine prog metal. 3.5 stars.

Latest members reviews

4 stars I usually consider Cold Dark Place more of a Brent Hinds solo album with the helping hand of his band companions than a Mastodon album. It is clear since the first notes of "North Side Star" that these are songs written by Hinds, and there were even rumours at the time that said this EP was mean ... (read more)

Report this review (#2669514) | Posted by eduardico21 | Thursday, January 6, 2022 | Review Permanlink

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