LEVIATHAN

Mastodon's sludged-out take on the classic Moby Dick take kicks off in brilliant fashion with Blood and Thunder, mashing up technical, complex playing, roaring vocals, and a singalong chant that wouldn't go amiss on one of Marilyn Manson's more enjoyable albums. The combination of the progressive and the accessible into a new and unfamiliar configuration continues throughout the album as we travel with Mastodon in pursuit of the white whale, with the fuzzy guitars of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher unlocking choppy soundscapes reminiscent of the thrashing of the ocean in an enormous storm. It takes a few listens before the layered complexities of the album really begin to reveal themselves, but this is an album which amply rewards patience.