Mastodon - Leviathan ALBUM REVIEW

Leviathan is the 2004 sophomore record by Georgia-based band Mastodon. Hailing from the seminal Atlanta sludge scene, the record showcases the doom/thrash inspired sound with southern-rock influences characteristic of the scene. Mastodon however spice the formula up by mixing in progressive metal elements, and by presenting the music as a shaping the record around a central narrative, thus making it a conceptual record.

 

Coming in as abrasive as 10,000 years worth of crashing waves, Leviathan is a gigantic display of musicianship, at least as gigantic as the animal on the cover sleeve. Being a conceptual album, throughout its run there’s a story to be told and listened to. It is a musical adaptation of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, and vaguely refers to the narrative told in the novel, namely the hunt for the white whale, holy grail. Employing down-tuned, sludgy guitars and frantic percussion, the record surely sounds aggressive. This is however tastefully presented, serving as the emotional foundation for the ideas that it tries to evoke. By using this abrasiveness in its own favor, the harshness of the hunt is beautifully conveyed. One can easily imagine the storm of salt, blood and teeth that the story is about through the music. An adventurous and aggressive atmosphere is maintained along duration the duration of the record, providing what I found to be a very pleasing experience for all the senses that music can affect! All in all there’s a lot of synesthetic enjoyment to be had in this one. I can easily picture grey skies and crashing waves to sound of this one. Despite its extreme-metal sound, Leviathan has a lot of unexpected twists and turns that reflect the eclecticism of the musicians who wrote the music, and make the record sound erudite. This, along with the literary classicism evoked by the concept adapted, creates a tasty juxtaposition between between the danger and thrill of adventure and a scholarly, “old-book-smell” aesthetic.

 

This record has been accompanying me for years now, and I have yet to grow tired of it. Leviathan flows well, is surprising and exciting. It surely asks for repeated listens, since it cushions so well one’s imagination in the story told. It also depicts a timeless adventure, now immortalized in sound, so there’s the promise of it never wearing old.

 

Verdict: TRVE AND KVLT