Norwegian melodic black metal veterans ISKALD have unveiled the second official teaser for their upcoming sixth full-length album, Curse of the Mind, due out on September 25th via Dusktone. Following the first preview, this new teaser offers another glimpse into the album’s dark and expansive atmosphere, bringing together further excerpts from across the record.
Rather than revealing a single composition in isolation, the teaser highlights the different shades that shape Curse of the Mind from its melodic black metal foundations to its more imposing and atmospheric passages, offering a broader taste of what ISKALD have prepared for their return.
“For our second teaser we go deeper into the ritual. You will hear fragments from ‘Manifestation of Madness’, ‘A Burden of Hope’, ‘Curse of the Mind – Invocation II’, ‘The Sacrifice’ and ‘The Other Realm’. Where the first invocation opened the door, this one pulls you into the prison itself – isolation turning into doubt and psychological collapse. Helheim is not a place, it is the inner darkness taking shape, and the mind is the true battlefield. This passage leads directly to our first and only single before the album release, ‘The Other Realm’”.
Following the acclaimed Innhøstinga (2018), the new album marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band after signing with Dusktone in early 2026. Available on colored LP, black LP, CD Box and CD, Curse of the Mind was recorded during the summer of 2025 at Strand Studio in Beiarn, mixed and mastered by Hallstein Sandvin, and features artwork by SG7 Graphics.
For over two decades, ISKALD have stood among the leading names in Norwegian melodic black metal. Now performing as a five-piece, the band expands its trademark northern sound with its most ambitious and immersive work to date.
Built as a conceptual journey, Curse of the Mind unfolds through four interconnected chapters linked by ritualistic invocations, exploring themes of psychological torment, inner conflict, fragile hope and ultimate sacrifice. Framed within a stark, Norse-inspired vision of Helheim, the story is mythological in setting but deeply psychological at its core. Helheim is not merely a place, it is the shape taken by inner darkness. The true battlefield is the mind itself.
The album unfolds in four movements, connected by four ritual Invocations:
I. The Other Realm – The Descent Vast emptiness, fog and isolation.
II. Manifestation of Madness – The Prison Doubt, fragmentation and psychological collapse.
III. A Burden of Hope – The Fragile Light Strength found through accepting the darkness within.
IV. The Sacrifice – The Ritual Before the throne of Hela, suffering becomes meaningful.
Track-list:
Curse of the Mind – Invocation I
The Other Realm
Curse of the Mind – Invocation II
Manifestation of Madness
Curse of the Mind – Invocation III
A Burden of Hope
Curse of the Mind – Final Invocation
The Sacrifice
Line-up:
Aage Krekling – Vocals Simon Larsen – Guitars Ben Hansen – Guitars Isak Larsen – Drums Tobias Aubert – Bass
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson took aim at US President Donald Trump’s ‘Lake America’ antics as the metal giants opened their Run For Your Lives Tour in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday night.
Trump is in an ongoing trade war with his northern neighbours and has been delivering a series of jibes, including saying he would make Canada the “51st State” of the US.
And after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from trade talks this week, claiming the US negotiators had tried to move the goalposts at the last minute, Trump predictably did not take it well.
In an orchestrated media conference in the Oval Office this week, Trump crossed out the name of Lake Ontario on a map using a marker pen, and wrote “Lake America” in its place. He previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf Of America.
Dickinson has joined a string of people in pouring scorn on Trump’s stunt, telling the sold out audience at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night: “How long has it been since we have been to Toronto? Too long, too long. And in Canada, in fact.
“We got here, we crossed Lake Ontario, we will be crossing the Gulf of Mexico.
“It is a ridiculous state of the world.”
Trump’s stunt has drawn ridicule and anger from Canada and beyond. Carney responded by saying that no matter what the US calls it, Canadians will know it as “Lake Ontario – then, now and always.”
Ontario’s top-ranking politician, Premier Doug Ford, also hit back, comparing Trump’s stunt to a sketch from Saturday Night Live.
Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes of North America and sits between the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and the US state of New York to the south. Toronto is the capital city of Ontario.
Iron Maiden North American tour 2026 remaining dates
Aug 30: Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena * Sep 03: Montréal, QC – Parc Jean-Drapeau *^ Sep 05: Harrison, NJ – Sports Illustrated Stadium *^ Sep 09: Boston, MA – TD Garden * Sep 11: Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live * Sep 12: Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion * Sep 15: Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium * Sep 17: Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival Sep 19: Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater * Sep 22: Chicago, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre * Sep 25: Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium *^ Sep 29: San Antonio, TX – Alamodome *^
On August 24, 2026, at Morton Amphitheater just outside Kansas City, three very different bands turned an otherwise ordinary Monday night into a celebration of nearly five decades of American pop and rock music.
The evening began with The Romantics, bringing back those hard-hitting drums, retro guitar and classic hooks. Their music has always had a directness; songs like “Rock You Up” and “When I Look in Your Eyes” demand audience participation.
“Talking in Your Sleep” and, inevitably, “What I Like About You” were among the night’s most infectious moments. The latter remains almost impossible to resist live. It is one of those songs that can turn a seated amphitheater into a room full of people on their feet, singing and it did.
If The Romantics supplied the evening’s youthful energy, Christopher Cross supplied its elegance.
Cross’s music occupies a particularly interesting place in the history of popular music. His 1980 debut wasn’t simply successful—it was historic, earning five Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist.
More than four decades later, songs such as “Sailing,” “Ride Like the Wind,” “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” and “Never Be the Same” have acquired something beyond nostalgia. They have become atmosphere.
“Sailing” was especially effective in an outdoor amphitheater setting. Its gentle melody and spacious arrangement seemed almost designed for a summer evening, while “Ride Like the Wind” provided a welcome change of pace and demonstrated the musicianship behind Cross’s smooth pop exterior.
Then came Toto, and suddenly the evening became a master class in musicianship.
Led by the enduring partnership of guitarist Steve Lukather and vocalist Joseph Williams, Toto remains one of those bands that musicians seem to admire at least as much as the general public does. Their biggest songs are familiar, but hearing them performed live reveals just how much is going on beneath those familiar melodies.
“Rosanna,” “Hydra,” “I’ll Be Over You,” “Hold the Line” and “Africa” are not simply greatest-hits selections. They are showcases for arrangements that have aged remarkably well.
Lukather remains the centerpiece, bringing both technical precision and rock-and-roll bite to the guitar parts. Williams, meanwhile, gives Toto’s material the vocal power it requires. The result is polished without feeling overly clinical.
The most memorable moment of the night came when the three acts ultimately shared the stage for the finale. After spending the evening moving through three distinct musical worlds, The Romantics, Christopher Cross and Toto came together, turning the ending into a genuine celebration rather than simply another encore. The performance brought the evening full circle.
The night wasn’t really about reliving 1980. It was about discovering that music from that period still works in 2026.
There’s a version of the last eighteen months where I Prevail simply stopped. They lost the clean-vocal half of their identity when Brian Burkheiser stepped away in May 2025. Days later they lost Dave Shapiro, the agent who’d built their career, in the San Diego plane crash. Most bands would have called it a hiatus and disappeared for two years.
Instead I Prevail put out the heaviest record they’ve ever made, with Eric Vanlerberghe singing every single part on it. He joins Scott Penfold on this week’s Loaded Radio Podcast to talk about how that actually went. Listen below.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE NOW:
Eric Vanlerberghe on becoming I Prevail’s only voice, the surprise single that arrived from nowhere, what’s coming after Violent Nature, and a 2026 run that goes from Alexandra Palace to the Intuit Dome. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play, or hit play above.
One voice, two jobs
For a decade I Prevail worked on the model half of modern metalcore is built on: one man screams, one man sings, the chorus lifts.
Burkheiser handled the cleans from the band’s formation in 2013 until May 2025, when he stepped away. Eagle syndrome was cited at the time — an elongated styloid process producing chronic throat, neck and ear pain, which is about as brutal a diagnosis as a professional singer can get.
That left Vanlerberghe holding both jobs.
Speaking around the album’s release, he admitted there was a little uncertainty but that it had to be squashed down with confidence, and added the line that’s become the mission statement for this era: they’re not quitters, they’re just going to keep pushing.
Which sounds simple written down and isn’t. Screaming and clean singing are different instruments using the same equipment. Doing both for ninety minutes, four nights a week, across a full album cycle is a physical proposition most vocalists never have to attempt — and he had to work it out in public, on tour, with an audience that had spent ten years hearing someone else sing those parts.
Live, the load gets shared where it can be. Rhythm guitarist Dylan Bowman covers additional vocals on stage, and the setlist itself has quietly become a piece of stamina engineering.
Burkheiser has since launched a solo project, SCATTERBRAIN, releasing his first track “Phases” in early 2026. Both camps have kept the specifics of the split largely private.
Violent Nature, a year on
Violent Nature landed on September 19, 2025 via Fearless Records — thirty-two minutes, no filler, and the heaviest thing in the catalogue.
The rollout ran five singles deep: the title track in May 2025, then “Into Hell,” “Rain,” “Annihilate Me” and “Pray.” It pulls deathcore, nu-metal, grunge and outright pop-rock through the same funnel and somehow holds together. Kerrang! gave it four out of five. Metal Hammer’s verdict was that it’s a little hit and miss but the hits go hard. It reached number 17 in Australia, a market the band would go on to properly conquer a few months later.
The structural change behind it matters more than the reviews. Jon Eberhard produced the record and then joined the band on bass and keys — which means I Prevail now tour with their producer permanently installed in the rhythm section.
That single fact explains almost everything about what’s happened to their writing since.
The current lineup: Vanlerberghe on vocals, Steve Menoian on lead guitar, Dylan Bowman on rhythm guitar and vocals, Eberhard on bass and keys, Gabe Helguera on drums.
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“Paradise” — the song that escaped the album
On June 26, 2026, I Prevail released “Paradise,” a collaboration with Amira Elfeky that didn’t exist when Violent Nature was finished.
It was written on the road in Europe. Which is only possible because of the Eberhard situation — having your producer in the band means a fully-formed demo can happen in a bunk with a laptop, rather than waiting for a studio block eighteen months later.
The video came from Orie McGinness, whose work with Bad Omens and Poppy tells you roughly what register it operates in.
And the band’s own framing of the song is unusually honest: they said they still don’t think they know exactly what they made.
That’s a more interesting statement than any press release. A band four albums deep, mid-cycle, writing something on a tour bus that they can’t quite categorise — and putting it out anyway rather than filing it for later.
Elfeky isn’t a one-off guest either. She joins the UK and European leg this autumn, which means “Paradise” goes into the live set with both voices intact.
So what’s next — deluxe, or a whole new record?
Asked earlier this year what the band was sitting on, Vanlerberghe was deliberately non-committal and obviously excited about it: they’ve got some cool stuff, it might be a deluxe, it might be a record, and at that point it was just a bunch of ideas.
Given “Paradise” came out of exactly that pile and went straight to release, the odds of more surfacing before this touring cycle ends look strong.
That’s the question I put to him directly on the episode, and his answer is the reason to listen.
The 2026 tour: Alexandra Palace to the Intuit Dome
I Prevail have already delivered their biggest Australian run to date — five cities in June 2026 including John Cain Arena in Melbourne and the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, with Imminence and Invent Animate supporting.
The back half of the year is bigger.
UK and Europe — with Polaris and Amira Elfeky
September 19 — Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy September 20 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy September 22 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse September 25 — London, UK @ Alexandra Palace September 26 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy September 30 — Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique October 1 — Tilburg, NL @ 013 October 3 — Düsseldorf, DE @ PSD Bank Dome October 5 — Stuttgart, DE @ Porsche Arena October 6 — Paris, FR @ Zénith October 8 — Zurich, CH @ Halle 622 October 9 — Milan, IT @ Alcatraz October 10 — Vienna, AT @ Wiener Stadthalle October 12 — Warsaw, PL @ Stodoła October 13 — Berlin, DE @ Velodrom
North America — with Three Days Grace
October 23 through November 22, 2026, covering the South, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, California and the Southwest, wrapping at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
They also play Mexico City on December 12 on a bill with Babymetal.
Alexandra Palace to the Intuit Dome inside two months is a serious year for a band who spent the previous one working out whether they could still function. If you’re planning the rest of the calendar, our 2026 touring guide has the wider picture.
The other thing that shaped this era happened away from the stage entirely.
Dave Shapiro — Sound Talent Group co-founder, and one of the most consequential agents in modern heavy music — died in the San Diego plane crash on May 22, 2025, days before the Violent Nature campaign began in earnest. He’d guided I Prevail’s career for years.
Vanlerberghe has said the loss scrambled the band’s touring plans and left a hole no reshuffle could fill.
Losing your co-vocalist and your agent inside a fortnight, then walking into an album cycle anyway, is not a normal set of circumstances. It’s worth remembering that when you look at what they actually shipped.
Magic cards, retro consoles, and the shop in Michigan
When the buses stop, Vanlerberghe goes to work somewhere else.
He co-owns Black Vault Gaming in St. Clair Shores, Michigan — a bricks-and-mortar shop dealing in retro consoles, Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and tournament nights. By his own account it’s grown well beyond what he expected. He’s drafted Magic on camera with Frank Iero. His vinyl and card collections are, by all reports, a problem.
It’s a genuinely useful window into how a man decompresses from a job that now demands his entire voice every night. And it puts him in a growing group of heavy music people building something outside the band that isn’t a merch line — a symptom of the same broader shift that’s made this the healthiest decade for the genre in twenty years.
TL;DR
This week’s Loaded Radio Podcast: Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail.
The change: he’s been the band’s sole vocalist since Brian Burkheiser stepped away in May 2025, handling both screams and cleans for the first time in the band’s history.
The record: Violent Nature, out September 19, 2025 via Fearless Records. Thirty-two minutes, five singles, and the heaviest album in their catalogue.
The structural shift: producer Jon Eberhard joined the band on bass and keys, meaning I Prevail now write and demo anywhere, including on a tour bus.
The new song: “Paradise,” released June 26, 2026 with Amira Elfeky. Written on the road in Europe, and not part of the album sessions.
What’s next: unconfirmed. Vanlerberghe has said it might be a deluxe or it might be a record.
The tour: UK and Europe from September 19 with Polaris and Amira Elfeky, then North America with Three Days Grace from October 23, finishing at the Intuit Dome. Mexico City follows on December 12.
FAQ
Who sings for I Prevail now?
Eric Vanlerberghe is I Prevail’s sole vocalist, handling both clean singing and screams since Brian Burkheiser’s departure in May 2025. Rhythm guitarist Dylan Bowman contributes additional vocals live. Vanlerberghe performed every vocal on the band’s 2025 album Violent Nature.
Why did Brian Burkheiser leave I Prevail?
Burkheiser stepped away in May 2025, with Eagle syndrome cited at the time — a condition involving an elongated styloid process that causes chronic throat, neck and ear pain. He has since launched a solo project called SCATTERBRAIN, releasing the track “Phases” in early 2026. Both parties have kept the specifics largely private.
What is I Prevail’s song “Paradise”?
A standalone single released on June 26, 2026 featuring vocalist Amira Elfeky. It was written while the band was touring Europe, after Violent Nature was completed, with a video directed by Orie McGinness. Elfeky joins I Prevail on their UK and European tour dates.
Is I Prevail releasing a new album in 2026?
Nothing has been formally announced. Vanlerberghe has said the band has new material in progress and that it might be a deluxe edition or it might be a new record, but that it remains at an early stage.
Where can I see I Prevail on tour in 2026?
The UK and European run goes from September 19 to October 13 with Polaris and Amira Elfeky, taking in Alexandra Palace in London on September 25. North American dates with Three Days Grace run October 23 to November 22, finishing at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. They also play Mexico City on December 12.
One voice doing two jobs, a record made in the worst year imaginable, and a song nobody planned. Which I Prevail era do you rate highest? Tell us in the comments. And keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.
Leprous’ most recent album, Melodies Of Atonement, followed the release of Aphelion three years earlier, which had featured a song co-written with their fans during Covid lockdown. That experience informed what they did with their eighth studio record – although not in the way it might have been expected, as they told Prog in 2024.
When crafting 202 album Aphelion, Leprous wrote the track Nighttime Disguise over a series of lockdown livestreams with the help of their fans. That experience, says guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke, “showed us that a lot of our fans are also musicians. I said that if we give them the option of combining different elements, like time signatures, then that’s what they’ll choose.”
He continues: “I was right. We ended up using three different time signatures, three different keys, both six- and eight-string guitars and acoustics. It has hectic riffs, epic brass, growling and high-pitched vocals. I guess our fans agree with Yngwie Malmsteen – more is more!”
Those who adore Nighttime Disguise will find plenty to love on new album Melodies Of Atonement. With Einar Solberg’s blossoming solo work set to explore the orchestrations that characterised Leprous’ previous three records, the prog metallers are going the other way.
“We wanted to see what we can do with the instruments we have in the band,” Solberg says. “We’ve also tried to use each member to the best. We tried to work more like a football team; you don’t have everyone playing in the same position at the same time.”
While slightly at odds with the Suhrke’s Malmsteen reference, Solberg reflects: “I think by removing elements, you can make other elements more prominent and shine more. Music doesn’t get bigger by adding stuff – that’s a misconception.
“Symphonic orchestras rarely have everyone playing at the same time. By removing some elements you can make the music so much more impactful when everyone does come together. We love to play with the dynamics. It was amazing to do it with only the five of us.”
Leprous’ blueprint remains multidimensional, allowing for new influences and ideas to seep in. “We wanted lots of 90s hip-hop grooves with Leprous on top,” Solberg reports. “Imagine B-Real from Cypress Hill rapping over the top of the intro of Like A Sunken Ship – that was the vibe we were going for.
“We’ve found we can do whatever we want, musically: once we’re all playing on it, no matter how much we change our sound, it will always sound like Leprous. When you stop trying and stop worrying about what you want to be, you put yourself be out there in the open for people to love or hate you.
“That is the key to originality. The human mind is universal; people always find something to recognise in their own life in your lyrics and music, even if it’s different from how it was intended.”
On Exciter’s first three albums, now widely regarded as classics – Heavy Metal Maniac, Violence & Force and Long Live the Loud – Allan Johnson’s bass playing and songwriting played a fundamental role in shaping the Canadian band’s speed/thrash metal sound. For Johnson, however, the Exciter chapter has now come to a definitive end. Following […]
A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex arrives with a lot to prove. Not only is it the conclusion to the already superb namesake trilogy (inspired by Arthur Rimbaud’s 19th century poem about Hamlet’s Ophelia), but also because it follows several other superb LPs that established Green Carnation as Norway’s premier progressive/gothic metal ensemble. Thankfully, it’s a very fitting – if potentially polarizing – finale to what’s likely the band’s most ambitious endeavor yet.
Maintaining what worked so well from 2025’s A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia and this year’s A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis, The Messiah Complex delivers the emotionally charged and eloquently constructed ride fans expect. Its audacious choice to devote virtually half of its runtime to a closing classical instrumental, however, may divide listeners, and ultimately, it’s that choice that’ll truly decide how you feel about the LP on its own and in comparison to its two precursors.
As singer Kjetil Nordhus explains in the official press release, the Dark Poem saga is Green Carnation’s “biggest achievement since Light of Day, Day of Darkness.” Indeed, the roughly two-hour triptych equals (or even surpasses) what the group achieved on their 2001 masterpiece. Plus, Nordhus and bassist/lyricist Stein Roger Sordal were adamant that each chapter worked on its own while having more impact when taken together, and on that front, The Messiah Complex greatly succeeds as both its own thing and as the unifier of the whole Dark Poem project.
The band also say that the bulk of The Messiah Complex features more “rich strokes of prog” amid sustaining its predecessors’ “collective anxiety over encroaching technology, power-hungry leaders and social division.” As for the titular orchestral suite, it “waves in themes from across the trilogy,” and as Nordhus clarifies, they knew it had to be done no matter how others felt about it:
Everyone we’ve talked to is surprised by what we chose to do with the orchestra. It’s a bold statement. But from the moment we started our journey into this trilogy, everyone in the band agreed that we were not going to accept any compromises. To end A Dark Poem with an orchestra and all its capabilities is a very proggy thing to do, like the great bands did back in the late ‘60s.
We’ll get to that track in a bit, but first it’s worth exploring why the first three tunes on The Messiah Complex are business as usual in the best possible ways.
Gratifyingly, opener “Unconditional Artificial Chemistry” finds Nordhus dishing out his trademark anthemic hybrid of dejection and empowerment while surrounded by sophisticated yet fairly straightforward and biting arrangements. Then, “The Messiah Complex” largely channels Green Carnation’s softer, sparser, and proggier side via atmospheric breaks, erratic outbursts, beautifully nuanced instrumentation, mournful singing, and contemplative Biblical songwriting (“A sign that suffers, is due to rejection / A mind that thinks of its own / Judgement is upon you, the Kingdom of Heaven is found at the stairs of a church”). As for “Broken Souls, Common Enemies,” it comes closest to being a ballad, with its vulnerable verses and impassioned choruses being decorated by trepid acoustic guitars, synths, percussion, and other delicate textures. That said, it also features some growling and corresponding metal accentuations (making it the most dynamically wide-ranging piece of the bunch).
As already mentioned, the magnificent (nearly 17-minute) “A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite” serves as the self-reflective climax of the entire Dark Poem voyage. Beginning subtly with all sorts of symphonic timbres and choral chanting, it expertly interweaves various motifs as it alternates tools and temperaments. It’s undoubtedly a breathtaking and aspiring endeavor full of rich tapestries, but at the same time, listeners who do adore Green Carnation’s typical approaches and/or don’t adore classical music may not be wholly satisfied by – and enamored with – the composition.
As both its own experience and the conclusion to the Dark Poem trilogy, The Messiah Complex is extremely successful at returning to (and building upon) the victories of what came before it. It offers everything Green Carnation devotees could want with its initial tunes, and no matter how atypical and contentious the finale may be for certain people, it’s hard not to admire its daringness, integrity, and sheer splendor. Above all else (and like its predecessors), The Messiah Complex showcases that Green Carnation aren’t slowing down after roughly 25 years; rather, they continue to rank among today’s most reliable, idiosyncratic, and gratifying progressive metal masters.
Tracklist
1. Unconditional Artificial Chemistry (6:09) [WATCH]
2. The Messiah Complex (6:48)
3. Broken Souls, Common Enemies (8:45)
4. A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite (16:47)
Full runtime: 38:31
Kjetil Nordhus — Vocals
Stein Roger Sordal — Bass, Keyboards, Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars
Endre Kirkesola — Keyboards, Organs, Synthesizers, Effects
Bjørn Harstad — Lead Guitars, Effects
Jonathan Alejandro Perez — Drums
MASTODON’s legacy deepens. I don’t have to tell fans anything about their previous works such as ‘Leviathan,’ “Blood Mountain,’ or ‘Crack The Sky,’ which were a three-album run that put the band on the map and defined their sound. They also won a Grammy for the song ‘Satan’s Curse’ from their 2017 album ‘Emperor of Sand.’ In a surprise twist of events however, Vocalist and Guitarist Brent Hinds abruptly left the band five months ago and tragically died in a motorcycle accident. The band was left with the aftermath. Enter ‘Marrow Deep.’ Bassist/Vocalist Troy Sanders describes the album as “a moment of rebirth rather than an ending,” and drummer Brann Dailor comments that the music was a way for him to help process grief, rather than just sitting with it. Guitarist Bill Kelliher further adds that “I bawled when listening to the finished album, but some of them were tears of joy.” Five years have passed since ‘Hushed and Grim’ was released. Taken literally, the new album title refers to something vast and monolithic.
Three songs were released ahead of the album, and they are what I would like to start the review with. If the lead single, ‘Your Ghost Again,’ is indicative of what the album will offer, we are in for a beating. It opens with a bang, and it covers ground fast. The vocals roar with an echo, and the riffs are punishing. The band also shows restraint at times by holding back the pain and releasing the monster at just the right time. You can hear complexities in the song, as well some psychedelica, but they aren’t the main focus. It’s mostly about commanding, towering riffs. ‘Snakes for Dinner’ is gritty, heavy, and downright rowdy. Another fast mover, it stomps over the ground like a giant, crushing the earth beneath its feet. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are excellent, and they provide a melodic edge along with the bevy of flying fists. The song is nuanced, with sophisticated leanings, but at the same time, it’s also palatable. Some might even call it inviting.
‘In the Ruins’ is slower at first, with clean, gentle guitar tones, and was inspired by the terrible impact of Hurricane Helene and the personal havoc it wreaked upon Troy and his family. They were essentially displaced from their home for two years, and this event coincided with the death of Brent. But the song is not just about trauma, it’s about his resilience to work through the displacement and come out stronger on the other side. The vocals are raspy, and also very emotional, and they are reflective of the desolation he must have felt. It’s a gentler departure from the sonic presence of the first two songs, but don’t think for a minute that it won’t move you. In the end, rougher and sharper tones indicate the triumph he gained over the experience. A leading song should give the listener an idea of what to expect from the album, and that’s what ‘Barbarian Blood’ does. It’s slow and powerful at times, and moving, shifting and animated at other times. It shows a band who doesn’t want to rest on one predictable sound. The keyboard solo towards the end adds a distinct middle eastern flair to the song, as if it was plucked from the desert itself. The surprises keep coming.
‘Poisonous Weapons’ has a commanding sound that isn’t without melody or emotion, and the two wrestle with one another throughout the song. The bridge provides a change from the hardened core, with lyrics like “blood-soaked stains resurrect the dead, parasitic rats feeding on the wound that’s in your head.” You can feel a measure of lamenting as he sings these lines, but the delivery of them is almost nonchalant. The machine rolls on. ‘Out Like a Lamb’ refers to the month of March in the climate of the northeast…the saying goes, “in like a lion, out like a lamb.’ Animated bass notes dance behind the vocals and riffs, and it shows more of the introspective side of the band. They aren’t just a vehicle that stays straight on the tracks, and this song showcases their deep pockets. ‘They’re Coming for You’ is darker, more twisted, even sinister at times. The riffs climb and descend and are backed by a healthy does of keyboards. The bass and drum work hold it all together. They create a massive slab of concrete for the rest of the band to play on. You can hear more Progressive elements in this song, particularly in how they shift the meter, and the chorus pushes hooks in the vocals.
‘Golden Spires’ begins with a succession of tom drum rolls that sound like rocks breaking free from a mountain, and the riffs are always on the move. Sometimes dissonant, and other times melodic, it’s the balance of might and power with restraint that I find most compelling here. They move these passages with the skill of a race car driver shifting gears through curves in the track. Towards the end, they throw in a flurry of dexterous lead guitar notes just to remind you of their prowess. ‘Moth and Bone’ is a total surprise, but also a welcomed one. Too many bruisers in a row can suggest the album is less dimensional, and this song shows the band at their most vulnerable. Vocals and keyboards are like the mist that clings to the air in the early morning, and the melody is tender and ethereal. You make an immediate attachment to the catchy nature of the song, just before they descend back down on top of you with hands extended and fists flying.
‘A Vampire’s Demeanor’ is as dark and nefarious as the title suggests, and the vocal screams and steady riffs act like a typhoon’s raging winds trying to bring down the mountain. For as heavy as the anger is, however, there are also gentler passages that provide a little reprieve from the ass kicking . ‘The Vanishing’ is a song that is steeped in the deep traditions of the band and their past albums. Fuzzy, powerful bass notes lead off the song in a psychedelic haze of sorts, before the guitars and vocals enter. The vocals have that heavy reverb that reminds me of the song ‘Planet Caravan’ by SABBATH. Bassist Sanders has mentioned that he was influenced by Geezer Butler, after all. The song is like an LSD trip…colorful and peaceful, but also strange. ‘The Three Fates’ is the final song, and also the longest. It’s a journey, even an exploration, across a plethora of landscapes and textures. In a spoken word segment, they talk about a curse that “slithers across the floor at a snail’s pace,” and “every brick, every stone stacked against you.” The message is as emotionally crushing as some of the music.
Twelve songs is a lot for an album these days, but it seems that the band has a lot to say. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this might be their most diverse album to date. In addition to bone-crushing sludgy riffs, and vocals that strike like lightning bolts, it’s the bass and drum section that I admire most. They lay the foundation that the entire album is built on, and it’ something that won’t crack under pressure. There are other things at work…psychedelica, bossy lead guitar runs, and even some introspective features of the album that may reflect the band’s previous sense of trails and tribulations. It’s a statement for me. A statement of pain that transforms into revival, turning grief and uncertainly into one of their most focused efforts to date. This is MASTODON clawing their way back to the top and admiring the view.
1. Barbarian’s Blood
2. Poisonous Weapons
3. Your Ghost Again
4. Snakes For Dinner (feat. Josh Homme)
5. Out Like A Lamb
6. In The Ruins
7. They’re Coming For You
8. Golden Spires
9. Moth And Bone
10. A Vampire’s Demeanor
11. The Vanishing
12. The Three Fates
Brann Dailor – Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Bill Kelliher – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Troy Sanders – Bass, Vocals
Nick Johnston – Guitars, Backing Vocals
João “Rasta” Nogueira – Keyboards, Synthesizers
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