Bill Kelliher recently sat down with Guitar World and revealed which Mastodon album saved their career.
“But when we were in Rolling Stone for ‘Leviathan,’ and they were giving us accolades like, ‘There’s much more to these Neanderthals than just sludge metal – they read books.’ It gave us some credibility,” the guitarist discussed how ‘Leviathan’ helped them stand out in the metal scene.”That really helped us stick out as not just another metal band.”
Kelliher further talked about the record, “Looking back at ‘Leviathan,’ that’s really where our career moved up a notch. It’s a defining moment in our history. The best-selling record it seems like, too.”
So, Mastodon’s breakthrough came with their 2004 album ‘Leviathan,’ which was inspired by ‘Moby-Dick.’ This album helped them gain attention. Before ‘Leviathan,’ the band was still building their name, and the album marked a turning point in their career.
Mastodon is currently working on their ninth album as a follow-up to 2021’s ‘Hushed and Grim.’ In June, the band’s drummer Brann Dailor posted a video on Instagram showing his drum kit at West End Sound recording studio.
“Set up! Looking good and sounding good down at West End Sound,” Dailor wrote in the caption of his post. “Got after it today! Excited to do more! Eternally grateful to Tama Drums, Evans Drumheads, Vater Drumsticks, and Meinl Cymbals for helping me along the way. Donny Gillies with the sick paint job!”
“New Mastodon cooking?” a fan asked in the comment section. “Something like that,” replied the musician. “Fifteen years ago today, we unveiled ‘Crack The Skye,’” the band also wrote on Instagram in March. “A time where we experimented with sounds and styles previously unexplored on a Mastodon album. We’re deeply thankful for our fans, who have embraced our continuous drive to venture into new realms and challenge ourselves with every album.”
They added, “Maybe we are cooking up some new stuff up in the background?… but that’s our little secret… In the meantime, revisit the album and share your favorite songs, riffs, melodies, and moments with us, we love hearing from you! Who knows, maybe there’s a new configuration of the ‘CTS’ album on the horizon…”
Mastodon is touring with Lamb of God in North America, performing ‘Leviathan’ on its 20th anniversary. After two shows in Canada, they will also perform in Portland, Inglewood, and Phoenix.