The mastodon (the animal) went extinct about 10,000 years ago, but Mastodon (the band) refuse to go anywhere. The Atlanta metal maestros formed in January 2000 – “the Y2K thing didn’t happen, so we had a new lease on life,” singer/bassist Troy Sanders later joked – and quickly became one of their generation’s trailblazers. Where most of their New Wave Of American Heavy Metal contemporaries were out-and-out metal acts, they rewrote the script, adding prog, psychedelia and three-singer harmonies to their riffy onslaughts.
Since they broke through with savage single Blood And Thunder, the band’s story has been one of endurance. They’ve survived alcoholism (guitarist Bill Kelliher entered rehab in the early 2010s), the losses of loved ones (as tackled on 2017’s Emperor Of Sand and 2021’s Hushed And Grim), and even the departure and later death of founding guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds in 2025. But through it all, Mastodon have been one of the most consistent forces in heavy music, and their relaunch with added members Nick Johnston (guitars) and Joao Nogueira (keyboards) spells a triumphant new era.
