On an unseasonably toasty Seattle morning in April, 2004, four dishevelled men stumble out of the Extended Stay hotel that has served as their quarters for the past month. Powering through the lingering effects of the prior evening’s revelry, they pack their lives into the back of a battered white van. Despite the daunting 40-hour drive home to Atlanta, they are buzzing with excitement. After hours in the studio, they literally hold their fortunes in their hands – the rough mix to their forthcoming album, Leviathan.
“We bought a 30-pack of Rainier beer for the van,” recalls Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor, speaking with Metal Hammer via Zoom, decked out in an Ozzy t-shirt and drinking coffee from a mug featuring John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. “It was just the four of us and the rough mix of Leviathan. I think we listened to it five times in a row! Ha ha! It was such an exciting time. The feeling among the band was, ‘Wait ’til they hear this!’”
