Mastodon Releases “Hushed and Grim”

by Kevin Johnson Tuesday, November 16th, 2021

Mastodon: Hushed and Grim In September of 2018, Nick John passed away from pancreatic cancer. Of the many hats he wore, one was being the manager for Mastodon. The metal mainstays recorded and released a cover of “Stairway to Heaven” in his memory with proceeds going to cancer research, but their profound loss has taken full shape in their newest full-length release, Hushed and Grim.

The record, which is their first double album, explores depths of sorrow while also pondering life’s bigger questions.

“’Hushed and Grim’ is kind of towards the end of our living days with Nick. It wasn’t great. It was horrible,” bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders told Heavy Consequence. “Losing someone to that disease is just so… How life can throw such horrific diseases at such beautiful people can fuel some frustration and anger that’s unbelievable. So, ‘Hushed and Grim’ stems from that vibe of being with Nick on his final days. He was the fifth member of the band, so it was like losing a band member and a best friend at the same time. ‘Hushed and Grim’ resembles the feeling and vibe of being with him at the end and how painful that was to witness and go through. In a nutshell, that’s what it is.”

The lyrical depth is matched by the band’s musical prowess, drawing you in with monster riffs and melodies. Sanders also puts the bass up front with a solo in the song “Teardrinker”, which you can catch at the 3:15 mark: