Second album, first summit. Leviathan (2004) is a concept record inspired by Melville’s Moby Dick, and it is the album where Mastodon tip from promising young band to major force in metal. The hunt for the white whale becomes a sonic odyssey of mad ambition.
The band perfect their formula here: the sludge grows more melodic, more adventurous, without losing any of its power. « Blood and Thunder », its now-legendary opening riff, launches the assault; « I Am Ahab », « Iron Tusk » and above all the immense « Hearts Alive » (nearly fourteen minutes) unfurl progressive architectures of unheard-of richness. Brann Dailor delivers one of the greatest drumming performances of his generation.
Hailed on release as one of the decade’s best metal albums, Leviathan has lost none of its force. It is a total record, where technique, melody and narration fuse into a single gesture.
Verdict: 9. A monument. The moment Mastodon impose their vision and redefine what a metal record can tell. Essential.
