[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwgqenxNUfs[/youtube]
Earlier today, a new Mastodon song called “Black Tongue” leaked online. Later in the night, though, Mastodon posted the song themselves on their YouTube account. While we’ve heard a snippet of “Black Tongue” before, now we get to hear the song in its entirety. Plus, the video includes footage of AJ Fosik creating the sculpture that appears on the cover of The Hunter. It’s a cool look into the creative process to see the making of the sculpture/album cover (which is the first Mastodon cover not created by Paul Romano).
Our first impression of the song? It kicks ass. Any thoughts about producer Mike Elizondo (Gwen Stefani, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent) making the band softer can be thrown out the window. It’s a perfect combination of the meaty riffs from Leviathan and the more proggy side of their last two albums. “Long before I had done any stuff with Dr. Dre, most of my early band experiences were in metal bands,” Elizondo told Rolling Stone. “It just became one of those things where I put it out there that I was interested and waited to see if anyone took me seriously.” The article also confirms something we knew after hearing three songs earlier this month. The album, unlike their first four, doesn’t have an overarching concept – it’s just the band letting loose and, in their words, “having fun.” That means there won’t be any of the lengthy prog of Crack the Skye, but why would they want to do that again right after that album?
Along with the new song, Mastodon also revealed when their new album will be released. The Hunter is set to come out on September 27. And so the countdown has begun.
