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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Blood Mountain
by Mastodon


9.1

based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 95 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The Atlanta metal band's third album marks their major-label debut.

LABEL:	Reprise
RELEASE DATE:	12 September 2006
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Alternative, Rock, Metal

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Alternative Press

Hearing Blood Mountain in its entirety is like awaking from a coma to discover you have working ears. [Oct 2006, p.206]

100

Playlouder

Put simply: there isn't a bad track on 'Blood Mountain', which will be seen as the metal release of this year, on whichever level you care to mention.

100

Drowned In Sound

If you’ve any interest, whatsoever, in rock music in any of its subgenre forms, you need to afford Blood Mountain some considerable attention.

100

PopMatters

With Blood Mountain, Mastodon have completed a three-album arc that most young bands can only dream of, culminating in a record that’s as thrilling as it is multifaceted, as melodic as it is bludgeoning.

100

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Blood Mountain is terrifying in scope as well as execution.

Delusions of Adequacy

One could go on for hours about the qualities of each individual song, but it is the way they coalesce as a whole that makes Blood Mountain an incredible listen from start to finish.

Paste Magazine

A study in elemental force that rides the line between thrash and plod with enlightened originality and compositional skill to spare. [Dec 2006, p.89]

Pitchfork

If Blood Mountain, their brilliantly upsized and unrelenting third album, doesn't confirm their position as the greatest big-time metal crew on earth, I demand a state-by-state recount.

New Musical Express

The perfect entwining of brain and brawn. [9 Sep 2006, p.37]

Observer Music Monthly

A truly original, innovative, heavy-as-hell, interesting heavy metal record that you can listen to more than twice without wanting to smash it to a million pieces with an axe.

Rolling Stone

Yes, sometimes more is better. [21 Sep 2006, p.82]

The New York Times

"Blood Mountain" is a strong record by a powerful band nearing an ideal of cohesion.

All Music Guide

Blood Mountain is everything fans both hoped for and feared. Mastodon has dug even deeper in its foray into prog metal, but without losing an ounce of their power, literacy, or willingness to indulge in hardcore punk, doom, and death metal.

ShakingThrough.net

Intense, invigorating and beguiling.

Uncut

Mastodon mostly veer clear of the slick atmospherics that turn other technical metal bands into post-rock wallpaper. [Oct 2006, p.117]

cokemachineglow

Most of the songs show the band in top form.

Entertainment Weekly

Major-label metal hasn't sounded this hungry since Metallica got haircuts. [20 Oct 2006, p.81]

Q Magazine

Baffling, but exhilarating. [Nov 2006, p.144]

Stylus Magazine

An album of many highlights but not much visceral or emotional impact.

Austin Chronicle

Blood Mountain is a big slab to grab, especially shakier bits such as Josh Homme stinking up "Colony of Birchmen."

Blender

Problem is, Blood Mountain's hail of convoluted riffs and abrupt time-signature changes never settles into one of Leviathan's mammoth grooves. [Oct 2006, p.137]

Spin

They're still not so great at turning their majesitc heft and pushy paradiddles into memorable songs with hooks. [Oct 2006, p.100]

Prefix Magazine

When the members of Mastodon decided to make an audiophile's wet dream of a metal album, they abandoned the vein-bulging spontaneity of their former selves.

The Guardian

Syrupy, multi-tracked vocals akin to Supertramp in a particularly foul mood have replaced the primal roar of old, while their tectonic hugeness has been supplanted by the wearisome over-indulgence of musos at play.

The average user rating for this album is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 95 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Steve S. gave it a10:
The most original and and interesting album of the decade. Brilliant.

Scott B. gave it a10:
This is THE perfect metal album. Bloody brilliant!

Jak H gave it a9:
Of the 11 tracks on Blood Mountain, Mastodon produce several MODERN metal masterpeices. Combinding the low growls, screams and hard gravel singing of bassist Troy Sanders and guitarist Brent Hinds with the poweful and fast druming of Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher also on guitars, Mastodon cant be stopped. With only a small dip into the great rock ballad with their song "Mortal Soil" Mastodon keep it rockin hard while also bringing a new listening experiences to not only metal and rock lovers but to some of the mainstream. A must buy for all!

Jama gave it a9:
Over the top without being wanky, heavy without being dull, and driven without them taking it too seriously. If you hate this record... you obviously have your ears only painted on.

elmo . gave it a10:
By far the best metal album of the year, maybe even the decade. It seems moving to warner bros has'nt costed their integrity. the smartest album of any genre this year.

Chad M gave it a10:
The best metal album of the last ten years. Mastodon is the most talented and smartest band in metal today. "Blood Mountain" is one part The Mars Volta, one part Metallica, and one part ancient mythology all rolled into one. Heavy as hell and relentless.

Michael S. gave it a6:
Quite average.

Blood Mountain by Mastodon

Blood Mountain
by Mastodon