It's been long enough, so lets just say it: Mastodon are never, ever going to give us another Leviathan. Or another Blood Mountain. Crack the Skye 2 is also tremendously iffy. The band that made those landmark albums has moved on, and you know what, that's ok. Accept it. Embrace it. Be thankful that Brent, Troy, Brann, and Bill gave you those albums, and be happy for them for moving on, continuing to make the music they want, no matter what anyone else says. It's not like you can't throw on "Hearts Alive" whenever you want anyway, so that's not why you're upset. If you're honest with yourself, you'll probably agree that the biggest reason your soul pines for a "return to form" from the 'Don is because you miss that feeling of hearing a new, sludgy, guitar-driven adrenaline shot that is the aural equivalent of the swampy, humid, sweat-drenched dog days of summer. You want something new that makes you want to crack open a cold one, sit in a puddle of your own swamp ass on a lawn chair, and rock the day away in a blur, while still having enough moments that wow you out of your stupor. Well guess what friends: you don't need Mastodon for that. In fact, Into the Storm and Wet Teeth have all the sludgy filth you need to keep the party going all summer long.
