EP Review

Mastodon - Cold Dark Place

What a year its been for Mastodon fans. First, a new album, not just any album but a frankly offensively good album in 'Emperor of Sand', secondly, spying them in walk on roles in Game of Thrones, somehow their presence making the epic show even better, and now, a new EP to take us into the cold months ahead. Winter is coming after all.

The EP features four songs, three of which ('North Side Star', 'Blue Walsh' and 'Cold Dark Place') were recorded during the sessions for the 2014 album 'Once More Round the Sun', and the other ('Toe to Toes') was recorded during the aforementioned album 'Emperor of Sand'. This EP being the fifth the band has released, all of which being welcome bonus' for all fans.

The EP opens with the Led Zepplin sounding 'North Side Star', all acoustic guitar and familiar vocals building up to a classic sounding Mastodon riff and guitar solos after four minutes, taking the song up into a different stratospheric plane altogether, the sheer musicianship of this band never ceases to amaze, and before you know it, the 6 minutes are up, and you're straight into 'Blue Walsh'. The second track on here is a floaty, wavey collection of harmonies and guitars pulling you around the stratosphere the first track took you to, before smashing you back down to the planet below with a driving, forceful ending, still holding you in its melodic arms, a frighteningly controlled expression of power and subtlety.

'Toe to Toes' features the first truly heavy moments of the album, an opening riff which Robert Johnson which have sold more than his sole for at the crossroads, this is four minutes of Mastodon flexing their muscles and showing that they really are one of the most riveting bands around. The final song is the title track 'Cold Dark Place' and is six minutes of introspection and consideration of the journey the band have taken you on, building up to the final minute of the EP, exploding into a cataclysmic guitar solo, before its over. Just as suddenly as it started. 21 minutes of perfection, Mastodon manage to create more ideas and emotion into a four track EP that some bands do in a career. 

This EP is a prime example of exactly where this band are right now, everything they touch turns to prog-tastic gold, and all we can ask from them is to come back soon, because every new release makes them more vital to the alternative music scene.

KC

9/10

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