REMISSION

The gritty brutality of Mastodon's debut album is practically unmatched in their entire catalogue, and the case of 'Remission' is quite interesting as the album combines sounds from sludge metal, stoner metal and metalcore, all with a very progressive twist, to the point that prog metal complexity penetrates the songs and the technicality of the playing comes to the fore, with the listener bombarded with heavy, monumental riffs that transcend the formulaic metal of the early 2000s and instead offer a dramatic and occasionally horrifying listening experience that the band would go on to refine on future releases. However, at the same time the listener might also notice the intricate and manic but somehow elegant and controlled drumming, with drummer Brann Dailor utilizing techniques and rhythms from jazz and even southern rock, with Phil Collins also being a major inspiration for him. This gives the entire album an ounce of sophistication that many other metal bands lack.

'Remission' is complex, varied and crushingly heavy, with a myriad of inventive and engaging riffs that are both technical and frightening, sufficiently explosive to keep the listener attentive at all times. And with the theme of fire running throughout the album as an underlying fixation, the music replicates the fiery motifs rather intelligently and manically. With the fast-paced opener 'Crusher Destroyer' the menace sets in, carried on by the aggressive and pungent 'March of the Fire Ants'. The gnarly and uninviting vocals do make a lasting impression as Mastodon would move on from this singing style on the following albums. 'Workhorse' is a track that introduces a more experimental aspect of the playing, remaining very brutal and unfiltered, while 'Ol'e Nessie' has to be the proto-prog metal suite of Mastodon, mostly instrumental and with waves of elegant electric guitars, the 7-minute-long 'Trainwreck' almost offers a continuation of this approach. 'Trilobite' then offers some darker shades, almost à la Black Sabbath, while the rest of the album carries on in a similar grim tone. 'Remission' is an album of many shades, aggressive and technical, menacing and sorrowful, and is above all a timeless offering that depicts metal's more creative, daring, unfiltered side.