Hushed and Grim
| Mastodon
Hushed and Grim
Hushed and Grim is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released as double album on October 29, 2021 through Reprise Records. The album is the band's longest to date, and the first since their 2002 debut Remission to not have a guest vocal appearance by Scott Kelly from Neurosis. The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, after his death from cancer in 2018. -WIkipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
The Atlanta metal band’s new double album is its least ambitious collection yet: an inoffensive, occasionally alluring, but overwhelmingly dull 90-minute slog.
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Consequence Heavy
As for the uninitiated listener, Hushed and Grim provides many examples of what makes Mastodon an elite heavy metal band. There’s constant musical variety and a three-pronged vocal approach that is like getting three bands for the price of one. Hushed and Grim could have used a trim, but overall, it was worth the wait. Mastodon’s flawless run of studio albums continues.
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Kerrang!
Hushed And Grim is a triumph from a band who have long been the final word in balancing the intelligent and the primal. But knowing what’s gone into it, the things being processed and the emotions being shared, there’s a depth and beauty here that even by Mastodon’s standards is something else. With such a sense of purpose, it is creatively and emotionally florid, a vessel into which so much humanity has been nakedly poured.
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Rolling Stone
The metal heroes’ eighth album is one of their heaviest.
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Distorted Sound Magazine
This record is a celebration of life, both past and remaining. Bittersweet, immeasurably progressive instrumentation, passionate vocal deliveries of genuine lyrics – it’s all killer no filler. The way MASTODON has chosen to immortalise Nick John and their brotherhood on Hushed And Grim is a testament to them all, and a real treat for listeners.
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Electrik Jam
Hushed and Grim is perhaps Mastodon’s finest moment to date, the record that will propel them to new heights, earning them new fans, and new accolades. As far as I’m concerned, Hushed and Grim is the album of the year. And probably 2022 as well. It’s just flawless, jaw-dropping stuff from start to finish.
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Metal Injection
It's Mastodon at their most mature and poised, with an almost endless amount of invigorating musicianship, meditative songwriting, and endearing interplay between the three vocalists. It's not their absolute best record, but it's certainly the one they—and we—needed right now.
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New Noise Magazine
The production quality, song flow, and how each song sounds is nothing short of ear candy. And, as always, they bring a very poetic feel to their album that speaks deeper than what is on the surface.
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Sputnik Music
With so many callbacks to other albums over the years it’s little to no wonder as to why Mastodon’s latest offering is such a worthy gem. Both new and older fans should find more than a moment to enjoy. As ambitious a double album like this is, there’s credit due. Not only did Mastodon release the longest outing of their career, they did so with class.
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The Young Folks
Defined by complexity and poise, Hushed and Grim is elusively familiar yet still innovative, sustaining Mastodon’s reputation for refusing to allow their sound to rust.
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Treblezine
Hushed and Grim is the Mastodon I fell in love with years ago, listening to Leviathan on repeat while driving my family back and forth from the hospital to visit my sick father. This is thunder and lightning, the primal roar of the earth and the cold echo of space; this is the heat of the human heart suspended in otherwise confused darkness. There are a number of people who likely won’t give it the time of day due to a misguided sense that the band has lost the plot; for those of us who’ve witnessed them rebuild themselves into greatness once again, it is the greatest document of this second phase of the magical and rightly storied band’s career.
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Blabbermouth
The entirety of "Hushed and Grim" makes a strong case that their latest is the band's ultimate masterpiece, successfully steering into every single curve that is laid down on the road ahead of them.
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The Line of Best Fit
Hushed and Grim is proof Mastodon are an untouchable and unquestionably excellent band.
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Wall of Sound
There are without a doubt some absolute bangers here – in fact I’d go so far as to say the four piece from Georgia have written some of the best music of their career. Distilled down to 10 or 12 tracks Hushed & Grim would be an absolute belter. But much like life, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and maybe I just need a bit of patience.
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Tuonela Magazine
“Hushed and Grim” could very well be the band’s ultimate masterpiece, as they have not just found their voice, but perfected it. “Hushed and Grim” is a double album that gives listeners a lot to digest and enjoy with an extraordinary mixture of raw sounds and layers of melodies that resonate each time with something new.
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Heavy Music HQ
A nearly 90 minute album is a lot to absorb, and there are a lot of subtleties that reveal themselves after multiple listens. But the quality and quantity of great riffs and memorable melodies also make Hushed And Grim instantly accessible, a combination that’s hard to beat.
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DIY Magazine
In ‘Hushed and Grim’ we are presented with a more contemplative Mastodon, a band who have come to the natural end of toying with existential concepts and are now finding motives to progress their narrative from real world experience. A riveting fullness echoes throughout the record.
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Riff Magazine
Mastodon gets epic, big and long on ‘Hushed and Grim’.
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Clash Magazine
Early on, Mastodon was quickly pegged as one of the most exciting prospects in 21st-century metal. On the strength of this ballsy behemoth of sound, they're easily holding onto that crown while adding yet another shining jewel. 'Hushed And Grim' is a reminder of what makes the band so beloved while boldly stepping into a new chapter. They've never sounded so good.
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V13
This said, I promise, every song, every lyric and every note makes for one outstanding fifteen-track masterpiece! I have given you a taste, but this time there are no further spoilers. I will just conclude by saying that through a personal tragedy, the members of Mastodon have taken their grief and channelled it into something exceptional that may, in turn, also give solace to others facing any form of similar loss and/or pain.
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Metal Wani
'Hushed and Grim' by Mastodon is a masterpiece. All that there is to love about Mastodon is here. The brooding heaviness, the genius riffs which threaten madness, and the progressive songwriting that staggers the senses. 'Hushed and Grim' is born through grief and remembrance.
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AllMusic
While Hushed and Grim tracks the stages of grief, it also reflects on the soul's journey after death. Musically, Mastodon illuminate the emotional heft of their subject matter in gorgeously architected compositions rendered with abundant creativity, massive power, and searing honesty.
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Everything Is Noise
Hushed and Grim is elephantine – mastodonian in fact – but big albums need love too, and there’s a lot to love here if you can separate the wheat from the chaff.
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Louder
Mastodon mix beauty and beastliness on Hushed And Grim.
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Metal Head Community
The technical side of the work has huge credit on making this album a classic for me. The entire album is well examined, I believe experts in production will agree with me on this. They have worked on every single song with the necessary focus and concentration, made different decisions on each one of them. The genius behind this job was David Bottrill, who also worked with bands such as Dream Theater, Tool, Muse, Godsmack, Staind, and Placebo before.
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Audioxide
There’s a lot here I would come back to, but between those moments there are so many voids of fun but forgettable wandering that it’s hard not to get bored long before it’s over.
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Rock Sins
There’s no denying the passion that went into the creation of this record. Mastodon can stand proud in knowing they have nourished their own spirits – one would hope – in this send off to Nick John, and it shows that they can maintain their place in the pantheon of rock music’s great artists. Is it perfect? Far from it, but it does show a more naked beast than we have been privy to at this point, so in that respect it is Mastodon’s bravest album. It just isn’t their best.
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Hardbeat
Only time will tell, but Hushed and Grim truly could be the record that defines Mastodon. Despite touching on directions no one would have ever suspected, it never sounds like it could be any other band. One of the age old questions in metal is how can an artist achieve real longevity and evolve in their later years without simply trying to rehash their former glory? Well, this album shows exactly how it can be done. Mastodon’s legacy as a great metal band was already well cemented, but now so is their legacy as a great band full stop.
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Ghost Cult Magazine
Intelligent, challenging and painful, lyrics like “I’ve turned the grief to medicine,” and “leaving you behind is the hardest thing I’ve done” show the band at their most exposed and raw. A dark, trippy and thought-provoking masterpiece, do not expect to absorb Hushed and Grim in just a couple of sittings. This is a bold, brave record which requires time, patience and your full undivided attention.
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Exclaim!
It's not at all what anyone could have expected back in 2000, but controlled, tactful dynamics allow Hushed and Grim to succeed at both brutality and accessibility. Mastodon have crafted the fullest realization of their artistry, revelling in primal, visionary euphoria.
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The PRP
The band soulfully unburden themselves through their art here, largely stripping back their more characteristic metaphors and peculiar storytelling to ensure nothing gets lost in translation. But unless you are in a similarly dark place, it may not entirely appeal to you.
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Heavy Magazine
I’m a Mastodon fan and proud of it, and Hushed And Grim is only the start of my new musical journey with them.
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The Soundboard
To sum up Hushed And Grim fully though, it’s definitely a Mastodon album, that much can be certain, and not one of their absolute best either, but one that carries on the storied tradition of a band pushing themselves and moving forward without fail. This is their eighth full-length, and still feels creative and purposeful without feeling as though it’s hitting a wall too much, and priding itself on getting back up again if it ever does.
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The Needle Drop
While a lot more impressive than the preceding Emperor of Sand, Hushed and Grim does buckle under its own weight.
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Buzz Magazine
It’s not a disaster of an album, however, Hushed and Grim rarely plays to Mastodon’s strengths, and lacks the quirks or charm that made so much of their work canonical.
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Reflections of Darkness
What these guys managed to achieve since their formation in 2000 is nothing short of inconceivable and ‘Hushed And Grim’ really cements their status while getting the Prog back on.
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Sound In Review
Mastodon delivers with Hushed & Grim as the project is a set of songs that displays their capacity for songwriting, singing, and performing. Each selection finds the band boiling down to the essence of the song’s emotion lyrically. Musically, every riff on the album is memorable, and the complexity of their compositions is the adventure that Mastodon brings to the table. This is solidly executed heavy metal, and there is certainly plenty of textures and elements from other genres that makes Hushed & Grim mesmerizing.
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Hysteria Magazine
Aggression is not the focus of Hushed and Grim, though—this is an album of lengthy, collective introspection, a creative and intriguing band once again dealing with loss with some of the most poetic and moving lyrics of their career. Where Crack the Skye marked the pinnacle of the first chapter of Mastodon’s creative existence, Hushed and Grim is the apex of the second chapter, and no one should be surprised about where they go next.
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Punktastic
For the most part, this is a stunning, raw, and ambitious record that’ll keep growing on you over and over again as you keep listening. If you’re not already familiar with Mastodon, however, it’s probably best to go for one of the classics first, such as Leviathan (2004), Crack the Skye (2009), or even the more recent Emperor of Sand (2017). ‘Hushed and Grim’ is a long record that can take a while to get into but take your time and put in the effort, and you’ll discover something truly wonderful.
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Roan Records
By removing boundaries and creating in a free form they evolved with a combination of newfound melodic confidence and their signature musical intricacy intact. In the end, HUSHED AND GRIM is hard-hitting, hypnotic, and heart-wrenching.
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