Hushed and Grim
2021 studio album by Mastodon
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Hushed and Grim is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon, released on October 29, 2021 through Reprise Records, their final release on the label. A double album, it is the band's last album with founding guitarist Brent Hinds before his departure from the band in March 2025 and his death five months later.[3]
| Hushed and Grim | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 29, 2021 | |||
| Studios | West End Sound, Atlanta | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 86:17 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | David Bottrill | |||
| Mastodon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hushed and Grim | ||||
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Critical reception was positive, and the album sold well globally. The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, who died from cancer in 2018.[4] Guest appearances include former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Troy Sanders' mother Jody on French horn.[5] It is the band's first album since their 2002 debut Remission to not feature guest vocals from Neurosis's Scott Kelly.[6]
Background
The band's first double album, rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher described Hushed and Grim as "our proggiest". Drummer-vocalist Brann Dailor said that at least one verse in every song is dedicated to Nick John, the band's longtime manager who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018.[7]
The album artwork was made by Paul Romano and inspired by the sacred Yggdrasil tree from Norse cosmology.[8] Dailor said that the spirit of the deceased "goes into the heart of a tree and then experiences all the pillars of your in successions of the seasons that the tree experiences." John is depicted as the man in the center of the tree.[9][10]
Hushed and Grim is Mastodon's first album since their 2002 debut Remission to not feature a guest appearance from Neurosis vocalist Scott Kelly. At the time, Kelly took a leave of absence from the public, but he admitted a year later that he retired from the music industry after admitting to violence against his family.[6]
After Hinds' death, bassist-vocalist Troy Sanders said that Hushed and Grim and Mastodon's live performances in support of the album featured "the weakest band solidity and performance that we had had in a decade" because of Hinds' inebriation.[11]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100[12] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Blabbermouth | 10/10[14] |
| Clash | 9/10[15] |
| Consequence | B+[1] |
| Distorted Sound | 10/10[16] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10[17] |
| Metal Hammer | 4.5/5[18] |
| Pitchfork | 5.7/10[19] |
| Rolling Stone |  [20] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5[21] |
Hushed and Grim was well received, with review aggregator Metacritic indicating "universal acclaim" with a score of 82/100 based on 13 reviews.[12] AllMusic critic Thom Jurek wrote that the album's tracks are "rendered with abundant creativity, massive power, and searing honesty."[22] Rolling Stone commented that "Hushed and Grim never stops giving, and the album’s energy, depth, and power make it a completely unique addition to the band’s mammoth catalog."[4] In an outlying review, however, Chris O'Connell of Pitchfork called the album "an inoffensive, occasionally alluring, but overwhelmingly dull 90-minute slog."[23]
Accolades
| Publication | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Albums | 8[24] |
| Guitar World | The 20 Best Guitar Albums of 2021 | 8[25] |
| Kerrang! | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 12[26] |
| Loudwire | The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021 | 20[27] |
| Metal Hammer | Top 10 Prog Metal Albums of 2021 | 2[28] |
| PopMatters | The 75 Best Albums of 2021 | 62[29] |
| PopMatters | The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2021 | 3[30] |
| Prog | Top 20 Albums of 2021 | 7[31] |
| Revolver | Top 25 Albums of 2021 | 7[32] |
| Rolling Stone | The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2021 | 2[33] |
| Spin | The 30 Best Albums of 2021 | 12[34] |
| Sputnikmusic | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | 1[35] |
| Ultimate Classic Rock | Top 40 Best Albums of 2021 | 30[36] |
| Ultimate Classic Rock | Top 10 Hard Rock and Metal Albums of 2021 | 8[37] |
| Loudwire | The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021 ("Teardrinker") | 27[38] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mastodon.
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pain with an Anchor" | Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders | 5:01 |
| 2. | "The Crux" | Sanders | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Sickle and Peace" | Sanders, Dailor | 6:17 |
| 4. | "More Than I Could Chew" | Dailor, Sanders | 6:51 |
| 5. | "The Beast" | Brent Hinds, Dailor, Sanders | 6:03 |
| 6. | "Skeleton of Splendor" | Sanders, Dailor | 5:04 |
| 7. | "Teardrinker" | Dailor, Sanders | 5:20 |
| 8. | "Pushing the Tides" | Sanders, Dailor | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 43:04 | ||
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Peace and Tranquility" | Hinds, Dailor, Sanders | 5:55 |
| 2. | "Dagger" | Sanders | 5:12 |
| 3. | "Had It All" | Sanders | 5:25 |
| 4. | "Savage Lands" | Dailor, Sanders | 4:24 |
| 5. | "Gobblers of Dregs" | Sanders, Dailor | 8:34 |
| 6. | "Eyes of Serpents" | Sanders, Dailor | 6:49 |
| 7. | "Gigantium" | Dailor, Sanders | 6:54 |
| Total length: | 43:13 | ||
Personnel
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Mastodon
Additional musicians
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Technical
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Charts
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Year-end charts
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