There's a saying about first impressions being misleading, and this certainly was the case the first time that this reviewer listened to the latest, sixth full-length offering from Atlanta's finest musical export. The initial wave of reaction which not so much swept over me but lapped mildly at my ankles was one of being under-whelmed. However,There's a saying about first impressions being misleading, and this certainly was the case the first time that this reviewer listened to the latest, sixth full-length offering from Atlanta's finest musical export. The initial wave of reaction which not so much swept over me but lapped mildly at my ankles was one of being under-whelmed. However, it would be fair to say that 'Once More…' is very much what could be described as a "grower" – as the more you listen to it, the more you get into its groove. Certainly, it lacks the immediacy of its predecessor, 'The Hunter', and that perhaps explains the initial feeling of disappointment – and, indeed, "wtf?" – as it fails to grab you by the balls immediately and force its attention upon your addled rockers' ears. Rather than delivering a sucker punch front and centre, it dances around the listener, probing and jabbing and looking for an opening through which to squeeze itself into your listening psyche and therein embed itself… But, when it eventually finds its way through, the effect is as hypnotic as that which you have come to experience from a Mastodon album – and also a slightly different beast [...]
Continue reading Mastodon - 'Once More 'Round The Sun'.
