It seems a little cliché to say a band keeps improving with each subsequent record, but it is hard to argue with the trajectory that Mastodon’s albums have taken. Ever since I was introduced to them through 2006’s Blood Mountain, I have been eager to hear what they will do next. And, every time the group takes what they did before, builds and evolves the songwriting in such a way that someone like myself will declare it “their best work to date!” Yes, that is my view of Hushed & Grim, it is close to an hour and a half of heavy metal/rock with some thrash thrown in for good measure and their most creative effort to date. Although this album does have its fair share of heavy moments, overall, it has a much more sombre feel to it which, in part, could be attributed to the loss of Mastodon...
