[rating=6.00]
Those who made it past the cover art to Mastodon’s Once More ‘Round the Sun without having some variety of seizure induced are lucky. They also likely dove headfirst into “High Road,” the first single from the American metal juggernauts’ sixth studio LP. ’Round the Sun follows 2011’s The Hunter, which found the band pruning away some of the progginess that was a key feature of their style, particularly on 2009’s mystical concept album Crack the Skye. The Hunter condensed the ever-evolving Mastodon sound into more tightly-written songs, with nothing coming close to the ten-plus minute epics like “The Last Baron” or “Pendulous Skin.” It would be an overreach to call it the group’s “pop album,” but it certainly streamlined things in a way that had not been seen in its previous works.
If “High Road” is any indication, however, Mastodon could be well gunning for the poppier end of their sonic spectrum. In an interview with Paste, bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders describes ‘Round the Sun as “a large slab of granite.” Undoubtedly, “High Road” does bring the riffs: The major thirds add a nice, wicked touch to the main riff, which then leads to the song’s simple but catchy chorus. “You take the high road down/I’ll take the road below you,” the band harmonizes. The chorus has the feel of a great classic rock song, and “High Road” does indeed play out — as its title would indicate — as a future FM rock radio tune perfect for a lengthy road trip.
As a little taste of the alleged granite slab that is ’Round the Sun, “High Road” works just fine, but Mastodon has always been at its best when it goes big and bold — see Leviathan — and for that reason, this song feels less powerful. In a way, this sort of simpler song structure is disappointing when one considers how much this band is capable of. . But, then again, unlike ’Round the Sun’s nauseating cover art, this is a smooth ride through and through.
