Mastodon is going forward slowly but surely, changing their music with every new album, like a butterfly shedding a new chrysalis every three years to show off its new, brighter colors. If you look at their whole discography, Mastodon is a strange animal indeed. Compare their first album, Remission, with their latest record, Once More ‘Round The Sun: the difference is substantial and more than a little surprising, considering only twelve years have gone by and the line-up hasn’t changed one bit. Bands with a 30-year career can’t say as much. The evolution was slow and gradual through the years. Although they’ve kept their sophisticated side, Mastodon has moved to a place that is more deeply rock in its approach and in its melodies, leaving aside the anger of their debut. That may well be why they’re so successful: they’ve never remained long in one place, and the audience has therefore never had a chance to get bored. The very concept of “going back to the roots” would make no sense to Mastodon.

Troy Sanders, the band’s singer and bass player, has only one motto: authenticity. Mastodon’s music is the reflection of its creators and their backgrounds. It’s also the result of a truly remarkable collaborative process. Sanders tells us all about this new widely acclaimed album, which could soon have a little brother in the form of an EP.

Read the interview…