Mastodon have been riding on the crest of a creative wave dating back as far as “Leviathan”, steadily building to 2009’s masterful “Crack The Skye”. The concern is could the band have shot their bolt and peaked? Worry not; “The Hunter” is a punchy full on face full of Metal and as compact as you’ll ever hear Mastodon. Gone are the 10+ minute’s epics and replaced with far more stripped down mood driven tracks giving the album a feeling of back to basics.

“Black Tongue” roars into life like a super-charged bull on heat with Brann Dailor at his mesmeric best, littering the track with jazz fills. While “Curl Of The Burl” is as catchy a Mastodon tune as you’re likely to come across while still producing some super heavy riffing. The albums sense of urgency is palpable in every track.

Mike Elizondo’s production is perfection, extenuating the albums heavier moments, “Blasteroid” is a case in point with the more sedate harmonies; creating an ebb and flow while still maintaining the albums sense of urgency. “The Hunter” provides perhaps more expansive experimentation that we’ve seen previously with the title track and “The Sparrow” taking the band into a slower mood driven place, with songs full of texture with an almost psychedelic bent to them.

If there is a word that best describes “The Hunter”, it is diversity. Oh how easy it would have been to produce an album in the same vein as “Crack The Skye” but the bands bravery has been rewarded with an album of masterful proportions. “The Hunter” is instantly accessible, without loosing any of the uniqueness found on any of Mastodon’s previous albums and is sure to be a watershed release for the band. These guys simply get better and better.