Hushed and Grim

Nowadays, Hushed and Grim has become a relevant topic in modern society. With the advancement of technology and constant changes in the social sphere, Hushed and Grim has acquired significant importance that cannot be overlooked. To better understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to analyze its different dimensions, from its implications in daily life to its impact on the economy and politics. In this article, we will explore the various facets of Hushed and Grim and its influence on our daily lives, in order to offer a comprehensive view of its relevance today.

Hushed and Grim
Studio album by
Mastodon
ReleasedOctober 29, 2021 (2021-10-29)
StudioWest End Sound Studio, Atlanta
Genre
Length86:17
LabelReprise
ProducerDavid Bottrill
Mastodon chronology
Medium Rarities
(2020) 		Hushed and Grim
(2021)
Singles from Hushed and Grim
  1. "Pushing the Tides"
    Released: September 10, 2021
  2. "Teardrinker"
    Released: October 1, 2021
  3. "Sickle and Peace"
    Released: October 20, 2021
  4. "More Than I Could Chew"
    Released: July 12, 2022

Hushed and Grim is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon, released on October 29, 2021, through Reprise Records. At 86 minutes Hushed and Grim is their lengthiest album, and their first double album. Critical reception was mixed to positive, and the album sold well globally.

Guest appearances include guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Troy Sanders' mother Jody Sanders on French horn.[4]There is no guest vocal from Scott Kelly of Neurosis for the first time since their 2002 debut Remission, due to Kelly's withdrawal from the music scene after admitting to domestic abuse of his wife and children.[5][6] The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, who died from cancer in 2018.[7] This is Mastodon's last album with founding guitarist Brent Hinds, who departed the band in March 2025.[8]

Artwork

The album artwork was by Paul Romano, who has illustrated most previous Mastodon releases. The cover features the title plaque before a dormant tree resembling a torso and outstretched arms, rendered in blacks and greys. The face of Nick John, the bands longtime manager, appears within the tree, peering above an Dharmachakra or 8-spoked wheel. The band attributes John's passing in 2018 as the thematic lyrical inspiration for the album.[9] Also pictured are a stag, a rabbit with a crow mask, a spider, and several hyenas, one of which faces the viewer sporting a Thalia and Melpomene-like saddle on its back, giving an appearance of Cerberus. The cover artwork is the central of five main square panels which combine to form a cross containing the tree, its branches, and roots. Four additional panels form the corners with ancillary themes. The tree is surmounted in the top panel by a hawk with an open exposed heart and rose wreath. Scales seen below the tree on the cover panel develop to a python descending into a cavern containing lascivious scenes supervised by a bull-horned, winged being in the bottom panel. The left branch shows wintering wolves set before Byzantine architecture; at right, The Hanged Man hangs from the branch aside the Emperor of Sand beneath a Spring storm.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blabbermouth10/10[11]
Clash9/10[12]
ConsequenceB+[2]
Distorted Sound10/10[13]
Exclaim!9/10[14]
Metal Hammer4.5/5[15]
Pitchfork5.7/10[3]
Rolling Stone[16]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5[17]

Hushed and Grim was well received, with review aggregator Metacritic indicating "universal acclaim" with a score of 82/100 based on 13 reviews.[10] AllMusic critic Thom Jurek wrote that the album's tracks are "rendered with abundant creativity, massive power, and searing honesty."[18] Rolling Stone commented that "Hushed and Grim never stops giving, and the album’s energy, depth, and power make it a completely unique addition to the band’s mammoth catalog."[7] In an outlying review, however, Chris O'Connell of Pitchfork called the album "an inoffensive, occasionally alluring, but overwhelmingly dull 90-minute slog."[19]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank
Consequence Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Albums
8[20]
Guitar World The 20 Best Guitar Albums of 2021
8[21]
Kerrang! The 50 Best Albums of 2021
12[22]
Loudwire The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021
20[23]
Metal Hammer Top 10 Prog Metal Albums of 2021
2[24]
PopMatters The 75 Best Albums of 2021
62[25]
PopMatters The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2021
3[26]
Prog Top 20 Albums of 2021
7[27]
Revolver Top 25 Albums of 2021
7[28]
Rolling Stone The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2021
2[29]
Spin The 30 Best Albums of 2021
12[30]
Sputnikmusic Top 50 Albums of 2021
1[31]
Ultimate Classic Rock Top 40 Best Albums of 2021
30[32]
Ultimate Classic Rock Top 10 Hard Rock and Metal Albums of 2021
8[33]
Loudwire The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021 ("Teardrinker")
27[34]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mastodon

Disc one
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Pain with an Anchor"Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders5:01
2."The Crux"Sanders4:59
3."Sickle and Peace"Sanders, Dailor6:17
4."More Than I Could Chew"Dailor, Sanders6:51
5."The Beast"Brent Hinds, Dailor, Sanders6:03
6."Skeleton of Splendor"Sanders, Dailor5:04
7."Teardrinker"Dailor, Sanders5:20
8."Pushing the Tides"Sanders, Dailor3:29
Total length:43:04
Disc two
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Peace and Tranquility"Hinds, Dailor, Sanders5:55
2."Dagger"Sanders5:12
3."Had It All"Sanders5:25
4."Savage Lands"Dailor, Sanders4:24
5."Gobblers of Dregs"Sanders, Dailor8:34
6."Eyes of Serpents"Sanders, Dailor6:49
7."Gigantium"Dailor, Sanders6:54
Total length:43:13

Personnel

Charts

References

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