"Well, the Gerogia-based band's new release isn't its 'Black Album' at all. And it seems the reason is that Mastodon just can't simplify their songs enough to give them an 'arena' sound.

So what? They missed a chance to be played at every wedding for the next 30 years? But what did they achieve with 'Once More 'Round the Sun?' This is the album where Mastodon find just the right balance between complexity, substance and accessibility, in a way that is not unlike the approach of one of their biggest influences – Rush."

These are just a few lines of of STEFAN TOPOUZOV's album review.

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