大只佬乐团

Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2000, the band's lineup of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds (lead guitar/vocals), Bill Kelliher (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals) remained unchanged for 24 years. Hinds departed Mastodon in March 2025, and died five months later in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta, Georgia.

The band's 2002 debut album, Remission, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound. Mastodon's second full-length release, Leviathan, is a concept album based on the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record "Album of the Year" in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer. The song "Colony of Birchmen" from the band's third album (released in 2006), Blood Mountain, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2007. Blood Mountain was followed in 2009 by Crack the Skye, and in 2011 by The Hunter, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved major commercial success in the United States. The Hunter features the song "Curl of the Burl", which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2012.

Mastodon's 2014 album Once More 'Round the Sun peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and features the band's third Grammy-nominated song, "High Road". The band's seventh album, Emperor of Sand, was released in 2017 and features the band's most commercially successful song to date, "Show Yourself", which peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart. The album's opening track, "Sultan's Curse", earned the band its first Grammy Award. Emperor of Sand was also the band's first album to receive a Grammy nomination; it was nominated for Best Rock Album. Mastodon's last album with Hinds, Hushed and Grim, was released in 2021. The most recent Mastodon album, Marrow Deep, was released in August 2026.

Mastodon has released nine studio albums and numerous other releases. In 2016, the staff of Loudwire named them the 20th-best metal band of all time.

History

Formation, early years, and Remission (2000–2003)

Mastodon was formed on January 13, 2000, after drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher moved from their home state of New York to Atlanta, Georgia, and met bassist Troy Sanders and guitarist Brent Hinds at a High on Fire show. Dailor and Kelliher previously played in Lethargy and had performed on the Today Is the Day album In the Eyes of God, while Sanders and Hinds had played together in a band called Four Hour Fogger. The four men discovered they had a mutual appreciation of sludge metal bands Melvins and Neurosis, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, and 1970s hard rockers Thin Lizzy, and began working on music together shortly thereafter. In a 2009 interview, Kelliher revealed that the first time Hinds attended a practice with the band, he "showed up so wasted he couldn't play".

The band recorded a nine-song demo in June 2000, which featured Eric Saner on vocals, and they sold it to fans at early shows. Their first concert was at the Dixie Taverne in New Orleans. After just a few months, Saner left the band for personal reasons, and the vocals from 9 Song Demo were re-recorded by Hinds and Sanders. In 2001, Reptilian Records released a 7" picture disc containing three of the revamped tracks. That same year, Mastodon landed a record deal with Relapse Records, and five more of the updated songs were released as the Lifesblood EP.