Hushed and Grim

Hushed and Grim
Studio album by
Mastodon
ReleasedOctober 29, 2021 (2021-10-29)
StudiosWest End Sound, Atlanta
Genres
Length86:17
LabelReprise
ProducerDavid Bottrill
Mastodon chronology
Medium Rarities
(2020)		 Hushed and Grim
(2021)		 Marrow Deep
(2026)
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, their final release on the label. A double album, it is the band's last album with founding guitarist Brent Hinds before his departure from the band in March 2025 and his death five months later.[3]

Critical reception was positive, and the album sold well globally. The album also serves as a tribute to Mastodon's former manager Nick John, who died from cancer in 2018.[4] Guest appearances include former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Troy Sanders' mother Jody on French horn.[5] It is the band's first album since their 2002 debut Remission to not feature guest vocals from Neurosis's Scott Kelly.[6]

Background

The band's first double album, rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher described Hushed and Grim as "our proggiest". Drummer-vocalist Brann Dailor said that at least one verse in every song is dedicated to Nick John, the band's longtime manager who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018.[7]

The album artwork was made by Paul Romano and inspired by the sacred Yggdrasil tree from Norse cosmology.[8] Dailor said that the spirit of the deceased "goes into the heart of a tree and then experiences all the pillars of your in successions of the seasons that the tree experiences." John is depicted as the man in the center of the tree.[9][10]

Hushed and Grim is Mastodon's first album since their 2002 debut Remission to not feature a guest appearance from Neurosis vocalist Scott Kelly. At the time, Kelly took a leave of absence from the public, but he admitted a year later that he retired from the music industry after admitting to violence against his family.[6]

After Hinds' death, bassist-vocalist Troy Sanders said that Hushed and Grim and Mastodon's live performances in support of the album featured "the weakest band solidity and performance that we had had in a decade" because of Hinds' inebriation.[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[13]
Blabbermouth10/10[14]
Clash9/10[15]
ConsequenceB+[1]
Distorted Sound10/10[16]
Exclaim!9/10[17]
Metal Hammer4.5/5[18]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar[19]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5[20]

Hushed and Grim was well received, with review aggregator Metacritic indicating "universal acclaim" with a score of 82/100 based on 13 reviews.[12] AllMusic critic Thom Jurek wrote that the album's tracks are "rendered with abundant creativity, massive power, and searing honesty."[21] 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."[4] In an outlying review, however, Chris O'Connell of Pitchfork called the album "an inoffensive, occasionally alluring, but overwhelmingly dull 90-minute slog."[22]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank
Consequence Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Albums
Guitar World The 20 Best Guitar Albums of 2021
Kerrang! The 50 Best Albums of 2021
Loudwire The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021
Metal Hammer Top 10 Prog Metal Albums of 2021
PopMatters The 75 Best Albums of 2021
PopMatters The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2021
Prog Top 20 Albums of 2021
Revolver Top 25 Albums of 2021
Rolling Stone The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2021
Spin The 30 Best Albums of 2021
Sputnikmusic Top 50 Albums of 2021
Ultimate Classic Rock Top 40 Best Albums of 2021
Ultimate Classic Rock Top 10 Hard Rock and Metal Albums of 2021
Loudwire The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021 ("Teardrinker")

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

  1. 1 2 Hadusek, Jon (October 30, 2021). "Mastodon Explore Every Facet of Their Musical Language on Hushed and Grim: Review". Consequence. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  2. ↑ O'Connell, Chris (October 29, 2021). "Mastodon: Hushed and Grim Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  3. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (March 7, 2025). "Brent Hinds Leaves Mastodon 25 Years After Co-Founding Band". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Mastodon Crush/Redeem You on 'Hushed and Grim'". Rolling Stone. October 27, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Hushed and Grim Review by Thom Jurek". AllMusic.
  6. 1 2 Shadows, Em (October 11, 2022). "Brann Dailor Says New Mastodon May Be Coming "Sooner Than Later"". MetalSucks. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  7. ↑ ""What can we do to make people realise what a great soul we lost? We can turn that sad energy into this great album": Tragedy lies behind most of Mastodon's music. Hushed And Grim was no different". Louder. October 29, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ Art, Heaviest of (May 13, 2022). "Behind the Cover: Mastodon - Hushed & Grim". Heaviest of Art. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  9. ↑ Blabbermouth (September 11, 2021). "MASTODON's BRANN DAILOR Explains 'Hushed And Grim' Album Artwork". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Mastodon: The Pain And Purpose of 'Hushed And Grim'". Revolver; revolvermag.com. October 29, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Mastodon Reflect On Reluctantly Parting Ways With Brent Hinds: "We Really Were Coming From A Place Of Love"". Theprp.com. July 8, 2026. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Hushed and Grim by Mastodon". Metacritic.
  13. ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Mastodon: Hushed and Grim Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Mastodon 'Hushed and Grim'". Blabbermouth.net. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Mastodon – 'Hushed and Grim'". Clash. October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  16. ↑ McCarthy, Laura (October 25, 2021). "ALBUM REVIEW: Hushed And Grim - Mastodon - Distorted Sound Magazine". distortedsoundmag.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ Heilman, Max (October 27, 2021). "Mastodon's 'Hushed and Grim' Is the Grandest Realization of Their Artistry - Exclaim!". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  18. ↑ Lawson, Dom (October 25, 2021). "Mastodon's Hushed And Grim: Atlanta riffmasters' boldest adventure yet - Louder". Metal Hammer. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ Weigell, Jon (October 27, 2021). "Mastodon Crush/Redeem You on 'Hushed and Grim'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  20. ↑ Garland, Robert (October 31, 2021). "Review: Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Hushed and Grim - Mastodon | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  22. ↑ O'Connell, Chris (October 29, 2021). "Mastodon: Hushed and Grim Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Albums". Consequence. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  24. ↑ "The 20 best guitar albums of 2021". Guitar World. December 22, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  25. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2021". Kerrang!. December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  26. ↑ "The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021". Loudwire. December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  27. ↑ Metal Hammer (December 12, 2021). "Top 10 prog metal Albums of 2021". loudersound.com. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  28. ↑ "The 75 Best Albums of 2021". PopMatters. December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  29. ↑ Jordan, Blum; Spiess, Andrew (November 30, 2021). "The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2021". PopMatters. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  30. ↑ "The Anchoress's The Art Of Losing voted Prog Magazine writers' Album Of The Year". Prog. November 27, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  31. ↑ "25 Best Albums of 2021". Revolver. November 25, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  32. ↑ "The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  33. ↑ "The 30 Best Albums of 2021". Spin. December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 2021". Sputnikmusic. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Top 40 Best Albums of 2021". Ultimate Classic Rock. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Top 10 Hard Rock and Metal Albums of 2021". Ultimate Classic Rock. December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  37. ↑ Al-Sharif, Rabab; DiVita, Joe; Hartmann, Graham; Richardson, Jake; Trapp, Philip; Summan, Yasmine (December 6, 2021). "The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Mastodon Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Mastodon: Hushed and Grim" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2021. 44. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart on 5/11/2021 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  50. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  51. ↑ "Charts.nz – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  52. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  54. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  55. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 5/11/2021 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  56. ↑ "Top 100 Albums: Week 44 (2021)". El portal de Música (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  57. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  58. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Mastodon – Hushed and Grim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  59. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 5/11/2021 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  60. ↑ "Official Progressive Albums Chart on 4/2/2022 – Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  61. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart on 5/11/2021 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  62. ↑ "Mastodon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  63. ↑ "Mastodon Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  64. ↑ "Mastodon Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  65. ↑ "Összesített album- és válogatáslemez-lista - eladási darabszám alapján - 2021" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
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