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.
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. Guest appearances include former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Troy Sanders' mother Jody on French horn. It is the band's first album since their 2002 debut Remission to not feature guest vocals from Neurosis's Scott Kelly.
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.
The album artwork was made by Paul Romano and inspired by the sacred Yggdrasil tree from Norse cosmology. 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.
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.
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.
Critical reception
Hushed and Grim was well received, with review aggregator Metacritic indicating "universal acclaim" with a score of 82/100 based on 13 reviews. AllMusic critic Thom Jurek wrote that the album's tracks are "rendered with abundant creativity, massive power, and searing honesty." 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." In an outlying review, however, Chris O'Connell of Pitchfork called the album "an inoffensive, occasionally alluring, but overwhelmingly dull 90-minute slog."
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Track listing
Personnel
Mastodon Brann Dailor – drums, vocals Brent Hinds – lead guitar, vocals Bill Kelliher – rhythm guitar Troy Sanders – bass, vocals
Additional musicians João Nogueira – keyboards Darby Rose Tapley – intro vocals (3) Marcus King – solo guitar (5) Dave Witte – percussion (10) Rich Doucette – sarangi (10) Jody Sanders – French horn (11) Kim Thayil – solo guitar (11) Kevin Fox – cello, string arrangement (15) Drew Jurecka – viola, violin (15)
Technical David Bottrill – production, mixing Ryan McCambridge – engineering Tom Tapley – recording Billy Joe Bowers – editing Miles Landrum – recording assistance Braden Griffith – additional engineering (5) Nathan Yaccino – additional engineering (11) Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts
+ Chart performance for Hushed and Grim Chart (2021) Peakposition Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 24
Year-end charts +Year-end chart performance for "Hushed and Grim" Chart (2021) Position Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) 88
References