Speaking at the NAMM event late last month, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher gave some more insight on the bands upcoming album. He told Backstageaxxess.com of the bands progress at the time:
“It’s about 70% done I would say. We’re just adding all the vocals now, and I think it’s a masterpiece. I think it’s awesome. It sounds great to me.
I’ve just been listening to the roughs because I haven’t been there obviously [Kelliher was on tour with Primate.] It’s got a little bit of everything, just like any Mastodon record.
We’ve got about fifteen songs and we have to like chisel it down to like maybe 10 or 11.”
He went on to mention that they hope to wrap the sessions for the effort by February 19th. He spoke further of the material:
“It’s got a lot of good melodies and really nice clean vocals. I hear a lot of Brann singing on there—which is great. It’s just a tasty riff filled record, like what you would expect from us. It’s also a little different, cause we don’t write the same record over and over. We try not to, we try to expand and challenge ourselves with this and that.”
Recording sessions have been taking place in Nashville, TN with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Deftones, Alice In Chains). A summer release is tentatively being eyed. Among the guests expected to appear are ex-The Mars Volta keyboardist Ikey Owens.
Mastodon will also headline a US tour with Gojira and Kvelertak in the spring, dates for that are available here.
