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I can understand why a lot of Mastodon fans didn’t dig their last single “High Road.” It did something that even the band’s previous turn to a more radio-friendly sound didn’t, in that it failed to sound uniquely Mastodon. It was a song any band could have released. Despite that, I still found it pretty good. It didn’t have that signature sound I like hearing from the band, but at the end of the day it was a good song.

Perhaps fans will be more satisfied with new single “Chimes at Midnight.” It continues in the band’s recent style but I think it’s a bit more interesting than their last single. Sure, it’s not as heavy as their early work or as weird as anything on Crack the Skye but it’s a start.

Personally I’m still waiting for the band to surprise me again. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy this track, but I’m hoping Once More around the Sun doesn’t sound too similar to The Hunter. That said, the guitar work here is more complex than most of that album, despite sacrificing a bit of catchiness in the process. For me “Chimes at Midnight” is a step in the right direction. It the album sounds like more of this, I certainly won’t be disappointed. But if they mix things up and give fans something different I’ll be a lot happier.

The quality of these last two singles suggests that the band’s upcoming album will most likely be good, but the question remains as to whether it’ll be interesting. In the end quality is surely more important, but hopefully Once More around the Sun will do a bit more than it’s singles suggest in terms of shaking up the Mastodon formula.