Happy Monday, metalheads! Or I guess by now, it’s technically Tuesday. So I’m late on this. Later than Quickies, in fact. But hey, when blogging’s not your day job, these things happen. At any rate, it’s time for another edition of The Horns Up Top 10. This week’s artist doesn’t really need any introduction–but we’re of course going to give you one anyway. It’s Mastodon.

As a photo of the band at the Grammy Awards might hint at, Mastodon’s perhaps the single best-known contemporary metal band among mainstream circles. Over a nearly-15-year career, the band’s covered more than its share of ground: six albums, Grammy nominations, a major-label record deal and, most importantly, zero lineup changes. By evolving their sound so dramatically during that time, they’ve become a band that just dares you to try and ignore what they’re working on. You may no longer like them as much as you used to–or at all–but when they’re working on something new, you’ll wind up at least checking it out sooner or later, if only to be able to remain part of the conversation. Continue reading →