Remission (2002) - Mastodon

 

In 2002, Mastodon didn’t just arrive — they erupted. Remission, the band’s debut full-length, is less of an album and more of a primal scream — a declaration that metal was about to get a serious shake-up. Wildly aggressive, technically masterful, and full of animalistic energy, Remission was the sound of a band with something to prove. And they proved it loudly.

Tracklist

1. Crusher Destroyer – 2:00

2. March of the Fire Ants – 4:25

3. Where Strides the Behemoth – 2:55

4. Workhorse – 3:45

5. Ol’e Nessie – 6:06

6. Burning Man – 2:47

7. Trainwreck – 7:03

8. Trampled Under Hoof – 3:00

9. Trilobite – 6:29

10. Mother Puncher – 3:48

11. Elephant Man – 8:01 (instrumental)

Before they became progressive metal titans with concept albums about whales (Leviathan) and wormholes (Crack the Skye), Mastodon were hungry. And Remission reflects that hunger in every blast beat, every chaotic riff, every unhinged vocal.

From the opening blast of “Crusher Destroyer” (famously used in Tony Hawk's Underground) to the seismic closer “Elephant Man”, the band channeled a unique fusion of sludge, thrash, hardcore, and prog. The sound is rawer than their later work, but it's all the more thrilling for it.

• Brann Dailor’s drumming is a standout — frantic, jazzy, and relentless, redefining metal percussion in real time.

• Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s guitar work is intricate yet punishing — switching from sludgy walls of sound to sharp, mathy riffs.

• Troy Sanders’ bass and vocals add heft and urgency, while the band’s shared vocal approach gives each track a uniquely chaotic energy.

There’s little polish here — and that’s the point. This is metal with its teeth still bared, claws out, still dripping with blood.

• “March of the Fire Ants” – A breakout track, pairing Mastodon’s crushing power with one of their first truly anthemic riffs.

• “Ol’e Nessie” – A slower, swampy epic that hints at the band’s future progressive tendencies.

• “Trainwreck” – One of the most dynamic and emotionally devastating tracks on the album.

• “Elephant Man” – An 8-minute instrumental that shows Mastodon already thinking bigger than their genre peers.

While Remission is less conceptual than later releases, it simmers with themes of destruction, rebirth, and primal struggle — fitting for a band tearing their way into the scene. According to the band, the album’s energy was partly inspired by personal pain — most notably, Brann Dailor mourning the death of his sister, which adds a raw emotional undertone to the chaos.

Remission might not be as refined as Leviathan or as expansive as Crack the Skye, but it’s essential. It’s the album that put Mastodon on the map — a feral, untamed force of nature that made metal fans and critics take serious notice.

Over 20 years later, it still hits like a freight train made of lava and broken glass.

If Remission is the sound of Mastodon breaking the surface, the albums that followed are them going deeper, stranger, and more conceptual. But it all started here — loud, fast, and unrelenting.