siLLy puPPy Following 2017’s full release album “Emperor Of The Sand,” Atlanta based sludge metal outfit MASTODON gave hardcore fans another slice of their unreleased material on this four track EP titled COLD DARK PLACE which came out in September digitally and on CD but also as a limited edition ten-inch vinyl edition that came out at the end of October 2017.

COLD DARK PLACE is basically the leftover tracks from the band’s last two album session. “North Side Star,” “Blue Walsh” and the title track all date back to 2014 from the “Once More ‘Round The Sun” sessions and “Toe To Toes” comes from the latest “Emperor Of Sand” sessions.

There is nothing on this EP that you wouldn’t expect. Nothing here is experimental or out of the parameters of the band’s established style that was displayed on the retrospective albums that these were initially recorded for. MASTODON has been toning down the heaviness in their music ever since the 2011 album “The Hunter” and COLD DARK PLACE shows the band continuing their journey into less metal territory with more emphasis on progressive rock.

While most tracks are on the borderline of progressive rock and metal, “Toe To Toes” is exceptionally mellow for MASTODON’s overall sound. There are more clean vocals displayed on this EP than on any proper album. Overall i’m not too keen on MASTODON’s direction that they’ve been going.

While metal bands mellowing out and going prog rock isn’t anything new or something i’m against in any way, MASTODON seems to be getting stale with super predictable tunes that cruise on auto pilot. This EP is okay with nothing being offensive but i find it quite boring compared to the greatness they unleashed a decade ago.