Pitchfork

Photo by Sung Kim

According to a press release, Atlanta metal-makers Mastodon have recently entered the studio with Brendan O'Brien to begin work on their follow-up to 2006's amazing Blood Mountain. Yes, that Brendan O'Brien, producer of quite a few of the grunge/nu-metal era's best-selling records and several recent Springsteen albums. And no, not Matt Bayles, who has helmed every other Mastodon record up to this point.

Wait… Bruce isn't on this record, is he? That would rule! Eh, as long as Paul Romano is still doing the cover, I'll buy two copies.

One assumes sessions will wrap fairly soon, as Mastodon have their appearance at Bonnaroo, a one-off with Maiden, and that big old Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Tour to attend to pretty darn soon.

Mastodon:

06-14 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06-21 Montreal, Quebec - Parterre Parc Jean Drapeau *
07-09 Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre ^
07-11 Sacramento, CA - Skeeo Train Amphitheatre ^
07-12 San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre ^
07-13 San Bernardino, CA - Glen Helen Pavilion ^
07-15 Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center ^
07-16 San Diego, CA - Coors Amphitheatre ^
07-17 Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Pavilion ^
07-19 Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion ^
07-20 Denver, CO - Coors Amphitheatre ^
07-22 Kansas City, KS - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre ^
07-23 St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre ^
07-25 Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Music Center ^
07-26 San Antonio, TX - Verizon Amphitheatre ^
07-27 Houston, TX - Sam Houston Race Track ^
07-29 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre ^
07-30 Miami, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre ^
08-01 Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre ^
08-02 Pittsburgh, PA - Post Gazette Pavilion ^
08-03 Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion ^
08-05 Boston, MA - Tweeter Center ^
08-06 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum ^
08-08 Toronto, Ontario - Downsview Park ^
08-09 Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre ^
08-10 Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre ^
08-12 Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre ^
08-13 Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center ^
08-15 Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center ^
08-16 Hartford, CT - Dodge Music Center ^
08-17 Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion ^
08-19 Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center ^

* with Iron Maiden, Dethklok, Type O Negative, Hatebreed
^ Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Tour