108 - Leviathan, or: "The Fish Was Fine"

In this episode of Old Men Yell At Cloud, we dive headfirst into the crushing waves of Mastodon’s 2004 masterpiece Leviathan. Inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, the album is a relentless concept record packed with thunderous riffs, chaotic drumming, and some of the heaviest storytelling in metal. We break down what makes Leviathan such a landmark release—how Mastodon fused sludge, prog, and hardcore into something that felt completely new at the time. Along the way we talk about the band’s early era, the insane musicianship (looking at you, Brann Dailor), and the tracks that still hit like a harpoon twenty years later. Was Leviathan the moment Mastodon became metal’s most interesting band? Does it still hold up as one of the greatest concept albums of the 2000s? And why does this record feel like getting dragged into the ocean by a very angry whale? Grab a drink, crank the volume, and join us as we yell at the cloud about riffs, whales, and one of the most ferocious albums of the 21st century.