Medium Rarities is a compilation album by American metal band Mastodon. It was released digitally and on limited edition vinyl on September 11, 2020 via Reprise Records. The album is a collection of rare tracks that include covers, instrumental versions of previous songs, and live recordings. Its opening track, a new song titled "Fallen Torches", was released on July 31, 2020.[1][2][3] The song features Scott Kelly from Neurosis for his final guest appearance with Mastodon before his withdrawal from the public eye that was not announced until August 2022.[4][5]
| Medium Rarities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | September 11, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal, sludge metal | |||
| Length | 70:46 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Mastodon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Medium Rarities | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Kerrang! |   [6] |
| Louder | [7] |
In a positive review, Kerrang! stated the album "certainly underlines the band’s extraordinary ability to shape-shift" and highlighted the song "Fallen Torches" as a "heroic attempt to salvage 2020 via monolithic riffs and an outro thunderous enough to crack planets."[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Additional information | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fallen Torches" | 4:22 | |
| 2. | "A Commotion" (Feist cover) | A-side from Feistodon split single | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Asleep in the Deep" (instrumental) | B-side from "Asleep in the Deep" single | 6:12 |
| 4. | "Capillarian Crest" (live) | B-side from "The Wolf Is Loose" single | 4:20 |
| 5. | "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton" (The Flaming Lips cover) | B-side from The Flaming Lips / Mastodon split single | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Toe to Toes" (instrumental) | B-side from "Toe to Toes" single | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Circle of Cysquatch" (live) | Alternate B-side from "The Wolf Is Loose" single | 3:15 |
| 8. | "Atlanta" | From the Adult Swim singles collection | 3:25 |
| 9. | "Jaguar God" (instrumental) | 7:55 | |
| 10. | "Cut You Up with a Linoleum Knife" | Original song from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters soundtrack | 1:50 |
| 11. | "Blood & Thunder" (live) | B-side from "Capillarian Crest" single | 3:52 |
| 12. | "White Walker" | Original song from the Catch the Throne: Volume II mixtape | 4:20 |
| 13. | "Halloween" (instrumental) | B-side from "The Motherload" single | 4:38 |
| 14. | "Crystal Skull" (live) | Alternate B-side from "Capillarian Crest" single | 3:25 |
| 15. | "Orion" (Metallica cover) | From the Remastered: Metallica's Master Of Puppets Revisited compilation | 8:15 |
| 16. | "Iron Tusk" (live) | B-side from "Colony Of Birchmen" single | 2:48 |
| Total length: | 70:46 | ||
Personnel
editMastodon
- Brann Dailor − drums, percussion, vocals
- Brent Hinds − guitars, vocals
- Bill Kelliher − guitars
- Troy Sanders − bass, vocals
Guest musicians
- Scott Kelly – additional vocals on "Fallen Torches"
- Isaiah "Ikey" Owens – synthesizer on "Asleep in the Deep"[8]
- Gibby Haynes – vocals on "Atlanta"
- Mike Keneally – keyboards on "Jaguar God"
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 91 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[10] | 14 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[11] | 35 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] | 32 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 29 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] | 38 |
References
edit- ^ "'Medium Rarities' Out September 11". Mastodonrocks.com. July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ Bienstock, Richard (July 31, 2020). "Mastodon Premiere Trippy New Song, Fallen Torches, Ahead of Medium Rarities Compilation". Guitar World. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ Hussey, Allison (July 31, 2020). "Mastodon Announce Medium Rarities Compilation, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Neurosis' Scott Kelly Admits to Abusing Family, Announces Retirement From Music". Pitchfork. August 29, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ Blabbermouth (August 29, 2022). "NEUROSIS Members Blast Former Bandmate SCOTT KELLY: 'There Is Nothing Brave About Systematically Abusing Your Wife And Children'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ a b Beebee, Steve (September 9, 2020). "Album Review: Mastodon - Medium Rarities". Kerrang!. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Mastodon - Medium Rarities: A trawl through 20 years of long-lost sonic mayhem". September 11, 2020.
- ^ "Mastodon Announce Tour With Gojira, Kvelertak; Ex-Mars Volta Keyboardist to Appear on New Album | Music News @". Ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mastodon – Medium Rarities" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 43. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Mastodon – Medium Rarities". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Mastodon – Medium Rarities". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ "Mastodon Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.