With The Hunter, Mastodon abandoned their prog-bent epics for the bruising carnage of mammoth riff rock. Opener “Black Tongue” harks back to classic metal with its doomy, devilish guitar hooks and pounding drums, while “Blasteroid” takes off on a vicious tear, switching between technically mind-melting solos and noisy breaks that sound like the band’s about to lose control. The title track burns slow with ‘90s grunge atmospherics, and “The Sparrow” closes the LP with a crescendo that’s both heavenly and heavy.