Ashes of Leviathan: Mastodon’s Troy Sanders Celebrates 20th Anniversary Release Tour

The lush landscape of heavy metal never lacks cyclical activity or budding new life. Thus, comeuppance beyond the mountains of tribulation to reach the oasis of success is a rare thing many aspiring bands pursue. However, the few who triumph the valleys of risk are aptly rewarded. Upon one such day in August of 2004, Mastodon released an album, Leviathan, that altered their world from performing in boat sheds and dive bars into the uncharted expanse of notoriety—opening for illustrious bands such as Slayer and Metallica. Troy Sanders, the bass guitarist for Mastodon, credits their swift advancement into renown to a few pivotal components, “When people went to buy the Lamb of God record, Ashes of the Wake, ours (Leviathan) was right next to it. The album artwork was really striking and beautiful, thanks to our artist friend, Paul Romano. A lot of people back in the day would buy albums and CDs because they looked fucking cool. I’ve heard so many people say, ‘We went to buy Lamb of God but we picked your record up, too,’ which is awesome.” 

Lamb of God was quite established before 2004, and Leviathan’s release at the same time as Lamb of God’s Ashes of the Wake took Mastodon’s success to another level. “That record was our third album, but it was the one that put our band on the map through the world of heavy music,” states Sanders.

Several years and record releases later, Mastodon performed alongside Lamb of God in 2021 when a eureka moment occurred: “We’re not a retired band so we needed to tour with something. We noticed the 20th year of Ashes of the Wake’s and Leviathan’s release would be in 2024, so we started thinking of how to celebrate it together—even if it was just one show somewhere. Both bands were able to carve out some time to tour these records and do something celebratory,” says Sanders. Because of this, the Ashes of Leviathan Tour of 2024 went from thought to action.

Mastodon has never performed Leviathan live in its entirety. They’ve performed some songs from the album recently, while others they haven’t played for many years, and some not at all. “We haven’t played a show since last year,” discloses Sanders, “but since then, we’ve been re-rehearsing Leviathan. I know it sounds simple on record, but ‘I Am Ahab’ is the most difficult song for me to play from that album because the vocal patterns are different than the notes I’m playing on the bass guitar—it’s like I’m patting my head and rubbing my belly at the same time. So even twenty years later, I still strive to perfect ‘I Am Ahab’, but I’ve never been able to nail it the way I wish I could. Practice makes perfect, but we call that getting back on that Mastodon horse.” 

This horse of Mastodonic proportions requires intensive tour preparation and a small army to maintain and organize each performance, which includes sound technicians, lighting technicians, guitar technicians, roadies, drivers, promoters, agents, coordinators, production managers, stage managers, tour managers, publicists, a caravan of 18-wheelers to haul the gear and good walking shoes. “I’m always excited when a tour is beginning because there are so many moving parts,” elaborates Sanders, “then you travel and celebrate music with other humans, and the energy that goes out to the crowd and from the crowd back to the stage is just beautiful. Doing this for five to six weeks is just awesome.”

Revisiting such a notable imprint in the timeline of musical pursuit, emotions are shared between the members of Mastodon as Leviathan is given new life. “While going through this record top to bottom and rehearsing it—and I speak for my bandmates as well—we’re really proud of it. We were proud of it at the time of its release, but also the fact it’s been our biggest-selling album and how it made a mark with such longevity as a record. It’s very humbling,” recounts Sanders. “We were stoked to write it twenty damn years ago, and we’re stoked to bust it out and play it for the people who loved it back then or fell in love with it over time. A lot has changed in twenty years but it’s still the same four dudes who started the band in 2000. There’s so much love and appreciation in all of this because we’re still meeting and very ambitious about writing new albums, so it’s celebratory on different levels.”

The conclusion of a tour is likened to the ending of a good book—there’s a lamentation to its denouement tinted with the rose-colored reverie of adventure after the places explored and the people met along the way. However, the return home is an epilogue Sanders looks forward to.“I get excited to roll around with my big ‘ol greyhound after touring!” He explains, “He’s a sweetheart. When I walk through the door, it’s like I just blow his mind because I’ve been gone for so long.” 

Quite soon and in a city near you, be sure to roll around with Lamb of God and Mastodon on their Ashes of Leviathan Tour at The Great Saltair in Magna on Tuesday, August 27!

Read more interviews with national musicians:
Opaque Shades: Strength Thought Tenure and Tenacity 
Møtrik Behind the Kraut