Title: Colony of Birchmen
Artist: Mastodon
Album: Blood Mountain
Bassist: Troy Sanders
Difficulty: Advanced
Tuning: D Standard Tuning
Key: D Major
Tempo: 126
Get the Official Sheet Music
👉 Download on Sheet Music Direct
👉 Download on Sheet Music Plus
👉 Stream on Sheet Music Direct
👉 Stream on MuseScore
Affiliate Note: This page may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For full details on affiliate links, please see the Affiliate Link Policy.
Bass Diary Entry
It wasn’t until seeing Mastodon support Metallica at Wembley Stadium in 2007 that I actually heard any material from Blood Mountain for the first time. I’d already fallen in love with Leviathan after it came out, but somehow completely missed Blood Mountain when it was released, so going into that show I was expecting a set full of songs I already knew.
Instead, about half of their set was made up of tracks I’d never heard before, and I remember being completely blown away by how good they were live, especially with this newer material. It felt heavier, more complex and more progressive, but still packed with massive riffs and hooks that stuck with you straight away.
Colony of Birchmen was played near the end of the set and it really stood out to me. There’s something about the way the riffs, rhythms and vocals all lock together that just feels huge, and hearing it live made it hit even harder. By the time the set finished, I already knew I needed to properly check out this album.
Sure enough, I went out the very next day to my local HMV and picked up Blood Mountain, and from that point on it became one of my most played Mastodon records. It felt like discovering a whole new side of the band, even though I’d already been a fan.
From a bass player’s point of view, this song is a lot of fun but also pretty demanding. Like a lot of Mastodon’s material, it’s not just about playing the notes — it’s about locking into some pretty intricate rhythms and keeping everything tight when the riffs start shifting around. It’s one of those tracks that really sharpens your sense of timing the more you play it.
Why Our Bass Tabs?
- Highly researched to ensure play-accurate parts
- Correct rhythms, note lengths & performance detail
- Clear layouts designed for real-world practise
- Mobile-friendly PDFs for easy reading anywhere
Our goal:
Reliable, musician-friendly bass notation that players can trust.
Explore More Bass Tabs
Mastered Colony Of Birchmen and want to learn more?
👉More from Mastodon
👉More from The Bass Diaries Officially Licensed Sheet Music Collection
Request The Next Mastodon Song
Got a favourite Mastodon track you want to learn?
Join our Discord to:
- Request new bass sheet music
- Vote on upcoming releases
- Hang out with fellow bassists
➡️ Join HERE
