With 2004’s mighty Leviathan, Mastodon morphed into one of those rare metal acts—in the tradition of Metallica or Slayer—that pulverize their genre while reaching out beyond the usual horn-throwing purists. Now that the salty dogs have signed with a major, their old label has repackaged the early Lifesblood EP with some remastered studio scraps to make an album that clocks in at just under half an hour long. No blubber here: These short, rip-roaring tunes showcase Mastodon’s roots in thrash, though cuts like “Thank You for This” foreshadow the vibrant guitar fills and slippery, jazzy blast-beats to come. Other tracks round out Leviathan’s nautical obsessions: “Battle at Sea” builds from calm to violent storm, while “Deep Sea Creature” rumbles with Troy Sanders’s bass from below.

DOWNLOAD: “We Built This Come Death,” “Deep Sea Creature”