Film director Jimmy Hayward contacted the band during their 2009 tour of Europe and expressed how much listening to "Blood Mountain" had helped his creative process while finishing a screenplay, and he offered Mastodon a chance to score the film he had been working on - "Jonah Hex". In an interview with "Paste" magazine, bassist Troy Sanders said that Hayward "called us out of the blue as a fan. It was the most beautiful, authentic way to collaborate." Mastodon used scenes from the film as inspiration during the writing and recording process, and the instrumental soundtrack, "", was released on June 29, 2010, through Reprise Records.