Regardless of the levels between mastered and unmastered songs, this one rocks. On its own, it sounds balanced, punchy, and well arranged. You seem to have a good ear for your style of music.
Without getting into the mastering debate too deeply, I've always believed that mastering begins when you put that first mic in front of an amp or singer (placement). Each time you adjust the EQ, you're mastering. So, the mix you send to your mastering engineer should be pretty close (except for volume) to the finished product. If wholesale changes in EQ are needed, then the mixing stage needs improvement. I don't think this is the case with you. I hope to hear you in KC someday, and I'll keep my ears open for your concerts.