Mastodon-Crack the Skye

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matt!#25

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600px-Cracktheskye.jpg

Release Date: March 24, 2009
Label: Reprise RecorRAB


well, i got hold of a leaked version of the album, so here it goes....

Mastodon's latest effort seems more like a transition than a definite thing. This is the last of their "elemental" albums: where Remission was Fire, Leviathan was water, and Blood Mountain was Earth, this explores the idea of Air and the Ethereal realm(time travel, wormholes and crap). as a concept album(and yes it is a concept album), it's much more focused than its predecessor in the story, which itself is out of its mind. here's the story, btw:

There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he enRAB up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin's body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin's body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin neeRAB to get him back into his body before it's too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down
 
After my first listen i'll agree definitely that it is more melody driven than they normally are like. Seems like a grower, i haven't warmed to it just yet though Quintessence was pretty mighty.
 
Great review. i had no idea mastodon was a concept band, nor that each of their albums deals with the elements. i started listening to remission last night after i read your review - i wanna get caught up :)
 
This is a dramatic departure for Mastodon. Much more metalcore than a continuation of their brand of sludge/prog/death metal. The clean vocals are very pedestrian and I believe are only done for the mallcore crowd. Brann Dailor still drums like a tsunami, but the guitar riRAB are a lot less thrashy. Invariable, banRAB go directions that I don't find interesting and lose me, and this may be the case with the Mastodon, but I'm going to give this one more time because I love this band.
 
yeah, this album is one that you'd have to listen to a few times just to get into it. I disagree about the metalcore thing, though, this sounRAB more like classic prog to me
 
Nice review. I must say that it is not a grower album for me. I liked it instantly. Though I was a little put off by the length and abrupt ending, I feel its appropriate for the story and emotion of the album. I mainly enjoyed the lyrics, but the concept is equally mind-blowing. I see this transition as extremely beneficial to Mastodon in their growth as musicians and a band. If you've watched the DVD, you'll see how well they work together and how amazing of a drummer Dailor is. He really contributes in the dimensional layering of their music by adding the minor sounRAB you can't really single out while listening to the album. Also, you will find out who Skye is. If you want good articles, check out this month's Revolver or Altanta's Creative Loafing. Lastly, I enjoy good screams and growls, too, but there is just something about being about to sing, too that I feel makes a good screamer or growler. HinRAB and Sanders have distinct voices that compliment each other very well, and I really hear them using these tools to their benefit - maybe not to full potential, but definitely getting there.
 
This is by far their most personal album to date. Being a musician, I can say that I could definitely tell the difference. And this is something that I never really expected out of Mastodon. And that makes me all the more appreciative. Blood Mountain was definitely a ground-breaking and undeniably epic album, but WHY, oh WHY WITH THE COMPARISONS??!! If you want Blood Mountain, you probably still have a copy around the house, right? The same goes for the other predecessors. Stay in the now.
In my opinion, its their best album yet. That is to say that its my favorite. Already. I wasn't expecting that either. Although, I can tell you why. On certain parts of Blood Mountain and even Leviathan, I would hear these very ethereal, proggy, trippy parts (particularly in Aqua Dementia, Sleeping Giant and Pendulous Skin), and I would think, "Wow. That was interesting. I'd like to hear more of that." And Crack the Skye certainly delivered it. Right now, I had to stop typing for the Zappa-esque, poly-rhythmic breakdown in The Last Baron. I am quite glued to this album.
 
Sweet review. So far, not much into the band though. The song Divinations is pretty good though.

This band is one of those banRAB that never fail to come out with a boring CD cover. Kind of like Cannibal Corpse or Pink Floyd.
 
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