Drew Beringer
04/23/09, 07:47 AM
Mastodon – Crack The Skye
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Record Label: Reprise/Relapse
The other night I was casually perusing the album review database and noticed a significant deficiency in Mastodon reviews. Such a shame too, since the Atlanta-based quartet is one of best American metal bands making music today. Incorporating air-tight musicianship with blazing vocals, the band has been a staple within metal crowds since their 2002 debut, Remission. And just like that album and the two that followed it (2004’s Leviathan and 2006’s Blood Mountain) followed a specific concept, their latest work. Crack The Skye, has woven a story into their complex musical schemes.
On Crack The Syke, Mastodon paints the picture of astral travel, out of body experiences, and Stephen Hawking’s theories on wormholes. Even deeper than that is the tribute that the band pays to Skye Dailor, drummer Brann Dailor’s sister who committed suicide at the age of 14. With those themes in mind, the band’s experimental sound reach new heights on Skye. The seven track 50-minute long album explores through space with more atmospherics. While the band still mashes your brains out, they also take a step back to notice their surroundings.
Troy Sanders uses a lot more clean vocals than ever before, and it shows on album opener “Oblivion,” as the guitars are the driving force behind the track. “Divinations” is a barnburner, as it begins with guitarist Brent Hinds noodling on a banjo before the song kicks into high gear. Sanders employs grittier vocals while Dailor, whom is one of the best drummers I’ve ever heard, completely dominates the song behind the kit. The transition from the thrash of the verses to the melody of the chorus is majestic. Throw in some awesome riffing from Bill Kelliher and Hinds, and you have yourself a hit. “Quintessence” will needle in and out of your skull, and the chorus will incite the riot within.
The tracks that stand out the most are the two ten minute opuses that appear on Skye. “The Czar” is nearly eleven minutes long; utilizing four parts within the track (Usurper, Escape, Martyr, and Spiral). It’s a huge song ranging from mid-tempo sludge to arena-sized guitar riffs. The track is only outdone by thirteen minute closer “The Baron,” which wraps up the concept and album beautifully. “The Baron” is basically a final travel through the galaxy of Skye, as it begins calmy, even gently, before piledriving you into a table with crashing cymbals and unforgiving guitar parts. The song is vibrant and keeps you on your toes the entire time.
With Crack The Skye, Mastodon proves they aren’t just going to churn out the same album time after time. This isn’t a “run of the mill” metal album, rather it’s an album with huge cajones that challenges the listener to delve deeper in their metal. While the clean vocals might throw some fans off (they still throw me off), they are not a detriment to the musical mastery shown throughout the album. You’ll be hard pressed to find musicians as talented as these guys. Combine that with the pristine production of Brendan O’Brien and you have some delicious ear candy. Crack The Skye is an album you can enjoy blasting in the car with the windows down as well as with your headphones, listening to all the neat quirks and technicalities of the record. Crack open your boundaries and explore the ethereal world with Mastodon.
Track Listing:
1. Oblivion
2. Divinations
3. Quintessence
4. The Czar: I. Usurper – II. Escape – III. Martyr – IV. Spiral
5. Ghost of Karelia
6. Crack The Skye
7. The Last Baron
Produced by: Brendon O’Brien
Mastodon is:
Troy Sanders – vocals. Bass
Brent Hinds – guitar, vocals
Bill Kelliher – guitar
Brann Dailor – drums
Official Website (http://www.mastodonrocks.com); Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/mastodon)
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Record Label: Reprise/Relapse
The other night I was casually perusing the album review database and noticed a significant deficiency in Mastodon reviews. Such a shame too, since the Atlanta-based quartet is one of best American metal bands making music today. Incorporating air-tight musicianship with blazing vocals, the band has been a staple within metal crowds since their 2002 debut, Remission. And just like that album and the two that followed it (2004’s Leviathan and 2006’s Blood Mountain) followed a specific concept, their latest work. Crack The Skye, has woven a story into their complex musical schemes.
On Crack The Syke, Mastodon paints the picture of astral travel, out of body experiences, and Stephen Hawking’s theories on wormholes. Even deeper than that is the tribute that the band pays to Skye Dailor, drummer Brann Dailor’s sister who committed suicide at the age of 14. With those themes in mind, the band’s experimental sound reach new heights on Skye. The seven track 50-minute long album explores through space with more atmospherics. While the band still mashes your brains out, they also take a step back to notice their surroundings.
Troy Sanders uses a lot more clean vocals than ever before, and it shows on album opener “Oblivion,” as the guitars are the driving force behind the track. “Divinations” is a barnburner, as it begins with guitarist Brent Hinds noodling on a banjo before the song kicks into high gear. Sanders employs grittier vocals while Dailor, whom is one of the best drummers I’ve ever heard, completely dominates the song behind the kit. The transition from the thrash of the verses to the melody of the chorus is majestic. Throw in some awesome riffing from Bill Kelliher and Hinds, and you have yourself a hit. “Quintessence” will needle in and out of your skull, and the chorus will incite the riot within.
The tracks that stand out the most are the two ten minute opuses that appear on Skye. “The Czar” is nearly eleven minutes long; utilizing four parts within the track (Usurper, Escape, Martyr, and Spiral). It’s a huge song ranging from mid-tempo sludge to arena-sized guitar riffs. The track is only outdone by thirteen minute closer “The Baron,” which wraps up the concept and album beautifully. “The Baron” is basically a final travel through the galaxy of Skye, as it begins calmy, even gently, before piledriving you into a table with crashing cymbals and unforgiving guitar parts. The song is vibrant and keeps you on your toes the entire time.
With Crack The Skye, Mastodon proves they aren’t just going to churn out the same album time after time. This isn’t a “run of the mill” metal album, rather it’s an album with huge cajones that challenges the listener to delve deeper in their metal. While the clean vocals might throw some fans off (they still throw me off), they are not a detriment to the musical mastery shown throughout the album. You’ll be hard pressed to find musicians as talented as these guys. Combine that with the pristine production of Brendan O’Brien and you have some delicious ear candy. Crack The Skye is an album you can enjoy blasting in the car with the windows down as well as with your headphones, listening to all the neat quirks and technicalities of the record. Crack open your boundaries and explore the ethereal world with Mastodon.
Track Listing:
1. Oblivion
2. Divinations
3. Quintessence
4. The Czar: I. Usurper – II. Escape – III. Martyr – IV. Spiral
5. Ghost of Karelia
6. Crack The Skye
7. The Last Baron
Produced by: Brendon O’Brien
Mastodon is:
Troy Sanders – vocals. Bass
Brent Hinds – guitar, vocals
Bill Kelliher – guitar
Brann Dailor – drums
Official Website (http://www.mastodonrocks.com); Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/mastodon)