Mastodon - Crack The Skye (4 out of 5)
So I was really excited to hear the new Mastodon album, “Crack The Skye.” Their previous work, “Blood Mountain,” was one of the best metal albums to come out in this decade, and I am VERY picky when it comes to metal music. It’s actual been officially said that they have created their own genre of metal, aptly dubbed “beard metal.” When I was in L.A. at the beginning of 2008, I was actually lucky enough to be able to hear a demo track of the new album while they were still in the studio, and what I heard was quite impressive. So when the release date for the new album was announced, I was instantly psyched.
I was under the impression that the new album was going to be crazier than the last. That’s what I was excited most about. ”Blood Mountain” was so mathematical and hectic that it gave me the metal quench that only few bands have ever been able to do. What they needed to accomplish in the new album was to take it a step beyond in order to top its predecessor. What I got on the day it was released, however, was… good. It was good, but it wasn’t great. This album is more dedicated to their layered melodies instead of their insane riffs and chaotic style. The song they released on their myspace prior to the release, “Oblivion,” sets the mood for the entire album. It’s melodic, at many parts catchy, and it lacks the anarchic chaos that “Blood Mountain” so eloquently had (look below for the song in it’s entirety). It opens the album and is by far the best track, followed by “Divinations” as the second and probably the loudest of the album. ”The Last Baron” is the final track with a total runtime of 13 minutes. The song is really good, but it has no need of being 13 minutes long. Instead of a 7 track album with two songs clocked in at over 10 minutes, I would much rather have a 10 to 12 track album with each song rounding out to the 4 minute mark. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the epic 7