Mastodon - 'Crack The Skye'

Mastodon's last CD Blood Mountain was named the Best Heavy Metal CD Of 2006 by this site and many others. Critics love Mastodon, but they are also commercially successful. They're on a major label, sell a decent amount of CDs (especially for a metal band), and draw well on tour. After all this critical love the past several years, it seems the time is ripe for a Mastodon backlash.

After all, their new CD Crack The Skye was produced by Brendan O'Brien, who has worked with very commercial artists like Train and Aerosmith. Mastodon is about due for a stumble, and this album seemed like it might be the one to fall short of expectations. Not so. It's another excellent effort.

Crack The Skye is a little more polished than their past CDs, but the traditional Mastodon experimentation and quirkiness is fully intact. The band always opens strong, and "Oblivion" is no exception.

Mastodon's skills are pushed to the limit on "The Czar," an 11 minute epic with layers of keyboards, and guitars that are sometimes funky, other times very technical. It's an epic track that twists and turns its way through various textures and vibes without being repetitive.

"Divinitions" starts with a brief banjo intro before kicking into a hard driving beat with some catchy riffs and a ripping guitar solo. Scott Kelly from Neurosis has become a regular guest on Mastodon albums, and he returns with vocals on the title track. The album wraps up with another epic, the 13 minute "The Last Baron." Masterfully arranged, it's the appropriate song to bring the proceedings to a close.

Lyrically Crack The Skye tackles a lot of different subject matter instead of focusing on a single element. Everything from astral travel to Rasputin is covered, though things are tied together through this multi-dimensional conceptual journey.

The vocals on the album are mostly melodic singing, with less screaming than ever. Mastodon also adds some vocal harmonies, which is one of the elements that makes it a more polished and accessible CD. While the metal is tempered with classic rock and progressive elements, Crack The Skye is still a challenging album with a lot of depth and should increase their fan base while maintaining their core audience.

(released March 24, 2009 on Reprise Records)