Crack the Skye is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon, released on March 24, 2009, through Reprise, Sire and Relapse Records. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. In Australia, the album debuted at number 19. It had sold 200,000 copies in the US as of September 2010, making it one of their highest-selling albums to date.
According to an interview on the DVD The Making of Crack the Skye, the album represents the element of aether, which is represented by the souls and spirits of all things, a theme closely related to the context of the album. Because the elements of fire, water and earth have already been represented by the band's first three albums Remission, Leviathan, Blood Mountain and the band's seventh album Emperor of Sand, respectively, the element of air is the only classical element which has yet to be represented by a Mastodon album, as their follow-up studio albums The Hunter and Once More 'Round the Sun do not represent an element, nor are they concept albums.
Crack the Skye is the first studio album to feature drummer Brann Dailor as the band's third lead vocalist.
This is much rockier and less metal than I expected, but in the best way. Dreamy but loud and intense. Mastodon pushed technical boundaries on earlier albums; here they're all about mystery, depth, emotion, and atmosphere.
"Quintessence" opens epically and shifts into progressive grooves with vocals that elevate everything. "The Czar" reminds me of Opeth. "The Last Baron" goes off at 13 minutes and earns every second. "Oblivion" and "The Ghost of Karelia" also stand out.
The production is thick and full. Every layer is audible, which makes for an incredible listening experience, but also a tiring one. It demands your full attention in a way that's both a strength and a limitation. I might not always reach for this even though I have starting to really love this album, simply because it's so dense and exhausting.
The vocals took some getting used to as well. Multiple singers, none technically great, plus guest vocals. But it all works perfectly for the vibe.
Way better than I expected. A killer album that rewards the effort it demands.
4,5*
I've heard a bit of Mastodon before, and it was good but never something I've really loved.
This album was surprisingly good, I've never heard anything from it, but I like it a lot. A good solid drone, and a lot of Ozzy baked in. Still not something I'd want to hear every day, but a good addition to the list and to my library.
This fourth album of Mastodon is less aggressive, prog and sludge than earlier work. I like this evolution and compared to for example Blood Mountain this album sounds more original, fresher and energetic. Though it's not exactly my cup of tea, it's certainly enjoyable and a good album within the progressive metal genre with a great production and good musicians.
Not totally my kind of music, but considering I do not follow the progressive metal scene and even I know who Mastodon is tells me all I really need to know. That, or I've played too many fan charts for Guitar Hero.
I was put on mastodon by my friend who is a huge metal/djent/prog guy and basically told me mastodon was simpler metal music. Yeah that may just be why I enjoy this album a good bit. Mastodons early work is some solid stuff. They are hardcore and technical without going to the extreme that some metal becomes hard to listen to. This album starts great and then levels off a bit but it remains pretty solid. Nice choice. 7.4/10
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