Mastodon - Crack the Skye
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Free Music Notes for Crack the Skye
Free Music Review: A Master Stroke For Mastodon
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is probably going to divide some older fans of Mastodon, let's just get that out of the way right now. Some may be dismayed at some of the changes in their sound. That is definitely not how I feel, in fact, this is the best album of the year and their career in my opinion. They have truly taken things to a new level and are sure to bring new fans into the fold. This is an album that finds a band completely secure in their vision and abilities as musicians.
They have expanded their sound by adding texture and instruments (piano, banjo) not present on previous releases and it works really well. They have also changed up their vocals to be a bit more expressive. All four members have stepped up their game, especially Brent Hinds. He has always created intricate solos, however, on this disc he hits it out of the park with a depth of emotion and passion that lifts each track to the um, skye.
As a previous reviewer mentioned, the title of the album and some of the elements of the songs are detailing the emotions Brann Dailor went through when his sister committed suicide at the age of fourteen. The basic story of the album deals with a paralyzed boy who begins experimenting with astral projection to experience something outside of his existence. Even if you don't care about the narrative the lyrics are well written and have a power that matches the intensity of the music.
If you are new to this band and the album you may want to give it a few listens to let it sink in before passing judgement. There is a lot going on here with a ton of influences and styles readily present. There is a healthy dose of Progressive interlaced on this album for starters. I even thought I heard a bit of Gabriel era Genesis in some of the arrangments and was confirmed of this when I read that one of Brann Dailor's favorite albums is The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. This is especially noticeable with the arrangements on Quintessence, The Czar (I. Usurper II. Escape III. Martyr IV. Spiral) and The Last Baron. The Czar and The Last Baron both clock in at over ten minutes in length but are so well constructed that they seem to go by in three which is a difficult accomplishment. These three tracks along with Oblivion are stand-outs for me.
This is by far their best sounding album. Brendan O'Brien produced the album and he has always been one of my favorite producers over the years. Brendan's strength has always been to let the musicians create while he concentrates on making the album sonically pristine. I don't think anyone is going to have a problem with the production.
So there you have it. This is an album that moves the band forward without selling out. It's by far my favorite album of 2009 at this point and I won't be surprised at all if ten years down the road it's viewed as one of the best Metal albums of this decade.
Free Music Review: My joint fav album from 2009 and high in top 25 for noughties
Hit: 5 Stars
If you're a die-hard Slayer fan, and like early Mastodon, you might not get on with this. If you are prepared to see a band develop their own niche and become masters of their own vision, then BUY THE RECORD!
There's not much I can add that hasn't been said, but I wanted to say a few things...
I would strongly recommended you get the CD+DVD: Crack the Skye (CD & DVD)
It is difficult to describe how incredible this record is. The musicianship, composition, arrangement, vision and (for want of better word) 'production', they are all superb. One *whole* album that tells a story but not so obviously as to not leave a sense of mystery.
(Scholars of late 19th and early 20th century history [which I suspect don't include Mastodon themselves] might have to force themselves to accept some considerable creative licence with the Rasputin references etc. But hey, it's art...)
Two other albums that are, for me, as close to dangerous perfection that I've heard this year are Sunn O)))'s Monoliths & Dimensions and Mono's Hymn to the Immortal Wind. If you don't mind experimenting away from the Mastdon path, I'd also recommend Wolves in the Throne Room's Black Cascade, Zu's Carboniferous, Tombs's Winter Hours, Black Bone Angel's Verdun, Eagle Twin The Unkindness of Crows and Snail's Blood.
(I assumed that the Shrinebuilder Shrinebuilder, Kylesa Static Tensions, OM God Is Good, Minsk With Echoes in the Movement of Stone and Isis's Wavering Radiant albums were fairly obvious - but if not, check these out too.)
It's late, I'm delerious and I though "why not through in these 'why not try something a bit different' recommendations too" so I did: Crippled Black Phoenix The Resurrectionists & Night Raider, James Blackshaw The Glass Bead Game and KTL IV.
Free Music Review: Not a huge fan of modern-day metal - don't let the listed genre fool you on this album
Hit: 5 Stars
As the title says, I'm not a huge fan of "metal", or at least, not in recent years and in the way it has evolved. When I think of good metal, I think of things like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Helloween or more recently, bands like Sonata Arctica. For me, the vocals need to be good. I can't stand screaming and Dethklok-esque vocals - I find them grating to the ears. It's not my intention to slam that type of music, it obviously has its appeal. My intent is to provide some insight for fans of rock that had their curiosity piqued after hearing this band on the radio. In short - don't let the listed genre fool you.
I can safely say this is not a metal album that is packed with screaming or guttural mumbling. This is also not an album that puts emphasis on the speed of the music just to prove their musicianship to us. Though the band has experienced some commercial success over the airwaves - never is there a moment where it feels like they're pandering or even aiming for radio play (unlike some A7X outings) This album, instead, is a wonderfully crafted piece of art. It absolutely does something that most rock bands fail to these days - it creates an atmosphere all its own. A dark, brooding atmosphere, but rather than aggression it's more like introspection and melancholy. The lack of speed in the music is more than made up for by the WEIGHT of every note. This music is heavy in a classic sense. "Crack the Skye" has a ton of personality and flows in such a way that it's hard not to feel immersed throughout the whole thing. The standouts for me are The Czar and The Last Baron - combined, they clock in at about 24 minutes but you wouldn't know it if you weren't watching the track listing - these songs are epics. There is not a single track I find myself wanting to skip through on this album, it seamlessly switches between great songs and feels almost like a concept album of old.
I may get flack for this comparison - but between the subtle, sometimes grainy vocals and the dark, brooding atmosphere, this album reminds a bit of Black Sabbath But in NO WAY is this a rip off, I'd actually rate this above quite a number of Sabbath albums. And that gives me hope for both this band and for the metal genre.
Free Music Review: Trampled Under Hoof (Again)
Hit: 5 Stars
Mastodon is a rare band in the metal community; one that both enjoys and is cursed by a sort-of ongoing "sophomore album" syndrome. Every release is so punishing in it's technical proficiency and expertly crafted songwriting methods that the inevitable question is asked on the dawn of each new release: "Can they top that?" Ye of little faith prepare to be destroyed. However much Leviathan reinvented metal for you or Blood Mountain took your preconceptions of extreme music and spun them upside-down into a product which seamlessly blended infectious hooks and world-class musicianship, Crack The Skye has Mastodon outdoing themselves once again.
The sound quality has become significantly better than past Mastodon releases with A-list producer Brendan O'Brien behind the mixing board, utilizing cutting edge sound manipulation while maintaining the gritty, raw sound which captures the massive wingspan of the ferocious musical beast that is Mastodon. The instrumentation follows in suit and will be no surprise to longtime fans. Hinds and Kelliher's guitars weave fluidly together like a pair of crushing pythons locked in a twisted yet beautiful discordant harmony, backed by Troy Sanders' dependably thundering basslines and Brann Dailor's jazzy and seemingly 8-armed drum style.
As for the album itself, it's structure lays waste to the modern music critic theory of the concept album being dead. With lyrics weaving together a violent plot of Czarist Russia and out-of-body terrestrial experiences which simultaneously convey deep meaning and utter ambiguity, the room for interpretation is limitless. In a world where music is cheaply stolen off the Internet with few consequences, this most cohesive of "was that just 1 song or 10?" recordings demands your hard-earned money and a spin on a good stereo. And no, your iPod doesn't count. When buying, expect exactly what you got last time you bought a Mastodon album: positively shattered expectations and the deja vous-like conviction that they'll never be able to top themselves this time. Of course, you were wrong then and will doubtlessly be again as long as the Mastodon breathes.
Free Music Review: Psychedelic Stoner Metal
Hit: 5 Stars
I held off doing a review for this CD at the time, because it was different from Mastodon's previous efforts. The vocals on this album are clean. There is still a gutteral growl here or there, but most tracks stay away from "cookie monster" vocals. As a result I find this album a bit more smooth than their previous work. It's almost hypnotic at times.
I really like the experimental angle that Mastodon strives for. They went so far as to add banjos and keyboards to this album, and it works. I'm not sure how other fans would rank this in the Mastodon discography, because each album has it's own flavor and just like ice cream you don't always want Vanilla. However, I personally feel this is the groups most cohesive and brilliant effort to date.
I would call this stoner metal. It has a psychedelic classic rock feel to it like music from Blue Oyster Cult; yet, it retains the hard edge you've come to expect from the group. This is ground breaking stuff. Fans of Remission and Call of the Mastodon may not like the direction the group has gone. Each album has gotten less sludge/post-hardcore and more progressive/melodic along the way. If you want to have your head kicked in and your teeth smashed out for an hour then listen to Slayer, because this is more like early Black Sabbath or Led Zepplin.
All of Mastodon's releases (with the exception of Call of the Mastodon) have been concept albums based on the four elements. This album's theme the etheral realm. Guitarist Bill Kelliher confirmed the album is about an "out of body experience," and looks at the concepts of astral travel, wormholes, Stephen Hawking's theories and the spiritual realm." While I like the first three tracks on this disc, the album really gets deep starting with "The Czar". That song is an absolute masterpiece.
Here it is July and I'm still spinning this CD; I can't say that about most of my music collection. This is sure to be one of the top 10 metal albums of 2009, because as of right now I still haven't heard a better metal album this year.