CRACK THE SKYE

Mastodon releases an album that is, for me, up there with the classics. I've never heard music that can be so heavy, yet atmospheric; so "metal", yet with so much emotion. The albums that go down in history are those that sound completely fresh and new. Mastodon has achieved this on the Skye.

Mastodon has apparently come to realize that less can indeed be more. By taking just a small step back and giving their music a bit more room to breathe, they have created something magnificent. This record has moments of majesty, brutality, atmosphere, pain and everything in between. To me, this album feels like flying high above the earth and among the clouds....before being machine gunned down into the earth below.

Not to say that this album will please everyone. On the contrary, most Mastodon fans will probably question the lightening of the sound. I, for one, found it to be a big grower. I must admit, this album did almost bore me on the first listen. Drummer Brann Dailor has taken a step back, and vocalist Troy Sanders brings his growling from the forefront in favor of clean, classic rock vocals that occasionally contain some nice harmony. But the true magic of this album lies in the fact that, despite these adjustments, the music is still heavy and still Mastodon. Each track seems to serve a purpose, and they all seem to flow seamlessly. Not a weak moment here.

Highly recommended.

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