CRACK THE SKYE

I guess it was generally expected that this latest Mastodon's release would be less aggresive and more melodic than Blood Mountain, the same way the latter was in comparison to Leviathan. Like Blood Mountain, this is a very musically powerful and adventurous album too, featuring more melodic and catchier choruses, some keyboards here and there, clever use of tambourine and other non-metal percussion and smoother singing (there are times that Brent Hinds' voice sounds like a cross between Ozzy and James Gang era Joe Walsh). Mastodon is a really charismatic group with a very distinctive sound and suburb ideas. Sometimes, they even make you forget all the great music you've heard from the hard and heavy rock giants whose heritage they are now expanding. On the other hand and regardin the sound, if Blood Mountain was to Mastodon what the crystal clear Machine Head was to Deep Purple, Crack The Skye is Mastodon's muddy In Rock. Also, drums are slightly weaker and not "in your face" as in Blood Mountain (or Leviathan). Despite this and the completely unnecessary grawiling vocals from Scott Kelly, who appears as a guest at the title track, this is another magnificent release and Mastodon's more classic progressive rock oriented album yet and I would highly recommend it to any heavy prog, hard rock, heavy metal or progressive metal lover. 4 stars from the progressive rock and 5 from the progressive metal point of view.