Every now and then you get one of those cds (I was going to type “Albums” but that would be showing my age!) that simply blows you away. Such a CD is Mastodon’s “Crack the Skye”. I first heard Mastodon one evening at a rock night. The track was “The Czar” from “Crack the Skye” and I asked the DJ who the band was and he told me ’twas Mastodon and the track was from their new cd. I’d heard of them vaguely but not actually listened to any of their music. Purely on the strength of that one track, which I latter found out to be the fourth track on the cd and a four part epic, I ordered the cd. On first listen I was hooked.

I’m not a huge “metal” fan, I like a lot of bands that fit into that genre, but find a lot of it dull and unimaginative. Crack the Skye certainly is not that. The opening track “Oblivion” starts with a simple guitar riff that builds as the rest of the band come in until the vocals start and it changes to a chopping rhythm, then well see for yourself…

And that is just the first track. The second track on the cd “Divinations” intros with a banjo then into guitar and wham!

I won’t do a track by track. ‘Twould be better to discover it for yourself dear reader.

The fact that the album has more than a few proggy leanings and influences probably accounts for a lot of the reasons why I like it. I haven’t been so totally into a cd for ages, you know that feeling you like it so much it almost hurts!

I thoroughly recommend Crack the Skye. Thank you Mastodon, can’t wait for your next cd.

Leave a Reply