Mastodon: Crack the Skye

In the beginning of the 21^st century, it looked like the mighty beast called heavy metal might have finally died. Distorted guitars and soloing were replaced in favor of drop-d tuning and DJ scratching. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal and Bay Area Thrash movements had peaked long ago. Even Pantera, the saviors of metal in the flannel-clad 1990s, broke up in 2001. The rock snobs had finally gotten their wish, the leviathan had been slain.

However, in the late 2000s, heavy metal is undergoing a rebirth. Down, Trivium, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God, Testament and even Metallica have released great records. However, Mastodon is head and shoulders above the rest. As of 2009, they are the best heavy metal band on the planet. With Crack the Skye, they have expanded the sonic limits of the genre.

Crack the Skye is hard to define musically. It has elements of traditional metal, thrash, country and progressive rock. Together it forms a magnificent aural assault. The most striking thing about it is just how thick everything sounds. Too many metal records have shallow production, not this one. It’s almost overwhelmingly heavy. The guitars are walls of distorted sludge. Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher are the perfect duo, with Kelliher handling most of the rhythm and Hinds doing the leads. The riffs range from slow dirges to vicious bursts of thrash. On the opening track, “Oblivion,” Hinds and Kelliner’s guitars call and respond with a slow, gloomy dirge. Just when it seems that the slow dirge will be the theme, they switch it up. The dirge becomes a light speed burst of thrash.

The centerpiece of the album is the four-part cycle “The Czar,” which brings new meaning to the phrase “metal epic.” The first part, “Usurper,” is slow, quiet and mellow. The brief calm is interrupted by the fury of the second part, “Escape.” The band expertly balances intricate guitar solos with slower, more straightforward tandem riffing. After the intensity of “Escape,” the band slows things down again with “Martyr.” “Martyr” may have a slower pace, but it is the heaviest part of the song. The band employs the famous “DUH-DUH-DUH” of the Bay Area Thrash bands. They balance the bludgeoning power of the riff with the most complex guitar solos on the album. The solos run the gamut from the twin-guitar attack of Mercyful Fate, to the more dexterous two-hand tapping style. The final movement, “Spiral” simply fades out with a serene organ.

Crack the Skye is a hard record to review, because there are so many intricacies. It’s almost impossible to encapsulate in 500 words. If you are a metal fan, this is a must have. If you only buy one metal record a year, this is the one. Mastodon has always been an ambitious band, but this record they have outdone themselves. It’s not very often that you find such an intelligent album that still manages to rip your face off. It’s the kind of record that makes you wanna yell “METALLLLL!” really loud.  That’s about the highest compliment I can give.