CRACK THE SKYE

I had never really listened to Mastodon before a friend of mine came by one day saying that apparantly their new release was great. To my surprise I found it on spotify and put it on, thinking that we'd keep it on in the background while playing video games, both skeptical due to our idea that Mastodon was more of a heavy metal band than anything. It ended with the console turned off and the volume of the music increased.

This album has something that's becoming increasingly rare on the metal scene. It has soul. This is something I can see myself playing to my kids in the future, like my dad played 2112 by Rush to me.

The production of the album feels very dense, very fitting to the atmosphere Crack the Skye has. It reminds me a bit of older school mixing. Unlike many other metal-bands who seem to be aiming for a crisp, clean sound, Mastodon chooses to stand out not only musically. There aren't really any weak tracks on the album and I'm always left with the impression that the album was made to be enjoyed as a whole. The tracks flow perfectly through each other with a sense of both direction and purpose and its finale is breathtaking.

Crack the Skye is so far the best album of the year for me. An honest, unpretentious and heavy record with fantastic hooks, musicianship and song structure.

4,5/5