Written By Braddon S. Williams
Mastodon: Crack The Sky
Mastodon took their progressive, psychedelic, thought-provoking, genre exploding sound to uncharted heights with 2009’s majestic Crack The Skye. This was their first album to feature drummer Brann Dailor as the third lead vocalist, along with bassist Troy Sanders and lead guitarist Brent Hinds.
Having 3 distinctive singers (4, counting Scott Kelly from Neurosis, who contributed lead vocals on the haunting title song) opened up sonic possibilities that the Georgia based Mastodon capitalized on with a vengeance.
With non-singing guitarist Bill Kelliher rounding out the rich toned palette of Crack The Skye, a modern metal masterpiece was forged, and Mastodon continued their rise into the heights of “thinking man’s metal.”
One look at the striking cover art and the listener knows they are in for a thrilling experience. From the opening Oblivion, through stops to check out Divinations, The Czar, Ghost Of Karelia, and on to the closing The Last Baron, Mastodon’s Crack The Skye is an album that reveals more depth with each successive listen.
