Crack the Skye

Listening to Mastodon reminds one of a blizzard. What is presented to us is a whole band of extremely talented musicians playing as best they can. The resulting sound does not really fit into traditional standards of heavy metal, but is so far from any other musical genre that there is no other way to classify it. The band is not only extremely talented, they are also very ambitious. These guys have a fondness for concepts, with two past albums, "Blood Mountain" and "Leviathan," that have very strong encompassing themes, the latter being about Moby Dick. This album is about a young boy with a terminal illness who flies through reality via astral projection and winds up as Rasputin.

Just reading that makes one realize that perhaps Mastodon has bitten off more than they can chew. The concept wouldn't make itself apparent except to those who have read interviews with the band. And while the music is expertly played, it lacks elements which would make it more interesting and accessible. Elements like melody. Or chorus. The music here is progressive to a fault. With no refrains, or any combining musical themes, listening to this is like being lost in a blizzard.