 |
| Album
Review |
|
|
Whenever Mastodon announce that they are working
on a new album, the majority of metal fans including
myself get really excited and then what feels like
two years later the album finally emerges, I remember
when they released ‘Blood Mountain’
back in 2006 I was so excited to get the album and
when I did it just blew me away with how Epic the
album was.
Mastodon have been teasing their fans ever since
they released their new single ‘Divinations’,
the way the song opened with a banjo style riff
and then blasted into a great mix of hammering
drum beats and thick and fast guitar riffs was
just breathtaking, the song only ran for just
over 3minutes which is pretty short for Mastodon
standards but it put it gave the fans faith knowing
the next Mastodon album is going to be worth the
wait.
The wait is now finally over and the new Mastodon
album ‘Crack The Skye’ is finally
here and it’s been well worth the wait,
the album takes the same epic approach that Mastodon
always take with the way that most of the songs
are long and technical but sound nothing like
any of the bands previous songs, I always wonder
how Mastodon go about creating their songs and
albums as each song is crammed with so much going
on that I just can’t even start to think
how these guys start writing and how they know
what they have done is right and wrong and when
they know the songs are at a finished stage, they
deserve 5 stars just for this in my opinion.
The album opens with ‘Oblivion’,
the song is a strong song to open the album and
is full of that Mastodon experimentation with
its technical instrumental introduction that would
easily give Tool a run for their money.
There are some proper long running songs on the
album such as ‘The Czar’ which is
an 11 minute epic track which is actually split
into 4 parts, the song is crammed with layers
of keyboards, technical sounding guitar riffs
and various different soundscapes, its really
good how the song changes over time, for example
at the start the song is quite mellow with Brent
Hinds vocals coming across quite soothing and
repetitive and then minutes later a massive hectic
sounding instrumental kicks in with some of the
most crazy technical sounding guitar riffs I have
ever heard and constant thick sounding drum beats
being forced on you and then once again minutes
later we are treated to a squealing sounding guitar
solo, this is Mastodon at their technical best,
the song takes various different twists and turns
and makes the 11 minutes that it runs for very
pleasing on the ears.
The other long running song on the album is the
closing track “The Last Baron’, the
song runs well over 13minutes and is another Mastodon
masterpiece that’s arranged really well
and brings the album to a close in true Mastodon
style leaving you wanting to hear more from these
guys.
Instrumentally Mastodon are in a league of their
own, these guys can do things with their instruments
that most people couldn’t even imagine,
everything is so technical and at the same time
well put together, vocally things are mainly melodic
on this album, there are still some screaming
moments and aggressive vocals but they have been
toned down a lot more from what they have had
on offer on previous albums.
The album may only have 7 tracks but it runs
for a good 50minutes and is nothing short of a
masterpiece, the hardcore Mastodon fans are not
going to know what’s hit them once they
get hold of ‘Crack The Skye’ and at
the same time the Mastodon guys will steadily
raise their profile.
5/5
Review by Trigger |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Band
Members |
|
|
Brann Dailor (Drums)
Brent Hinds (Guitar, Lead Vocals)
Bill Kelliher (Guitar, Vocals)
Troy Sanders (Bass, Lead Vocals)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Track
Listing |
|
|
1. Oblivion
2. Divinations
3. Quintessence
4. The Czar / (I) Usurper / (II) Escape / (III) Martyr
/ (IV) Spiral
5. Ghost Of Karelia
6. Crack The Skye
7. The Last Baron |
|
|
|
|
|
| Band
Related Links |
|
|
| Review
Score Code |
|
|
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
-
What Was That? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
