January 2022 Feature Release – The Infinite Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month’s feature release for The Infinite has been nominated by Saxy. It's 2009's classic "Crack The Skye" fourth album from Atlanta progressive metal masters Mastodon, a record that I've long regarded as sitting amongst the elite of the genre.

https://metal.academy/releases/303

I did my review, here's its summary:

Mastodon has kept their progressive metal sound since their very beginning, but this was at the time when they started moving far away from their earlier sludge sound which, not to sound accusing, was stolen by Baroness! With 2009's Crack the Skye, they don't intend on changing any part of their trend except the sludgy part. This album can be considered a sequel to Blood Mountain in terms of music, still keeping a bit of the sludge/hardcore/thrash/progressive metal sound, but far more emphasized on experimental progressive metal. Think of this like Colors by Between the Buried and Me but the amount of solos and growled vocals is greatly reduced to the amount in Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta (almost none). Despite the sludge being reduced, it's not completely abandoned. Here you find 5 mesmerizing 5-minute songs for you to rock out on, and two 10+-minute epics (essential for progressive metal, though the only other epic that long that they've done is "Hearts Alive" from Leviathan) Besides this album being based on the element of ether (continuing their classical element saga that was then abandoned before they could get to the remaining element, air), the word "Skye" being spelled with an "e" is in memory of drummer Brann Dailor's late one-year-younger sister Skye who died by suicide at age 14, almost two decades before this album. It's very sad to lose a sibling, and I'm glad to still have my older brother who, like I said before, first inspired my general interest in metal. It's very clear how much Mastodon matured album after album. You might think Mastodon would've been satisfied with Blood Mountain and not be hyped about making a new album, but nope! They started realizing what was missing, emotional feeling in each song. This is likely the album that defined the band's career (but a close second behind Leviathan) and is considered one of the most essential progressive metal albums of the 2000s. That's what Mastodon is about!

5/5

I'm glad you describe this album as "the elite of the genre" Daniel, because I don't know if I could come up with a better descriptor myself.

I knew within the first two tracks of my first playthrough in 2009 that Crack the Skye was something special; even further beyond what the band had already achieved throughout the decade. But it was track four: "The Czar" that confirmed it. Something about the way that track in particular begins softly and comforting, grows into a sludge metal bridge and then comes back down to a reprise of the opening theme with elements of the sludgy bridge was spectacular.

Mastodon went to work on this album and it shows with how precise it all is. Each track on the album is very unique from one another, but not in a way that makes each song sound like it was written for a different artist. It makes the connectivity of the whole thing very fluent; you can tell you're listening to a Mastodon record while also knowing exactly where you are. The leit motifs that Mastodon uses throughout are impressionable, but surprisingly get stuck in your head quickly. In contrast to other Mastodon album's, Crack the Skye is not as direct with its hook driven formula, but is just as effective. Songs like the single "Oblivion", as well as the excellent title track and "Divinations". Hell, even the extended "The Czar" and "The Last Baron" hold together remarkably well.

The album sounds brilliant. The mixing of the vocals have a psychedelic flare, so it is easy to get lost in them, especially during the long songs. But the melodies are so simple, direct and recurrent that I almost feel like getting lost in a trance. Bass work is phenomenal; the low end of "The Last Baron" and "Ghost of Karelia" give the mix a punch that so many modern metal bands lack. The guitar leads are, like the vocals, impressionist in nature, but just as effective, while the rhythm is chunky, groovy and is not relegated to backup bass duty. I think that Brann's drums are some of the best in Mastodon's discography. They are technical, but they never feel like they are oppressing the rest of the mix.

The impressionist value of the melodies is symbolic since most of the lyrics of this album are shrouded in secrecy (minus "The Czar"), and Mastodon is able to carry the emotional weight of transcendence through the darkest of times and make them stronger. What I love about the album is how it manages to be progressive without the use of technical wankery and shredding; instead using minimalist textures and writing to tell a story, while still incorporating techniques that Mastodon have been known for over the last ten years.

In comparison to other prog albums around the same time, many of which I do like (Colors, Ghost Reveries, Axioma Ethica Odini etc.), it is Crack the Skye that stands out above the rest. Mastodon provided us with an opus that cannot be understated how fresh it feels, even today. While Dream Theater were spending their 2000s releasing the same album ad nauseum every two years, Mastodon were reaching for the stars. One of the my favourite progressive metal albums and the album that solidified Mastodon as household names in metal during the 2010s, and rightfully so. 

9/10

Great review Saxy. You've summed "Crack the Skye" up beautifully. It's an undisputed classic as far as I'm concerned & I've also gone with a 4.5/5. It comes in a close second to "Leviathan" (also 4.5/5) in Mastodon's overall career for me. I guess I just prefer "Leviathan"s dirtier, sludgier sound that little bit more but there's not a lot in it.