Mastodon
Crack The Skye

The Mastodon, despite their relatively young age, had already made quite a name for themselves before this album. The fusion of different genres, the ability to combine them without making everything sound like a chaotic mess of disconnected sounds, the great technique, and never trivial songwriting were elements that, since the first "Remission," hinted at and revealed a great future for the Atlanta quartet.

Incredibly, nine years have already flown by since that electrifying debut, and many things have changed: the metal music scene, as predicted multiple times by many, often dismissed as fatalists, has lost vigor impressively, and apart from a few well-known names and some promising newcomers, there are few titles truly worthy of consideration, often falling short of expectations. In this general turmoil, Mastodon stands out, now halfway between the already-mentioned, young and big names. It’s easy to identify the reason: although with only three studio albums under their belt (before "Crack The Skye"), Mastodon have not yet missed a beat, evolving gradually and without forcing, making themselves known to a wider audience and becoming, already with "Leviathan," among the most appreciated bands in the extreme scene. "Blood Mountain" represents the next step, which keeps the characteristics of the "Mastodon Sound" intact, re-elaborated in a different, never trivial, and more dreamy way, but with a variety that sometimes seems to deprive the work of that homogeneity proper to masterpieces. Thus, despite having three very solid records to their name, the four from Atlanta still seem to be "a work in progress", and, given their young age, one might say, they should be. So, despite the possibility of sticking to one genre and living off it for years, they continue their musical evolution; this leads to the concentrated sublimity that is "Crack The Skye."

"Crack The Skye" (which for MY convenience we will henceforth call CTS) represents, hopefully for now, the compositional apex of Mastodon. But let's proceed in order.

CTS consists of seven tracks. This is already a clue: they avoid performance dips and select the tracks, fitting them together like pieces of a majestic puzzle, avoiding unwarranted instrumental indulgences (true Achilles' heel of "Blood Mountain" in my view), and keeping the listener's attention high.

It starts with Oblivion: a slow and haunting beginning that feels a lot like Tool, the drum enters setting the rhythm, and it doesn't take long for the song to come to life. The change in guitar distortion is immediately noticeable, as is Hinds's voice, which is simultaneously more soothing and haunting compared to previous releases; from here, the song seems to follow a natural evolution, painting the shades of a dreamy landscape, despite an atmosphere of perpetual waiting, as if something unexpected and dangerous is about to happen.

Divinations seems to bring to life the sensations felt during the previous track. A fast start, grating voice, and the onset of a claustrophobic melody guiding the hapless listener along the same paths traversed with Oblivion, but viewed under a different light, filled with danger and immediacy, fading at the start of the next track.

Quintessence initially seems similar to the preceding Divinations but soon moves in a different direction: while Divinations was anchored by Sanders' gruff voice, amidst drum acrobatics worthy of the best Colaiuta, Quintessence has a slow and unsettling intro, winding through unconventional acoustic paths, bordering on an inevitability sharpened by the walking chorus that breaks the song's rhythm, relieving the tension as a release valve for the unease created in Hinds's dreamy verses.

Though this album doesn't have a weak point in any of its tracks, if a standout had to be picked, The Czar seems best suited for the role of the album's queen: another dreamy start, verses repeated incessantly, almost a lullaby, cradling the listener in an atmosphere that, at least in the song's first part, seems more relaxed than the other tracks. Yes, first part, because this suite of over ten minutes is divided into four parts, almost a tribute to the prog bands whose influences in this record seem evident. The second part enters silently, a gentle tempo change and Hinds's voice becomes more dry, sacrificing warmth for immediacy. The third part has a lightning-fast tempo change, with a driving and catchy rhythm that makes the chorus its warhorse; equally stark is the distinction between the third and fourth part, with a sudden slowdown and, after a drum beat much like an impending danger, Hinds, after a duet with Saunders in the previous part, returns to lull us, but with a note of urgency in his voice, which fades away along with the song.

Ghost of Karelia begins with an enveloping guitar that winds through supernatural paths and once again introduces Hinds's dreamy voice; a sudden tempo change along with drum virtuosity and Hinds who, though not screaming and growling like in previous albums, seems angrier than ever; another tempo change brings back the soothing acoustic guitar, slipping into another less sudden but significant tempo change, as the song's mood shifts from anger to resignation.

In this mood, we reach the title track. Electric and acoustic guitars interweave better than ever, and the drum's admonishing intro is the perfect backdrop for the appearance of the album’s guest of honor, none other than Scott Kelly of Neurosis, showing that his years of experience haven’t affected his growl; the song moves in a continuous alternation between Kelly's roars and Hinds's whispers, perfect counterpoints in a track that, without major tempo shifts compared to its companions, moves in a dark and fatalistic atmospheric territory, Kelly’s favorite, showing he can integrate seamlessly even in a context different from his Neurosis, though it seems Mastodon did everything to make him feel at home, and succeeded perfectly.

A simple and effective melody guides us through finally peaceful paths; The Last Baron is a gigantic (using "mastodontic" seemed too obvious) jam session that drags along, exhausted by the journey through the other tracks, yet still proud, towards the end of the dreamy yet confining gallery that was gripping too tightly; it seems over, but with one last tail whip Mastodon has one final tempo change that enlivens the song; it feels like a race towards exiting the tunnel, as if one last obstacle stands between the listener and the exit; Hinds keeps singing, but despite the apparent distance of his persona emerging from singing parts (being the echo effects heard during guitar stops), his voice delivers a lashing effect on the listener's ears, who, hypnotized by the music, cannot escape and is slowly dragged into the abyss created by his voice, before arriving with a final whisper of pride at the end of the journey, concluding with a guitar whose epic nature could hardly be overstated, closing the album.

Indeed. Finished. All finished. It doesn’t seem possible, it cannot be possible. Yet it is.

The album is over. Unfortunately for you, not the review.

I humbly apologize, but I would like to linger on the album's concept. I believe that in this case, it was precisely the concept that gave Mastodon's work that homogeneity often sought but never found in such a perfect key, so I feel it's right to spend a few words, at least on the subject matter.

Essentially, the album tells the story of a paraplegic who, unable to move physically, travels with his mind; at a certain point, the mind detaches from the body, his very soul, his vital breath, exits the mere physical shell, and is transported to the spirit world; the boy’s body isn’t dead, but he no longer has any reaction. Therefore, his body is taken inside a Russian sect, where Rasputin, through a magical rite, understands the boy’s problem; meanwhile, the boy realizes he cannot stay in the spirit realm as he is alive, so he tries to escape; in the meantime, Rasputin, after allowing the boy's soul into his body, is killed, and both find themselves in a crack in the sky (hence the title). Rasputin helps the boy to escape, but nearing the end the Devil tries to drag their souls to Hell, while in a race against time the two dash towards salvation (probably both for the boy, to return to his body, and for Rasputin, to redeem himself by helping the boy).

To me, this is a masterpiece. A masterpiece must know how to evoke emotions, must captivate, and must be practically perfect from every standpoint, and for me, this album is. I've finished bothering you. Till next time.