Gonna be out soon.



Atlanta-based progressive metallers MASTODON have set "Crack the Skye" as the title of their new album, due in early 2009 via Reprise Records. The seven-song, 50-minute effort was recorded at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta and was produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, who has previously worked with VELVET REVOLVER, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PEARL JAM, AC/DC and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, among others..

"Crack the Skye" track listing:

01. Oblivion
02. Divinations
03. Quintessence
04. The Czar
I. Usurper
II. Escape
III. Martyr
IV. Spiral
05. Ghost of Karelia
06. Crack The Skye
07. The Last Baron

In a recent interview with MetalSucks, MASTODON bassist/singer Troy Sanders stated about the group's forthcoming album, "I think most of our new material is going to be more under the rock category, but it's pretty epic and involved, extremely layered, broad, melodic, dark, and creepy. When we met up with [producere] Brendan [O'Brien], he had heard some of our demos and he liked some of the rock elements that we had with our stuff. We told him that we were interested in recording, quote, 'a classic rock record that will hopefully have a long shelf life and have solid songs from start to finish, and that will live a lot longer than just listening to it a few times and shelving it.' Our favorite records of all time that we always constantly revisit in our own collection are by bands like JOURNEY, YES, KING CRIMSON, FRANK ZAPPA, KANSAS, and all the shit that we grew up with and were inspired by and continue to revisit. We kind of wanted to attempt to capture a record like that, [at least] in our eyes and ears. The stars had aligned perfectly because Brendan's a perfect match, a funny dude and a great musician who has an amazing ear. He can pick out little things that we can try to do that we hadn't even thought of before, whether it be vocally or sonically with the guitars or something. So it is going to be more of a rock kind of Count Chocula-meets-DEEP PURPLE thing. That's kind of what we're saying."




I cant wait for it

Fuck! If it sounds anything like they did live, forget it. As for what he said about them being total opposite guitarists and playing differently, isnt that what i said in my review of their gig last week??? They seem to think its a positive thing though!!!

I heard they have been having off gigs on The Unholy Alliance tour. But it seems to be the thing with Mastodon, they have off shows now and again. All in all i think they are amazing. I really like their slower, chilled out tracks so this albums going to be a good one i think. If its anything like Neurosis ill be happy.

From their description it sounds like it could be great (even if it sounds like they're trying to kind of sell out a bit...). I like what I've heard from Mastodon, crazy technical metal madness, although I saw them live once supporting Tool, and it just looked and sounded like a big bloody mess. But in was in a massive arena and their sound was shit, so I think they could've been playing anything and it would've sounded rubbish.

jonny_boy34 wrote:From their description it sounds like it could be great (even if it sounds like they're trying to kind of sell out a bit...). I like what I've heard from Mastodon, crazy technical metal madness, although I saw them live once supporting Tool, and it just looked and sounded like a big bloody mess. But in was in a massive arena and their sound was shit, so I think they could've been playing anything and it would've sounded rubbish.

i suppose that may have been the case here too. Maybe i will give them a real listen and see what they sound like on disc. It cant be worse than they were live!!!!!!!!

Leviathan is the best album out now, really. A string group covered the whole Leviathan album.

The Taste Of Chaos Ensemble - Performs Mastodon's Leviathan

Its a bloody amazing album Leviathan is, and the cover album of it is brilliant also. Liking the cover version of it quite a lot recently.

Levi..athan.

Can't wait. Cheers for the headsup Dan