Crack the Sky

And it was at Record Theater.

And at the same day that I bought an album by Crack the Sky called Animal Nuts.

Yes.

Yep.

Any other band, they have a big album or a couple of big albums and then a few around it.

these mastodon for me i know crack the sky's well thought of but i still wouldn't say in the metal even in the metal um community it's not the big one they've just got a lot of mastodon albums and it's not like they're trying to fight you know compete with themselves in their own within their own catalogue because they haven't got anything to aim at they're just

yeah

everyone's kind of different But what I would say about this one, the first thing that struck me after the first full listen was what you're missing from Brent is the proggy elements because I think this is a lot more of a straightforward, not straightforward, but this is just a metal album.

But I think it's very much they just weren't enjoying themselves.

Yeah, but Brent's still lingering, he's still kind of, the mood's thick, and I just don't think they're happy, I don't think they're enjoying it.

You're not going to make great music when you're not at your best, are you? I don't know a great deal of Mastodon beyond Crack the Sky.

I've heard one or two, and I've probably missed five.

You said something the other day, Elliot, when this album came out, that Mastodon are as far in now as Metallica were when they released Death Magnetic.

And I think that helps put into perspective How continually brilliant Mastodon have been Because maybe you might not like the last couple of albums As much as you love Leviathan Or Crack the Sky But that's 25 plus years Where they haven't really dropped the ball once While other classic metal bands Which I do believe Mastodon are Have had whole ups and downs by that stage And even the ups Like a Death Magnetic for example Was from where they were compared to before that And I'm a big fan of Death Magnetic Very often they are not as close to their classic high points As Mastodon continue to be And I think it is probable This is the harshest thing I'm going to say About Mastodon this entire review I think it is probable and true That we have seen Mastodon's definitive best work behind us But it's kind of at the marathon stage where we see for just how long Mastodon can continue to be one of the greats.

And that is particularly true given the larger-than-ever challenge they had to face this time in replacing one of their key members.

And there is so much to digest and unpack and discover on this record.

I hate that they busted up the Barry Manilow ticket.

Crack the Sky at Hammerjacks, 1986.

Surf City, Here Come the Sharks.

I like that.

Definitely groovy.

So let's go to the turntables in the USA with Crack the Sky and Another Civil War.

From the album Tribes, on the Kraslov Final Show on ProgZilla Radio.

just brothers apart i know

And the album, it came from Phantasmagoria.

And we heard Cheetah.

and crack the sky open the set up from the 2021 release tribes with another civil war how are you doing my friends it is the kraslov final show right here on progzilla radio so glad to have you along for the turntable ride shout outs into the chat room erno colin tom harry I don't know who else is in there.

Let me go take a look and let's see who's posting.

Whatever one you picked, I was going to pick one of the other ones, but this one I did very much love.

In all honesty, I think this is the best one they've done since Crack the Sky.

I think it is in there with...

in my opinion, it's kind of in there in the pantheon of like Leviathan, uh, blood mountain and crack the sky somewhere.

I think it's probably like fourth in there for me right now.

Um, cause I really think like, especially the front half of the album is for me pretty much perfect.