Music Review: Crack The Skye - Mastodon

I have never been a huge fan of metal. I listen to only a handful of metal, and some of them are debatable on the subject of their genre. Anyways, Mastodon was one of the first "metal" bands I started to listen to. The first thing that drew me to them was their subject matter. Moby Dick? Hell yes. A man climbing Blood Mountain to find the Crystal Skull? Amazing. A paraplegic who astral projects and meets Rasputin, tries to kill the Czar and meet Satan? Okay, woah. Honestly they have some of the most ridiculous, yet utterly coolest concepts I've seen in music.
Blood Mountain was an incredible psychedelic romp that showed that the members of Mastodon had only been progressing since Leviathan, and they have continued to progress.
The first thing that I noticed, starting the album with "Oblivion" is how melodic they have become, without losing any of the heaviness. Pounding palm-muted guitar, switches to a chorus with those enormous guitars and technical fills that Mastodon has become known for. Then the solo hits. The first thing I thought of was.. Pink Floyd? I mean yeah it does turn into a dueling guitar battle in the later half of the solo, but man are the first couple measures straight from the David Gilmour Handbook. And by no means is that bad. If anything it's exactly what Mastodon needs, it has the technical metal aspects with melodiousness of 70's psyche.
"Divinations" is a sprinting technical masterpiece with a *gasp* surf-guitar solo. I-I don't think I can handle this. And it keeps going like this. Song after song, Mastodon continues to melt your face with their abilities at bass, drums, and guitars.
"The Czar" is a near 11-minute long epic consisting of 4 parts. Interesting elements become more apparent in this, with more present keyboard and piano at the end of the song.
Overall, anybody looking for something new in the metal scene, or someone looking for true musicianship, this is the place to look. Every member plays absolutely amazingly, it is constantly blowing my mind. The psychedelic and classic rock influences are ever present. Instead of having just blisteringly fast solos, Mastodon relies on their melodic abilities to construct solos that are just as fist-pumpingly sick. Even as I listen to "The Last Baron" in the final moments of the album my mind continues to explode towards the outer reaches of my skull, and I hope it does the same for you.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

-Lucas Thurston

Song of the Day #6: I Luv The Valley OH!

I was schooling my friend in Xiu Xiu.
I played her this song and she fell in love with it, and I remembered how much I love this band.



-Lucas Thurston

Song of the Day #5: Art Brut - Modern Art

Art history class.
Vasily Kandinsky.
Modern art really just makes me want to rock out.
Art Brut knows how to rock out.
Plain and simple.



-Lucas Thurston

Song of the Day #4:

Nothing quite like painting and listening to some post-punk, eh? Siouxsie and the Banshees are pretty well known for their music, some label them as post-punk, some as goth, some as new wave. Whatever we're "supposed" to call them, it remains some damn good music.



-Lucas Thurston

Song of the Day #3: Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely

A friend of mine is working on a short film that is based on this song. Lately, him and I have been working on a ukulele and accordion cover of it for the soundtrack to his film. There's something bizarrely beautiful and melancholy in this song. Some serious longing. The reverb drenched accordion adds this surreal feeling to the song, almost comedic. I think Wes Anderson nailed its mood in Hotel Chevalier. So please enjoy this track that has been forgotten over the years.



-Lucas Thurston

Song of the Day #2: Phoenix - 1901

Phoenix has been one of my favourite bands since grade 8. Yes, I have been listening to them for that long. They've changed over the course of their past 3 albums, slowly taking a more indie rock based feel, distancing themselves from their electronica beginnings. Their newest album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a blend of the two genres they've played in. Just listen and enjoy.

-Lucas Thurston

Song of the Day #1: School of Seven Bells - Half Asleep

Here's a little something I am going to try out for a bit. We'll see how long this lasts.

School of Seven Bells is a relatively new group hailing from Brooklyn. To be honest the first time I heard this band was one of the mixtapes created for one of the characters in Octopus Pie (check it out too). This song continues to blow me away with how accessible it is, but at the same time how complex it is also. "Half Asleep" is expansive at times, huge thundering drums and incredible synth and guitar lines, while it also has quieter moments letting the two part harmonies shine. All and all, I am completely enamoured with this song and I want everyone else to be too. So there.



-Lucas Thurston