Mastodon is the American metal band from Georgia that released the 2009 album “Crack the Skye.”
“Crack the Skye” is Mastodon’s fourth studio album, released on March 24, 2009, through Reprise, Sire, and Relapse Records. The band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, and recorded the album at Southern Tracks in that city. Brendan O’Brien produced the record, which expanded Mastodon’s progressive approach with a more melodic and atmospheric sound.
The album is a concept work involving astral travel, Russian history, supernatural forces, and the loss of drummer Brann Dailor’s sister, Skye. Its title honors her, while the music explores the classical element of aether. The record is commonly categorized as progressive metal, though it also draws on sludge metal and psychedelic rock.
“Crack the Skye” debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and became one of Mastodon’s best-known albums. Gojira, Between the Buried and Me, and Opeth are similarly adventurous metal bands, but Mastodon is the canonical answer to this question.