Mastodon Deliver Expanded 'Crack The Skye' Album For 15th Anniversary

10-04-2024

(Warner) Celebrating a landmark body of work, iconic GRAMMY Award-winning heavy rock band Mastodon proudly presents Crack The Skye (15th Anniversary) editions, available today. The group have carefully assembled the ultimate vision of their groundbreaking 2009 concept album, Crack The Skye. Boasting a bevy of exclusive and essential extras, it comes in multiple configurations: 2LP & Blu-Ray Deluxe Box, 2CD & Blu-Ray Deluxe Box, 2LP Deluxe Vinyl, 2CD Deluxe, and Digital Deluxe. Get them here

All configurations notably feature a newly remastered version of the original album on Disc 1, while Disc 2 houses Crack The Skye: The Score, which includes instrumentals of every track now available in physical format since its initial limited release in 2009. The deluxe limited editions feature brand-new artwork designed by the band's long-time collaborator, Paul Romano. Additionally, the vinyl and CD deluxe limited editions both have exclusive art.

The Blu-Ray showcases special Crack The Skye: 10TH Anniversary Animations, Crack The Skye: The Movie, and The Making of Crack The Skye. Pressed on either limited-edition Smoky Grey (only at the Mastodon D2C store) or Gold vinyl, the 2 LP & Blu-Ray Deluxe Box consists of Disc 1, Disc 2, and the Blu-Ray as well as a new 24x24 poster, 10x10 sheet with four individual custom designed magnets, and a 12-page 12x12 booklet. The 2CD & Blu-Ray Deluxe Box includes Disc 1, Disc 2, the Blu-Ray, a Mastodon Sheet of stamps, and a 24-page booklet. Then, there's the 2LP Deluxe on Sky Blue Vinyl and 2CD Deluxe, each featuring Disc 1 and Disc 2. The Digital Deluxe will also arrive on DSPs.

In celebration of Crack The Skye (15TH Anniversary), fan-favorite tracks "Divinations" and "Oblivion" music videos have been remastered in HD.

Mastodon-Troy Sanders, Brann Dailor, Brent Hinds, and Bill Kelliher-initially unveiled Crack The Skye on March 24, 2009, and its influence has only expanded over the last 15 years. It marked the band's first Top 15 debut on the Billboard 200 and concluded 2009 on a myriad of Year-End lists. Metal Hammer and Rock Sound both hailed it as "Album of the Year," and Time placed the record in its Top 3. Christened "superb" by Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times went on to attest, "Mastodon has earned its place at the forefront of progressive metal with a mix of headiness and brawn...but the ambitious vision and vivid executive of 'Crack The Skye' don't feel like a departure for the band."

A high watermark of sonic unpredictability, Crack The Skye fascinates with its mind-blowing soundscapes, visionary storytelling, and elite riffing. The group stretched their sound to staggering heights by introducing the three-headed cosmic vocal interplay of Sanders, Dailor, and Hinds. Processing real-life tragedy, this living and breathing opus alternates between vignettes of astral projection, interdimensional conspiracy, and a glorious transformational apotheosis. The LP elevated Mastodon to another stratosphere altogether and left an indelible imprint on rock music in 21st-century rock in its wake.