Spinema Issue 74: Unboxing and Review of Mastodon’s CRACK THE SKYE (15th Anniversary LE Vinyl + Blu-ray)

Mastodon’s Crack The Skye (2009), their fourth full-length album, found the band now an established entity on the metal scene, garnering acclaim and refining their sound.

For its fifteenth anniversary, the record is being re-released in a number of different double-album configurations which offer multiple ways of enjoying the album, not only in different formats, but as unique audio-visual experiences.

The standard CD and Vinyl editions pair the album with an instrumental version (dubbed “The Score”), allowing you to enjoy the music sans vocals.

The deluxe Limited Editions also pack in a new Blu-ray, offering 2 visual versions of the album as well as its making of documentary. At the top of this heap is the Vinyl + Blu-ray edition, which packs in additional extras including a folded poster and a sheet of magnets.

This review specifically covers the Gold Vinyl + Blu-ray release.

One new component that all editions include is the instrumental version of the album. This is a magnificent record and I’m greatly enjoying the instrumental album as well as the original. I love that Mastodon’s songs – including their vocal performances – have such incredible range: heavy, technical, melodic and graceful. But there’s something to be said for just taking in the music on its own.

Our “Spinema” column is all about the intersection of film and music, and this is a really wonderful example of what that can mean. Some albums feel like a journey, and this one certainly qualifies – even more so in its film versions. The Crack the Skye Blu-ray, featuring three films connected to the album, is a critical piece of this package. While none of the contents are strictly new, having appeared separately elsewhere, this is the first comprehensive package as well as the high-definition debut of the two visual albums. (The Making Of was shot natively on SD video).

The Making of Crack the Skye (2009, 55:40)
Maturity seems to be the theme as the band, now working on a major label and having achieved commercial and critical success, creates their fourth album – trying to be bigger and better without selling out. For example, they describe being able to afford gear that they could only dream about before, such as a Moog synthesizer. The band also describes the themes of the album, which actually goes a long way in adding much needed context to the album’s two film versions.

Crack The Skye: The Movie (2011, 50:10)
The first visual version of the album is a long-format music video which mixes a black and white silent-era expressionist-style movie with animated visuals of the album’s hyper-colorful motifs and fractal designs. Stylistically, it’s kind of a cross between between the imagery of Rob Zombie and Tool. The film mixes elements and motifs of astral projection, Rasputin, and a tour of hell. Because of its abstract nature, it may come off as somewhat incomprehensible, but the “Making Of” helps break down some of the meaning.

Crack The Skye: The 10th Anniversary Tour Film (2019, 50:55)
A second film version of the album was created for the album’s 10th Anniversary. Fully animated, it plays with many of the same concepts and visuals of the album’s artwork and The Movie, also centering on a wheelchair-bound man who astrally projects himself through the cosmos. It’s an interesting complement with its own style, and its finale is stunningly beautiful and even optimistic (something I didn’t necessarily get from the other film).

Unboxing

Here’s a pictorial tour of the Limited Edition vinyl package and its contents.

Outer Box (Unopened)

Outer Box

The entire package is housed in a rigid outer one-piece box. The box does have a proper spine for shelf visibility.

Box Contents (Flipthrough)

Blu-ray

The Blu-ray disc is packed in a simple cardsleeve. The disc also has an inner sleeve, giving it a similar aesthetic to an LP. The sleeve is sealed with a transparent sticker. I was able to remove this and its residue with relative ease without damaging the packaging.