Mastodon’s second single and opening track from the ambitious and acclaimed Crack the Skye is metal of the highest order. The thrash riffage is unrelenting and virtuosic, recalling Slayer, Megadeth, pre-Black Album Metallica, the brutal double bass drumming helping pile on the heavy. Meanwhile, doomy, melodic vocals channel the spirit of early Sabbath with the fantastical lyricism that marks the album it belongs to. Add in a face-melting shred solo and you’re left with a tour de force of old-school awesomeness. An accomplished effort from a band on top of their game and on top of the genre.
