Mark’s Review:

Could Brendan O’Brien be the kryptonite for once-great, American metal bands? After Mastodon announced that the famous hard-rock producer would be working on their album Crack the Skye, I was worried. It was an ominous sign that Mastodon wanted to take their sound to a more “approachable” level, and they needed someone to hone this vision into an acceptable package for new fans and mainstream media. I can’t say I blame them. In a few short years, they had arguably become the best American metal band, secured a major label deal and garnered loads positive press. It was time for them to choose whether to take their careers to the next level, or keep pushing the metal scene they were now leading. Crack the Skye was released, and although it’s filled with quality songs, I felt it really lacked the intensity and memorable moments of their previous works. I keep trying to get into it, but in the end I feel that the album blends together with forgettable riffs, passages and vocals.   Editor’s note: Bullshit.

Killswitch Engage is at a similar crossroads. Once an underground band, the addition of Howard Jones turned them into American metalcore darlings, and for good reason. The End of the Heartache is a classic album filled with all the extreme riffage, guttural screams and soaring vocals that make metal great. I felt their next album, As Daylight Dies, was a quality effort, but with their increased popularity and exposure, the band was quickly becoming a soundtrack for MMA events and Hot Topic. When I heard a “nicer”, mainstream radio version of the song My Curse with all the screaming cut out, the line between “credibility” and “credit cards” had been crossed. Well, now enter O’Brien, and their latest release: the self-titled Killswitch Engage.

Amazingly similar to Skye, the album starts off with a group of punishing songs that show what makes Killswitch great. Never Again, Starting Over and Reckoning feature Jones’s incredible voice and the serpentine riffs of (co-producer and lead guitar) Adam Dutkiewicz. Unfortunately after these opening gems, things turn repetitive. The album quickly becomes a mundane “paint-by-numbers” release with the tracks using the same metalcore songwriting formula (opening riff-scream verse fast-sing chorus slow-breakdown-repeat). The vocals steer more toward singing than screaming and we lose that intense dynamic Jones is able to create. Every riff continues along the same path, with the heavy chugging always followed by a sweeping arpeggio tail. The end result is something that’s good, but not great; tolerable, but not memorable; solid, but safe. Much like I felt with Mastodon, it seems like the steam has been let out of Killswitch Engage, and in order to “ensure” that this album is easily digestible for the new metalcore fan, something has been produced that is very sound but not very ground-breaking. I’m sure with this release, Killswitch has found a place in the hearts of “Affliction”-wearing jocks and mall-metal followers everywhere, but in the end, it’s a very “common” record and its formulaic construction pales in comparison to their older, more-spirited releases.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “The “Brendan O’Brien Album Formula” needs more falsetto and more evil… with that, you can’t go wrong.”

Justin’s Review:

I’ve been following Killswitch Engage’s career for nearly a decade now (anyone remember their album Killswitch Engage? Anyone? Anyone?) and much like a number of their East-Coast brethren, it’s been exciting to watch the band seemingly pave the way for modern (American) metal. As I said, it’s been nearly 10 years, and despite their complete over-saturation, and what many describe as “turning metal gay”, KsE still dominate the airwaves and continue to turn a plethora of teenage girls on to metal. And what headbanger in their right mind would argue with that?

Well, it’s 2009 and KsE is back in the spotlight with their brand new album… Killswitch Engage.

Wait… What? Killswitch Engage? Yep… you heard me right. Killswitch Engage.

If there’s ever been a sign that a band has run out of fresh ideas, it’s naming an album after themselves. For the second time. (Or a third… :cough::cough:). I’m guessing you can probably figure where I’m headed with this.

Well, as Mark points out, Killswitch Engage (henceforth to be referred to as KsE09) starts of with everything that makes KsE great… solid riffs, great hooks, awesome solos and a healthy dose of Blood Has Been Shed (literally… Never Again lifts the verse riff directly from Greetings from the Gallows). Anyways, a few good tracks follow, but after about 10 minutes, and throughout the rest of the album, it’s nappy-nap time. Not to shit on the album entirely, but for the most part it’s everything you heard last time around (though I will admit… slightly more memorable than As the Daylight Dies… which isn’t saying a whole hell of a lot).

As Mark so eloquently discusses above, Brendan O’Brien was brought in to produce this one, which I found to be a strange and interesting decision. As most of you already know, guitarist/backup singer/attention whore Adam D has produced all of the band’s previous efforts (as well as 98% of metalcore records in general), so I’m not really sure what the motivation was to bring O’Brien onboard here. Is it just the trendy thing to do, or was Killswitch actually looking to the album’s production to push them in a much-needed new direction? Honestly, I have no idea… but what I AM certain of is that Roadrunner pissed away tens of thousands of dollars for the completely unnecessarily addition of O’Brien (good thing they’ve got Nickleback around to keep the cash flow in check). I’ve listened through this thing 4 times now, and I’ll be damned if the album sounds different or new in any way whatsoever. KsE09 features the same slick production that all of a sudden has become synonymous with “boring as hell”.

I’d hate to dissuade anyone who is an avid follower of the band, because KsE09 certainly does not suck, but unless they change it up and knock my socks off next time around, I think I’ll be limiting my diet strictly to BHBS.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “With Killswitch Engage, it’s pretty obvious that fresh ideas belong to ‘THEM’.”

Have A Listen:

Killswitch Engage – Starting Over:

Download audio file (Starting_Over.mp3)

Word on the street is that metalheads are going to hate the shit out of this album (“… too much of that guitar-dude’s gay-ass singing“). So, I’m going to put my cred on the line here… Crack the Skye is a damn fine record.

Long before the album’s release, the members of Mastodon made it quite clear to the press that they were attempting to write a “classic rock record.” While those words may not be exactly true to form, Remission-era Mastodon is scarce to be found here. Gone are the brooding riffs of March of the Fire Ants or Megalodon, instead replaced by long-winded passages of prog-wankery. But you know what? It’s still Mastodon, and it’s still awesome (If you don’t find yourself singing along to Oblivion by the second chorus, I’ll eat my hat).

Speaking in terms of classic rock, I don’t think it’s out of line to compare Crack the Skye to Pink Floyd’s “Animals“. If you’re going to seek out some Pink Floyd to listen to, chances are you’ll probably give Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall a spin. But sometimes, Animals is just what the doctor ordered… a great album to just sit back, relax, and jam out (get high if that’s your thing) to. Which brings me to another point I’d like to make… Crack the Skye is a completely solid album. Despite it’s lack of short, memorable rockers, it’s a much more cohesive record than Blood Mountain, and a nice return to structure (which is something I very much appreciate).

If I do have one glaring complaint about the CtS, it’s that (while Brendan Obrien’s production is top-notch) Brann Dailor’s drums are buried too deep in the mix. His trademark rolls get lost in a sea of guitars, vocals & effects, and while it’s true that the drums themselves are less chaotic than before, I think that the majority of the problem lies in the mix itself. To counter this point, I am very much in love with said sea of guitars, vocals & effects (as well as the addition of keys and percussion throughout the album).

While CtS is sure to bring the message board flamewars, true Mastodon fans will find it a nice one to add to their collections… certainly one that well grow on you over time.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “Another heady concept album? These guys must’ve learned from the King!”

Mark’s Review:

I’ve been very wary of Mastodon’s new album Crack the Skye when I heard that it was being produced by Brendan O’Brien and was to have a more “classic rock” feel. I had never really gotten into Blood Mountain and found most of it to be aimless and uninspired, so I figured this was it for Mastodon. I had predicted that they would become another metal band that had their fire extinguished by more fame and a big record label. I was pessimistic, but I so wanted to be wrong. When I first listened to the album, the first track Oblivion sounded different, but I liked it. It has a great vibe and all the great vocal hooks of a top-notch hard rock song. The second track, Divinations, begins with that trademark Mastodon sound, bringing forth memories of Seabeast or Megalodon. It too is a great song, so I was feeling pretty positive at this point. Two tracks in and this record was sounding pretty good! Maybe I was wrong? Maybe I was being too negative? Unfortunately, I kept listening… and Crack the Skye turned from something promising into something ordinary.

The rest of the album is so tame. The aggression and fury that highlighted the first Mastodon releases are gone, as are Brann Dailor’s manic fills and Troy Sanders’ searing vocals. These are the elements that drew me to this band. At a time when metal was getting very stale, Remission was like a kick to the nuts… and I think that soon we will recognize Leviathan as one of the best metal albums of the past 15 years. Brent Hinds handles most of the vocal duty on this one, and while I don’t hate his voice, the early tracks with Sanders just have so much power and ferocity, it’s hard to get into the new, slick version of Mastodon. Much like Blood Mountain, the album becomes a sea of music, with nothing of note standing out. The Czar is the album killer. It is a long and boring song that has many parts, but seems to drag on endlessly. Ghost of Karelia is the closest you’re going to get to an old-school Mastodon song on this album, but after sitting through a 9-minute clunker, I’ve lost interest. I’ve given this album several listens to try and convince myself that I should like it… maybe one day it will grow on me, but as of now, it hasn’t.

And you know why? It isn’t Mastodon! Maybe this is what the band wanted all along, and I know Justin contradicts me, but seriously this does NOT sound like the same band. It’s the Mastodon that wrote songs like Blood and Thunder and Workhorse that made it so popular with fans. They have every right to change their sound or explore new directions, but we’ve seen where this road leads, and while I applaud their vision, I am not happy with the results. So, Crack the Skye? Solid album, good music, but if you’ve heard Mastodon before… kinda a letdown.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Such pain… to hear a loved one slowly dying!”

Mastodon – “Divinations”