Yeah I mean I didn't say I disagreed... I think the album falters a bit around the middle. Dry Bone Valley and Thickening leading into Creature Lives is... meh. But the first and last thirds are pretty great

Alright done. I listened to it with a super-open mind.
And I like it!
I normally can't stand heavy-proggy-poppy music but I need to say that this is good music.
And we need to look at the album cover artwork..
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8eqTvQcr6U...albumcover.jpg
..because it's fucking great.

I do miss the Paul Romano artwork but if now was the late 1980s my 12-year-old self would have proudly stitched this image to back of my denim jacket no matter how many beatings I got from older, cooler punk rock kids.

Ha! Those uncultured bastards. I miss the Romano artwork too, especially the simple elegance of Leviathan. By Crack the Skye i think the artwork had gotten a tad too complicated, but still well done. i guess it reflects the band though.

Glad to hear you liked it!

RVCA, I dunno, i liked Dry Bone Valley AND Creature Lives (as you can tell), i thought they complimented this album's style well. The first 3rd is pretty bomb though, fr sure.

it is perhaps a bit too "catchy" and "hooksy" for its own good

i prefer their earlier heavy sludge

my fave of theirs remains Blood Mountain

But that's the first album on which they abandoned heavy sludge.

Yeah, I thought I remembered you (Il Duce) complaining about how Remission was too "one-note"

but i loved Leviathan

in any event, on Blood Mountain, they haven't lost their heaviness

Samesies all around, although i wouldn't say they were ever extremely sludgy. There was always a balance of somewhat sludgy guitars and the dynamic soaring of prog/classic rock/metal.

Blood Mountain was a lightening of sound from oppressively heavy metal into a more classic and almost experimental (maybe just by prog rock) phase. They moved even further into the classic aspect and epic prog structure (but lack of experimental dabbling) on Crack the Skye. imo.

I like Mastodon. Didn't like this one on first listen. But it grew on me and I've found myself going back to it more. The songs on this album are a little diffrent from prior releases. But it might be a step in the right direction

I, for one, like this new one a lot more than Crack the Skye.