Divinations

Ouch! Be prepared for something different, come March 24th. ‘Crack The Skye,’ is surely a step in a different direction…where I don’t know though. This could be a step toward ascendancy or perhaps a plunge into the deep and dark waters of failure. The vocals on this single, ‘Divinations’ would take any hardcore Mastodon fan by surprise.

Incorporated here, are some clean melodic singing bits and the regular shouts and screams provided by Troy Sanders. The music is tight as ever, and sounds just as good as any previous song, but the vocals are definitely weird and it sounds a lot worse than having a 1-tonne pickup ram you square in the face. The drums are spectacular, wild and incredulous and so is the guitar work. Mastodon have never disappointed me as musicians; they are a very, very capable band; technically accurate, tight as a unit. However, their vocals have always been a letdown, a terrible letdown.

Mastodon have never stuck to a particular style and the styles they have implemented and utilized have been disastrous. Personally, the harsher ‘March Of The Fire Ants’ vocal has been their best attempt, but the others have been failure through and through. These guys have always been a bizarre band from their early days, and not much has changed. However, I wish and hope that they could stick to one vocal style or in other words the vocal style that goes with their music.