Atlanta-based progressive metallers MASTODON have set "Crack the Skye" as the title of their new album, due in early 2009 via Reprise Records. The seven-song, 50-minute effort was recorded at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta and was produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, who has previously worked with VELVET REVOLVER, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PEARL JAM, AC/DC and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, among others..

"Crack the Skye" track listing:

01. Oblivion
02. Divinations
03. Quintessence
04. The Czar
I. Usurper
II. Escape
III. Martyr
IV. Spiral
05. Ghost of Karelia
06. Crack The Skye
07. The Last Baron

In a recent interview with MetalSucks, MASTODON bassist/singer Troy Sanders stated about the group's forthcoming album, "I think most of our new material is going to be more under the rock category, but it's pretty epic and involved, extremely layered, broad, melodic, dark, and creepy. When we met up with [producere] Brendan [O'Brien], he had heard some of our demos and he liked some of the rock elements that we had with our stuff. We told him that we were interested in recording, quote, 'a classic rock record that will hopefully have a long shelf life and have solid songs from start to finish, and that will live a lot longer than just listening to it a few times and shelving it.' Our favorite records of all time that we always constantly revisit in our own collection are by bands like JOURNEY, YES, KING CRIMSON, FRANK ZAPPA, KANSAS, and all the shit that we grew up with and were inspired by and continue to revisit. We kind of wanted to attempt to capture a record like that, [at least] in our eyes and ears. The stars had aligned perfectly because Brendan's a perfect match, a funny dude and a great musician who has an amazing ear. He can pick out little things that we can try to do that we hadn't even thought of before, whether it be vocally or sonically with the guitars or something. So it is going to be more of a rock kind of Count Chocula-meets-DEEP PURPLE thing. That's kind of what we're saying."

MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor and Troy Sanders recently down with Roxwel's "UnCut" to talk about the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour, the new record and how the band was formed. The band also performs "Circle of Cysquatch" and "Capillarian Crest" live at the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival in San Antonio, Texas. Watch the footage below.