On paper, Mastodon's fourth CD — a concept album about being transported into Rasputin's body to do battle with Satan in some mystical realm — sounds horrifying. Our advice: Forget the putative story line and bask in Crack the Skye's superb sonic qualities. Happily, the Atlanta quartet has jettisoned most of its sludge aesthetic and now crafts a dynamic sort of hard-rocking head music, equal parts King Crimson and King's X. The band says one subtext of the album is astral traveling; we say, give 'em half a chance and they'll take you someplace pretty cosmic. B
Download This: Listen to the song ''Oblivion'' on the band's MySpace.com
