During Mastodon's recent tour with Dethklock, Converge and High on Fire, rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher had a little bit to say about the band and its new album. Talking about the band's namesake, which for them had more to do with 'Star Wars' than 'Lord of the Rings,' it turns out their first run of shirts were misspelled and probably make a fine collector's item.

'Crack the Skye' is both their latest album and a different sonic approach for the band. Working with producer Brendan O'Brien, Kelliher said he read concerned fan comments on MySpace, worried a 'new direction' might equate to 'selling out.' Kehiller said that they can't continually try to top themselves, and have to move in new directions, using Metallica as an example; "It is not an easy task when you written f---ing 'Master of Puppets,' and 'Ride the Lightning.'"

Mastodon are planning to record an upcoming set for a live DVD, but there aren't any release dates planned as of yet. They are still touring in America before heading to Australia in mid-January.

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