Mastodon keeps 'Skye' on the road

Following its in-progress European tour, prog-metal outfit Mastodon will return to the States for a Volcom-sponsored spring trek behind last year's "Crack the Skye."

The quartet will hit the tour trail beginning with an April 16 show in Charleston, SC, followed by a slew of club gigs scattered throughout the nation into late May. The 29-date schedule is shown at right.

Between The Buried and Me, Baroness and Valient Thorr will handle opening duties for the run.

"Crack the Skye," Mastodon's fourth studio effort, hit shelves last March and peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart and No. 4 on the magazine's Rock Albums chart. The set follows the group's 2006 release, "Blood Mountain," which featured guest musicians Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta), among others.

Fans attending the Volcom tour will be able to purchase a limited-edition color-vinyl version of "Crack the Skye." The band also plans to unveil special vinyl re-issues of "Blood Mountain" in both standard and deluxe editions to celebrate National Record Store Day on April 17.