Search This Blog

Monday, April 10, 2017

MASTODON - EMPEROR OF SAND



Mastodon...we have gone through one hell of a wild ride together, haven’t we? Mastodon is one of those bands that I am truly proud to have grown and evolved with. From their punishing riffs on Remission to their insanely heavy Leviathan, to their perfect concept album Crack the Skye and the proggy goodness of The Hunter, Mastodon continues to grow and grow with their newest release, Emperor of Sand.

Emperor of Sand is one hell of a heavy progressive powerhouse. It has its “radio” track “Show Yourself”, which traditional metalheads will probably complain about, but holy hell on a stick, the rest of this album brings me back to the days of Crack the Skye, which, in my opinion, is their greatest album to date. Emperor of Sand has the potential to reach that status though, as every single song on this release completely slays.

My favorite track on this album is “Jaguar God”, as it totally reminds me of “The Last Baron” from Crack the Skye with amazing vocals from Brent Hinds. As much as I love Troy and Brann’s vocals, Brent’s voice is just icing on an already wonderful and delicious cake. Also notable about this album is yet another track where Scott Kelly of Neurosis fame lends his vocals to “Scorpion Breath”. The only complaint I have is that the song is too short!

Mastodon is:
Brann Dailor - Drums and Vocals
Brent Hinds - Guitar and Vocals
Bill Kelliher - Guitar
Troy Sanders - Bass and Vocals

Emperor of Sand Track Listing:

  1. “Sultan’s Curse” (4:10)
  2. “Show Yourself” (3:03)
  3. “Precious Stones” (3:46)
  4. “Steambreather” (5:03)
  5. “Roots Remain” (6:28)
  6. “Word to the Wise” (4:00)
  7. “Ancient Kingdom” (4:55)
  8. “Clandestiny” (4:29)
  9. “Andromeda” (4:05)
  10. “Scorpion Breath” (3:19)
  11. “Jaguar God” (7:57)

Release Date:  March 31st, 2017

Label:  Reprise Records

Written by Jacek Leja for Bloodrock Media April 10, 2017
Check out our website and follow us on social media

No comments:

Post a Comment