Mastodon Emperor Of Sand Download
‘Emperor of Sand’ is a sage addition to the Mastodon catalogue, joining predecessors like ‘Leviathan,’ and ‘Crack the Skye’ in sharing a concept and provoking the audience to listen and really process the album’s message. This isn’t a new thing for Mastodon. Emperor Of Sand was recorded at The Quarry Recording Studio in Kennesaw, just outside Mastodon's hometown of Atlanta, with producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Neil Young, AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine), who first worked with Mastodon on their seminal 2009 album Crack The Skye. With Emperor of Sand, Mastodon remains one of the most distinctive bands of its ilk, but like a beach that’s been combed over many times before, there’s precious little left to discover this. Pitchfork: Emperor of Sand – Album Review; Mastodon Talk New Album Emperor of Sand and What They Call “Funderwear” Mastodon’s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher Talk New Album, ‘Emperor of Sand’ Inside Mastodon’s Dark, Emotional New LP. Mastodon set the bar high with Emperor of Sand.It was written in difficult circumstances emotionally and creatively. Like their first three albums (and unlike their last two), this is a concept album.
I need a one dance download. Lyrics to 'One Dance' by Drake Feat. Drake - One Dance (Live On SNL) ft. OT I pray to make it back in one piece I pray, I pray That's why I need a one dance.
Mastodon set the bar high with Emperor of Sand. It was written in difficult circumstances emotionally and creatively. Like their first three albums (and unlike their last two), this is a concept album. Its dominant theme is of time running out, and its 11 tracks offer an allegorical story of a man handed a death sentence by a desert sultan. To escape, he flees into the expanse of the geography's emptiness, but the further he goes, the more lost he becomes in the sand as an unrelenting sun begins to claim his energy and ultimately his body -- think radiation poisoning. Desperate, he attempts to communicate telepathically with tribes of various races and historical periods to make rain fall and stop that progression. The concept is poignant: guitarist Bill Kelliher's mother passed away from brain cancer in 2016. The music grew out of long jams intended to address his grief and help him heal. The notion of time's eternal passage haunts every song here.
The return to concept is accompanied by the re-enlistment of producer Brendan O'Brien (he helmed Crack the Skye). In an interview, bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders added weight to the expectations for the album: '..17 years in the making…it ties into our entire discography.' Unlike their other conceptual endeavors (i.e. Leviathan) Emperor of Sand's narrative is relatively simple. While the conceptual framework harkens back to the early trilogy, the songwriting on this date is more reflective of the integrative styles on The Hunter and Once More ‘Round the Sun. 'Sultan's Curse,' 'Roots Remain,' and the anthemic 'Clandestiny' all roar with the bone-quaking riffery and roiling drum grooves, offering dynamic harmonic breakdowns, great solo spots, and plenty of fire. Elsewhere, such as on 'Show Yourself,' 'Ancient Kingdom' (both suggesting the influence of late-era Hüsker Dü), and 'Andromeda,' the focus shifts to hooks and melody first; the punishing riffs and monstrous drum fills are there, but are subservient. The guitar interplay between Brett Hinds and Kelliher is, as usual, flawless, and the spastic drum and basswork of the rhythm section remains some of the most expansive in metal. It's almost predictable, but it's not boring, and Mastodon's body of work has led listeners to expect it. The eight-minute closer 'Jaguar God' develops slowly and methodically from a lament to a dirge to a raging prog metal storm, offering a panoramic example of everything that makes Mastodon special. Emperor of Sand is not perfect; it doesn't attain the glories of the first trilogy. That said, it's easily on par with The Hunter and stronger than Once More 'Round the Sun, while being more diverse than any record they've cut. Arguments about quality should go beyond the aesthetics to embody process and honesty, which are what ultimately matters. In order to be true to themselves, Mastodon had to make Emperor of Sand at this time. There was no other option. As such, its urgency, sophistication, and emotional heft make it a necessary entry in their catalog.
| Title/Composer | Performer | Time |
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| 1 | 04:09 | |
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| 3 | 03:45 | |
| 4 | 05:03 | |
| 5 | 06:28 | |
| 6 | 04:00 | |
| 7 | 04:54 | |
| 8 | 04:28 | |
| 9 | 04:04 | |
| 10 | 03:19 | |
| 11 | 07:56 |
Once More Round the Sun left Mastodon fans with a number of questions regarding the future of the band. Following their most 'mainstream' effort to date, the Atlanta quartet received a fair amount of praise and criticism. Fans, both long-standing and new, seemed to part into two separate camps. People applauded the band for their attempts at a new direction. Once More Round the Sun was Mastodon's first full attempt at a radio breakthrough. However, there were a handful of fans who did not agree with the praise, citing further separation from Mastodon's original sound. Yet, Atlanta's metal giants saw great critical success at year's end.
Enter Emperor of Sand, Mastodon's seventh studio album. Whether they meant to or not, this new album clears up some lingering questions. The direction of the band lies somewhere between full-blown mainstream and a return to roots (of sorts.) Mastodon has brought back the narrative-driven album, last seen on Crack the Skye. Drummer Brann Dailor described the album's story as:
Mastodon Emperor Of Sand Download Free
“A Sultan in the desert hands down a death sentence to this guy. He’s running from that. He gets lost, and the sun is zapping all of his energy akin to radiation. So, he’s trying to telepathically communicate with these African and Native American tribes to get rain to pour down and kill it.”
While the narrative grew organically as the album developed, the early writing for the music was born in tragedy. Guitarist Bill Kelliher's mother became ill and unfortunately succumbed to brain cancer in 2016. This loss found its way into Mastodon's new album. Emperor of Sand has a darker tone than the last couple of albums.
While darker in tone, Emperor of Sand dazzles. Mastodon's musical brilliance is on full display. The versatility of their sound is arguably the greatest it has ever been. What initially stands out is the vast improvement from the sound that characterized Once More Round the Sun. The front half of Emperor of Sand features anthemic rock 'n' roll songs. 'Show Yourself' and 'Steambreather' are some the band's most lyrically accessible songs to date. Drummer Brann Dailor's continued growth and comfort as a vocalist is a result of repetition. He has been performing as a third vocalist since Crack the Skye. Now, Emperor's first five songs see him flex vocal prowess that (almost) rivals his pedigree as a drummer. Dailor has moved from singing choruses and hooks to full songs with his crystalline tenor (seriously, 'Steambreather'.)
If the former half of the album were to be defined by Dailor and Mastodon's rock evolution, then the latter half is an indulgence in nostalgia. The thunderous flow that marked albums like Blood Mountain returns. Brent Hinds and Kelliher are two of modern music's greatest guitarists. The years together in the studio and on the road has created a dynamic repertoire of rhythm and riffs. 'Word to the Wise', 'Andromeda', and 'Scorpion Breath' exemplify the duo's interplay. Troy Sanders's gritty growl and bass have also been a mainstay in Mastodon's sound. His booming vocal performance and low-end work anchor the band and, like it has for the better part of their career, provides a harsher contrast to the growing vocal responsibilities of Hinds and Dailor.
Much like most of Mastodon's previous albums, Emperor of Sand features a guest appearance from Neurosis's Scott Kelly. His help on 'Scorpion Breath' continues a tradition of Kelly on the band's albums that started back on Leviathan. Additionally, 'Andromeda' features guest vocals from Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth. These two songs are some of the 'heaviest' moments on Emperor. Everything concludes with 'Jaguar God', a fitting end to a powerful album. An eight-minute track that morphs from an acoustic ballad to a cosmic banger by its conclusion.
Emperor of Sand has been 17 years in the making. Since the turn of the century, Mastodon has been one of the most prolific metal acts to come around. They have evolved from a relentless sludge band to a progressive force and now into a critically-acclaimed mainstream act. Throughout it all, the same four men have stuck together as brothers through thick and thin. Emperor stands as much of a testament to the band's personal cohesion as it does the evolution of the band's sound. The members of Mastodon have a unique understanding of each other's talents. Consequently, this has resulted in the band's strongest material in a decade. They continue to learn from one another and even as they push towards 20 years together, they are finding new and exciting ways to broaden Mastodon's dominion over rock and metal.
Score: 9/10
Amazon is having a sale on the album ahead of it's 3/31/17 release, with the CD on sale for $9.99, MP3 version $9.49. Get it here.