Emperor of Sand
| Emperor of Sand | ||||
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| Studio album by Mastodon | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2017 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 51:11 | |||
| Label |
Reprise 558742-2 |
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| Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
| Mastodon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Emperor of Sand | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Consequence of Sound | B |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 |
| The Guardian | |
| NME | (4/5) |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10 |
| PopMatters |   |
| Rock Sound | 9/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5 |
Emperor of Sand is the seventh studio album by American metal band Mastodon. The album was released on March 31, 2017 through record label Reprise Records. One of the album's singles, "Show Yourself", peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2017.
Emperor of Sand is the seventh studio album from American progressive metal band Mastodon. The album was recorded at the Quarry in Kennesaw, Georgia and mixed at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The band worked with record producer Brendan O'Brien, whom they collaborated with on their 2009 album Crack the Skye. The songs were recorded as originally arranged, then they revisited each track to edit and refine the sound. Drummer Brann Dailor completed his drum tracks and began drafting lyrics while guitars and bass were being recorded by other band members.
Scott Kelly of Neurosis and Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth both appear as guest vocalists on "Scorpion Breath" and "Andromeda" respectively. Kelly has appeared as a guest vocalist on every Mastodon studio album since Leviathan (2004).
The concept and story in Emperor of Sand follows a desert wanderer who has been handed a death sentence. Themes of death and survival are woven into the song's lyrics, which were inspired by experiences members of the band had when family and friends were recently diagnosed with cancer.
"At the end of the story, the person simultaneously dies and is saved," Dailor said. "It's about going through cancer, going through chemotherapy and all the things associated with that. I didn't want to be literal about it. But it's all in there. You can read between the lines."
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Wikipedia