This album rocks!From the moment I first hit the play button I immediately connected with these songs.Emperor Of Sand sees the band tweaking their sound and musical approach again, but this go around those elements demonstrably hearken back to Blood Mountain and Crack The Skye.These eleven tracks effortlessly combine the hard-edged muscularity of Mastodon's earlier records with the generous accessibility displayed on their more recent releases.The results are phenomenal!
Before I get too carried away I need to specifically highlight one aspect of this album which deserves special recognition, the vocals.Emperor Of Sand, in my humble opinion, features the best vocals that Mastodon has recorded to date.Troy Sanders and Brent Hinds sound stronger and more emotive than ever while Brann Dailor continues to evolve into an increasingly formidable singer.In fact, on many songs I'd say Brann's vocal contributions steal the show.The bottom line however is that when the power of the three vocalists combine, which is on pretty much every song, the listener is treated to endless peaks with no valleys in sight.
Waveriders this is an album you need to own/experience.Emperor Of Sand rockets out of the gate with "Sultan's Curse" and doesn't let up until the closing notes of the epic final track "Jaguar God".If you're a long-standing Mastodon fan this record won't disappoint, and if you've never investigated Mastodon and want to know why so many people adore this band Emperor Of Sand is a fantastic introduction! -Penfold