Internationally celebrated heavy rock icons MASTODON are proud to announce the release of their eighth studio album, Emperor Of Sand, the follow-up to their universally praised 2014 album Once More ‘Round The Sun. The album will be released on March 31 via Reprise Records and is available to pre-order now.
The deluxe pre-order package will contain the album on double 180-gram vinyl housed in a gatefold jacket along with a bonus Colour-In-Your-Own vinyl jacket, plus an exclusive box of Mastodon coloured pencils.
Emperor Of Sand finds Mastodon returning to a deeply imaginative and complex conceptual storyline that ponders the nature of time. Threading together the myth of a man sentenced to death in a majestically malevolent desert, the band conjures the grains of a musical and lyrical odyssey slipping quickly through a cosmic hourglass. “Emperor of Sand is like the grim reaper,” says drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor. “Sand represents time. If you or anyone you know has ever received a terminal diagnosis, the first thought is about time. Invariably, you ask, ‘How much time is left?’”
“We’re reflecting on mortality,” adds bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders. “To that end, the album ties into our entire discography. It’s 17 years in the making, but it’s also a direct reaction to the last two years. We tend to draw inspiration from very real things in our lives.”
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.
Previous album Once More Round The Sun debuted at #7 on the ARIA album chart and the band toured with Soundwave in 2012 and 2014 before playing their first Australian headline tour in 2015.
Over the course of Mastodon’s career, the band members have fearlessly continued to push themselves towards greater creative heights on their recorded output. Each studio album has united an ever-expanding worldwide legion of fans who have come to expect the unexpected twists and turns that have elevated Mastodon to become one of the most respected and influential creative forces in rock music.
“Mastodon are the greatest metal band of their generation – no one else comes close.” Rolling Stone
“The coolest band in rock!” Drum! Magazine
“Chances are you could use heavier rock in your life, and Mastodon’s riff-heavy epics are as friendly to non-metalheads as they are to heshers.” New York magazine
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Mastodon are Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds, Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher.
EMPEROR OF SAND TRACKLISTING
1. Sultan’s Curse
2. Show Yourself
3. Precious Stones
4. Steambreather
5. Roots Remain
6. Word To The Wise
7. Ancient Kingdom
8. Clandestiny
9. Andromeda
10. Scorpion Breath
11. Jaguar God
