MASTODON Emperor of Sand Album Review | Overkill Reviews 

damn am I the only one who thought this album was fire? And I've thoroughly listened through and quite enjoyed their entire discography...

Best Mastodon album since Crack the Skye, very good, great job

Not gonna lie, this is quickly becoming my favourite Mastodon album. Every song! It has got to that point where every song is just epic!

This album is amazing. Evolving is what bands do, people seem to love whining when there is any kind of change. It feels like each album has been building to this, in my opinion It's the most Mastodon sounding Mastodon album they've made.

I think it's great. The old and new combining for something I think actually is a step forward. They seem to be reaching for everyone in this album, newbies and old heads alike. Word to the Wise and Ancient Kingdom are standouts for me. They remind me of a heavier Rush, Yes, or Genesis when they were making accessible prog rock that allowed a new crowd to dig in. It's proggy, psychedelic, anthemic and has great replay value. 4/5 for me. Just under CTS and Leviathan, right around Blood Mountain level.

Mastodon is straight up ear candy to me! I know many have become disillusioned by their "accessibility/ commercialization" in recent years? But, I will compare them to a band more from my era who have continually kept pushing their sound forward and evolving... The mighty Voïvod!! Thru the musical history of each of these bands both started out much more aggressive and abrasive but have evolved a more complex tapestry to suit their growth as musicians IMO. I grew up with Voïvod and evolved my taste with them. From the snarling thrash of "War & Pain" to the more tempered "Angel Rat" and beyond! To me Mastodon is just progressing the same way and I for one love it!

Wow he didn't even mention Jaguar God, holy shit

the next tool album is the half-life 3 of music.

With regards to Show Yourself being "more a kin to Queens of the stone age or Foo Fighters than Rush", really Sam? I mean, I agree it's the most radio friendly track but one of the best Rush prog albums is "A Farewell to Kings" and that had Closer to the Heart on it. A song that gets played ad nauseum on Q107 to this day.

I think this album has aged well. 2 years later it’s become one that I regularly still listen to. I’m constantly humming the intro to Steambreather.

this guy kills me, he either doesn't like an album cause it doesn't sounds like the band early material or doesn't like an album cause it's sounds too much like something they've done before lol

I sorta shared your opinion on some of the middle tracks but after listening to the album some more it just keeps growing on me (Like when they released "Show Yourself", at first I was like WTF? But after listening to it a couple of times I just love it.) so I've really come to enjoy this album. Question is where it stands in 6 months for me but I would expect fairly high on the Mastodon list for me.

How can you be so critical about Emperor of Sand while praising naive "thrash metal" riffs on Metallica's latest album. Did Lars give you one of his Picasso's?

It was Sam's multi-part documentary "Metal Evolution", and specifically, the episode on Prog Metal that put me on to Mastodon in the first place. While not really a comment on this video, this is the closest forum I have to pass on my thanks to him. So, thanks, Sam. Your work has certainly changed my life for the better.

I hate that the knuckle dragging metal heads don't want this band to progress and explore creative experimentation. I am a person who doesn't consider myself a metal head but Mastodon is a band that keeps me interested in the genre. Emperor of Sand in my opinion is on par with Crack the Skye.

I love this album. It may be my second favorite of their discography after Crack the Skye. I feel as though it's a perfect return to form with plenty of new elements and songwriting that blew me away. 4.5/5 for me. Probably my favorite album of the year so far.

didnt mention jaguar god, fucking love that song

I am glad that I could get out of this "metalhead bubble" along the years therefore I understand but most of all able to recognise and enjoy those elements in Mastodon's music that is refused or hated by long time fans who still wants their another Leviathan... For me the best ever work of Mastodon is Cold Dark Place. That is a fucking masterpiece.

Exellent review as usual! The argumentation is there, keep it up!

Sam, I'm a bit disappointed. Not for the verdict, which is quite fair to be honest, but for the fact you haven't mentioned Jaguard God. That song is the peak of the entire album. A long ending suite with an incredible progression which leads to an up-tempo. Hinds has done an incredible work on the solos. Dailor is literally everywhere with his drumming, never standing on the same path and Kelliher has written some really inspired riffs. Dailor has also improved a lot as a vocalist. Last but not least, I think Clandestiny should have been mentioned too: it has an amazing main riff and the psychedelic effects used in the middle of the song almost reminds me of The Mars Volta.

Correction Brann does not sing the prechorus. Its taken over by Troy Sanders the bassist. He does it live and he does it on the record

Man I'm a all music person and I have to say I like the fact that people who generally don't listen to that type of music is a good thing ...besides music calms the savage beast.

If it was my first mastodon album I've ever heard, it would be a masterpiece but it's just another mastodon album.

So far my favorite post Crack the Skye album. Have to give it more time before I could say it beats anything pre CTS. Their albums always get better with repeated listens so who knows....

This is literally one of my favorite albums. I can’t stop listening to it. All the songs are great. It really reaches out and grabs my soul. The subject matter hits home for me.

Like everything they have put out, this is a great album, I don't think anything will ever match up to Crack in the Skye, it's one of the best albums of the last 20 years!

scorpion breath with Scott Kelly is an amazing song

I think Mastodon's "The Mastodon" debut 'sample' album was one of the best, especially for heavier stuff.

Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one and most of them stink. My asshole is; Awesome fucking album.

I agree in one sense they didn't break any new ground, but I think its a good combination of what they've done on their last three albums. Certainly heavier then the last two. Sultans curse, Root remains, Clandestiny, Scorpion breath, and Jaguar God are excellent songs.

no mention of Brents guitar solo towards the end of Roots Remain? it is quite possibly the greatest guitar master/geniusary of ALL time! ALL TIME!

How you could Skip Steambreather and Jaguar God? Two of the top 4 of this album!! Oh Man...

This year I am swearing off reading or listening to reviews, because I disagree with most of them anyway. Awesome album

I've lived with this album for a month now & think that it has been unjustly rated against Mastodons earlier discog. Face facts they are not going to make Leviathan 2. Viewed from out of the shadow of those past records, I would suggest that Emperor is a modern metal tour de force. I hate the condescending metal head attitude that looks down on albums with clean vocals or catchy hooks.

fantastic review

Fuck off BANGER, this album is SICK! At least 5/5 skulls

Although I don't agree with everything this guy says, he gave the album a good review. I love this album start to finish. I've been a metalhead forever, and I gotta say I haven't heard an album this good ever. Mastodons best album imo

Samm... how could you say that? Mastodon and this album is great! They lead the sound of "metal" in the industry and they drop a hell of an album and you're worried that's it's not crack the skye?

Mastodon's first 3 albums are perfect for me. I loved Crack the skye too but just not as much as their other work. I feel mastodon works best as hardcore sludge with progressive elements. I just didn't really enjoy The Hunter or Once more around the sun that much. Blood Mountain is still my favorite album followed very very very closely by Leviathan.

I'm imagining the reviews on Slayer's albuns "I think I've heard this song Before..." And yet it's fuckin' Slayer, a Big 4! Go drunk, you are home, man!

You got mastodon but no high on fire?

That's no robot. It's SMAUG.

Oh ya i need someone to tell me what i like. Thx.

You skip Steambreather and Jaguar God? Wtf

Stunning album.

14:30 i completely agree with this.

i love NOT having to overthink music. i listen, i say "i like it" or "nah", and i return to living in the real fucking world.

A band like Mastodon reaches new heights when they can receive criticism for masterful triple volcalism, dynamic two-way guitar sensationalism, and impeccable percussionist contribution. They set such a high bar for themselves that people are obliged to criticize, but perhaps we should sit back and appreciate that complex and dynamic metal still exists. Music lives. We are lucky.

How you didn't like Steambreather or Clandestiny I'll never know

Nobody hates Mastodon more than Mastodon fans. Maybe they do deserve some criticism, but not this much hate, they're an amazing band, the fan bitching is unfair.

The clean vocals on this album are incredible, especially from Brann.

Man, this record is the best thing to hit my ears this ear and a lot of records have ringed my head so far, but this is by far the best. When I can't skip a song on an album to get to the next because the current song is also amazing, the whole album is a solid winner. I felt the same way about the new Korn offering. I did NOT feel the same about the overly hyped sort of a let down new Metallica. Mastodon have yet to put out a bad album and I really don't even think they're capable of doing so. I respect this band more than any other because they've given us the massive Mack truck crushing records like Remission and Leviathan, then gave us a solid punch in the nuts with Blood Mountain, then gave us a warped time portal with Crack the Skye, then brought us back from that dimension with The Hunter and Once More Round the Sun... and now I honestly feel Emperor of Sand encapsulates a bit of all. So what I'm saying is if all I had to listen to were Mastodon records and was banned from hearing anything else, I'd still be a happy camper

I don't know why these guys get such flack. Every thing I've heard from them is quality stuff. The Hunter got me into them. Also don't mention Tool because they aren't nearly as talented as Mastodon.

Love this album. Surprised no mention of Jaguar God. That's my fav, along with Steambreather.

this album is my favourite Mastodon record. that is all.

Steambreather, Jaguar God, Roots Remain, Precious Stones, Andromeda, Words To The Wise... so many good songs! One of their finest records. Also dont understand the hate towards their last two records, they never made a bad record and Im just gonna enjoy the ride and the evolution they are having and will continue to have, cant wait to see them live in June! Ok review.

5:55 Troy sings that part, not Brann

How can you not talk about Steambreather? That song is the best song I've heard in last 5 years. Also, this album is among the best in the last decade.

I give it a 4.5/5. Ive been a fan since the gold ol days of Mastodon since Leviathan, and this band has grown into legendary metal status to me over the years. Listen to each album in a row and watch how the band has evolved. Amazing band!

This album might be the the most consistently good and cohesive list of tracks put out by any band in years (IMHO). Perfect order, no weak points or "skippers"... just a solid friggin effort, unique sound without seeming too experimental. I can't recall the last time I liked a whole album so much. Individual tracks, sure, but not an entire collection. "Not an excellent Mastodon record...", he says. PFFFFT, I say.

Sam! How could you review this album and leave out Jaguar God!?!? It might be the coolest track on the album and seems to be a fan favorite already. The only song on this album that I dislike is 'Show Yourself' It's by far the Warner Bro. radio single. I dig every album this band puts out. They grow in a way that doesn't alienate me as a fan. I can almost predict what the next album will sound like because each album shows hints and glimpses what is going to come next. This album for me is more entertaining than Hunter and Once More and close to Crack the Skye. It may not have progressed a lot but it damn sure doesn't disappoint. 4 out of 5 for me.

Sultan's Curse, Steambreather, Roots Remain, Andromeda, Scorpion Breath, Jaguar God... all KILLER songs and instant classics... this album is 10/10

I disagree a lot about cataloging Oblivion inside of that tradition of more poppy/accesible songs like Curl of the burl, High Road or Show yourself; for me it's an intricate song, it's just because of the clean vocals and the catchy chorus? I think it's much more deeper than the other's mentioned.

Emperor of Sand is a masterpiece. Mastodon is one of those bands that puts art before everything and it shows. I'm enjoying this album a lot! Much love from a longtime fan

Sultans Curse, Streambreather, Andromeda, Jaguar God hell even Show Yourself were all good tracks this album was solid

Dude, did you even listen to the album? Robot voice?...wrong track man.

I think this album is killer. Got this one wrong dude :(

Thus album is everything at once.. Its got elements of all their previous albums... Its a monster and a beauty... Im so pleased with it as a mastofan... Its got to be top four if not top three mastodon albums .. Its up their with Leviathan and CTS.. Its beautiful. Its brutal.. Its weird.. Its everthing I love about mastodon in one album.

I've only listened to a couple of this guy's reviews, and I end up disagreeing with at least half of what he says every time. Same was true here. Don't think I'll bother listening to one of his reviews again. For me, with Emperor of Sand, Jaguar God is one of the top two tracks - and should have been mentioned. And Scorpion Breath, which the reviewer highlighted, was the least stand-out track for me.

Sam how did you not talk about Jaguar God? It's arguably the best song on the record and one of the best they've written in years. Great review regardless.

This guy and I apparently didn't listen to the same album.

I disagree 100%. This album is perfect. How can you miss on Clandestiny, Ancient Kingdom, Jaguar God, Andromeda..? My rating of Emperor Of Sand: 10 ouf of 10. It's a much better album than Once more round the sun, the hunter or blood mountain. It might even be their greatest album. The competition is rude with Crack The Sky and Leviathan.

Blood Mountain Crack The Skye Emperor of Sand Leviathan The Hunter Remission That's my ranking

Best album in a long time. The only one I started out not liking was "Clandestiny." Now I've played it like 10 times and sing with it.

Great album. 4.5 / 5

I feel like the term "Progressive metal" is lost on a lot of reviewers. This is not their best album, but definitely top 3, of my personal favorites. And it's probably at 9/10, at minimum. Also, I'm lost on your verdict. Mastodon is the exact opposite of hipster metal

I am another long time Mastodon fan... and I can't stop listening to this album. I love it, and they continue and further solidify as my favorite band. This is a good review, really well examined and honest in opinion. I personally like these recent directions of the band, and hope they continue to do whatever they want to do, because that will be the truest expression of this incredible band. These guys craft amazing and intricate songs, and they oscillate between so many different styles. Musicianship is top notch, and to me, the inspiration,creativity, and production are incredible. I hope they can ignore that audience that wants them to be what they want them to be, and know that they will always have a following doing whatever they want to do

How could you possibly not mention Jaguar God?

Second listen reaction - Too much Brann, not enough Brent. Hinds may be haphazard live, but on record he's their most potent vocal weapon, striking a lovely balance between grit and emotion with his 'Hashhead Ozzy' tone.

man you didn't mention jaguar god.. That's for me the best song in the album. And I mean you didn't even say the name of the song like it wasn't even there

I'm not okay at all with you on this review. We can all agree that "Emperor of Sand" is a "Crack The Skye" with sounds from "Blood Mountain" wich, to me, makes this album a perfect blend. I disagree on your vision of the songs because to me the album really took me away from "Steambreather" until "Clandestiny". Those songs are EPIC ! They are the densest and the more refined compositions this guys realised. Not saying the other songs are bad, they just did not hit me with the same strength !

"I feel like I heard these songs before"... then they change it on next album... "They have gone astray from their style". No one complains more than metal fans, except maybe jazz ones. ZzzzzZzz...

The contrast between Sultan's Curse and Show Yourself is simply staggering. How we can go from an ethereal, epic, sludge classic like sultan followed by such a corny radio rock song in just 2 tracks is just...i can't even describe it. I'm just glad they continue their arena rock influence, i fucking love how astronomically gigantic their sound is.

God damnnnn I love reading comments like "how did they not mention jaguar god" and other songs.. just shows how fucking killer this album is. I love mastodon so much

To me, Mastodon is a collection of elements which when used in combination elevate a track beyond the sum of its parts. Among these are driving riffs, ethereal soundscapes, surprising song structure, contrasting vocal textures, and yes, even big catchy hooks. I believe they make very intelligent music in that it is at once complex, unexpected and unique, but often accessible and catchy at the same time. I find this album has tracks that balance that uniqueness and catchiness in differing degrees, but there are certainly no tracks that fail at both-- in fact, most succeed at both with flying colors. I will forgive them more vanilla tracks like Show Yourself, because they also manage masterpieces like Jaguar God which take you on a complete and fulfilling journey through their entire range of capabilities. My conclusion is ultimately that I love the album. But then again I love The Hunter, which seems to be unmentionable to many Mastodon fans, so what do I know?

Best way to review an album: 1) Get a torrent, download it. 2) Listen to it. 3) Liked it? Go buy it.

I still think it's a pretty solid album. Lots of hooks and tasty guitar riffs, and those drums! Brann has never disappointed me on any record. Hell, this album is 100% better than most trash currently being made by the majority of modern bands. Love em or hate em, Mastodon is the real deal.

In my humble opinion, Mastodon is one of the only bands that hasn't released a bad album yet, and out of the post Crack the Skye period, Emperor of Sand is my favorite one.

Personally, I don't fully agree with this review. I think Emperor of Sand is their best album since Crack The Skye, because it feels like it marries the best elements from The Hunter and Once More 'Round The Sun with some of the lighter proggy elements from Crack The Skye. Yes, we all want a new Crack The Skye, but I don't think there can be any Mastodon fan out there that truly believes that Mastodon will ever fully return to the fury of Leviathan and Blood Mountain. The first half of the album feels more like The Hunter and Once More 'Round The Sun, while the latter half feels like it borrows more strongly from Crack The Skye, though without the heavy prog influences. Where I feel this review fails, is in recognizing that Jaguar God is the bow that ties the whole album together. Failing to mention Jaguar God in this review, feels like a gross oversight, when Jaguar God is perhaps the tracks that best ties together what is the definition of Mastodon. I rate Emperor of Sand at 5/6.

Absolutely agree with you there on "Roots Remain". I knew once I heard it, it'd be tough to beat. Loving the CTS elements on this record. I always enjoy your reviews, Mr. Dunn. Metal up your ass!

I love Mastodon. Sure, their albums lately don't appeal to those people who grew up on their older material. But, I love how they can pull off those melodies and still have great riffs.

if you are going to do a song by song review, actually do all of the songs, specially the best songs like ancient kingdom, word to the wise and jaguar god

I just love new music, And trust me there are really bad albums out there, this one is just fine, go buy the fucking album.

Honestly, I dont found inconvinient, boring or bad about the "I've heard that before in other album", when bands get to points wheren finally foun their own sound, that means they have master riffs, melodies, tones, etc, that became really good at it, is like complain to a painter or graffic artist for always using the same visuals.

Is this dude Geddy Lee's brother?

Emperor is the best one since Crack. Hunter and Once'Round were cool but this one is awesome!

Yeah 5 years of listening to this album. It's a masterpiece.

Hahahah, i laughed so hard when he reviewed Roots remain, he spoke about details like robot voice and piano at the end but never about the crazy heart ripping solo, he just skipped it

I agree with about 3.5 skulls on a Mastodon scale, but 5 skulls on a normal scale.

The thing about comparing one work of art to another is it sucks the fun and joy out of one when you could be enjoying both