If the next generation of metal acts cite one twenty-first century group, that will surely be Mastodon, whose excellently composed musical works have rocked the metal world since their 2002 debut. Their style is hardly definable under any metal subgenre, as they have consistently cultivated a unique blend of prog, sludge, hardcore, stoner, and alternative metal, while remaining unique and ever-changing. Mastodon has often said they want every album to sound different, and that spirit remains on Emperor of Sand. Once again, Mastodon goes back to their beloved concept album format. This time around, their theme is death, especially as pertains to terminal diseases, like cancer. Cancer is certainly a dangerous subject to approach, but they deal with it tactfully I have rarely heard such a mature exploration of the psychology of death. Ride the Lightning is the only other metal album I love that specifically deals with such a subject. The story on Emperor of Sand is masterfully framed and pieced together. In my opinion, Emperor of Sand is Mastodon’s best original story, because it has the most universal topic, and because it has just enough of a fantastical/mythical nature to make it interesting without detracting from the concept and theme explorations. They have both mythological metaphors and understandable statements without losing either and without looking down upon its audience and spoon-feeding us or being pretentious and ambiguous. The concept channels the band’s thoughts on death and disease into the story of a man who is given a death sentence and wanders out into the desert as he ponders his life, survival, time, and the meaning of it all. The maturity, I believe, comes from the band members’ personal lives in the past few years.
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