Mastodon Emperor of Sand

3.5 star out of 5 -- "[A] lofty concept piece about a man wandering a desert with a curse over his head set to swirling, frenetic guitars and gut-rumbling drums."
"[W]ith the melodies of killer songs like the highlight 'Ancient Kingdom,' Mastodon prove they just keep moving ahead with this enveloping and rewarding album."
"[D]rummer Brann Dailor remains the band's most capable vocal weapon, with the earworm-y 'Steambreather' recalling ONCE MORE's 'The Motherload.'"
4 stars out of 5 -- "There are a few breaks from the magnificent doom, most impressively the breakdown and skirmish in 'Roots Remain', which segues into something akin to a magical crystal cave with its eloquent chimes and drones in the right places."
Paste (magazine) - "The newly released EMPEROR OF SAND successfully fuses the high concept, high volume grind of the Atlanta metal band's older material with the more melodic immediacy of their last two records."
Clash (Magazine) - "Thanks to their knack for building mind-bending towers of prog frippery on top of solid, hook-laden foundations, Mastodon now stand as the preeminent metal gateway drug any novice should sample before moving on to harder hits such as Neurosis or Gojira."