Author Topic: The Mastodon Thread v. Emperor of Sand! (Read 267556 times)

devieira73 · « **Reply #2100 on:** September 12, 2020, 08:59:14 AM »

Quote from: ProfessorPeart on September 11, 2020, 10:59:46 PM

Just finished listening to Medium. Totally worth the purchase. I am not usually a fan of instrumental versions of songs that were written for lyrics, but Mastodon's music is so chaotic that it just works. I actually heard some things I don't think I heard before in them.

Fallen Torches just slays. What a track.

Excelent compilation! And all the instrumental versions are really cool. (edited:) They sound so good that I thought they had some different arrangements, but apparently not.

Ben_Jamin · « **Reply #2101 on:** September 12, 2020, 09:39:58 AM »

Fallen Torches is great. Dan shows his range.

Train of Naught · « **Reply #2102 on:** September 12, 2020, 01:34:54 PM »

Quote from: Ben_Jamin on September 12, 2020, 09:39:58 AM

Fallen Torches is great. Dan shows his range.

Exactly!

.. now who is Dan?

ProfessorPeart · « **Reply #2103 on:** September 12, 2020, 02:13:28 PM »

Quote from: Train of Naught on September 12, 2020, 01:34:54 PM

Quote from: Ben_Jamin on September 12, 2020, 09:39:58 AM
Fallen Torches is great. Dan shows his range.
Exactly!

.. now who is Dan?

I was thinking the same thing. Closest I can come up with is Brann. Pretty sure that Troy is singing on this along with Scott Kelly. Would need to listen again, but I don't remember hearing Brann.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2104 on:** September 12, 2020, 04:00:57 PM »

It's 100% Brann in the chorus

" Pathways lit by Fallen Torches. Burn your insides out " is unmistakably Brann.

" The whole world is a tragedy " is unmistakably Troy.

lordxizor · « **Reply #2105 on:** September 12, 2020, 05:43:23 PM »

Fallen Torches is a good song. The rest was pretty forgettable for me unfortunately.

Ben_Jamin · « **Reply #2106 on:** September 12, 2020, 06:18:36 PM »

Quote from: Train of Naught on September 12, 2020, 01:34:54 PM

Quote from: Ben_Jamin on September 12, 2020, 09:39:58 AM
Fallen Torches is great. Dan shows his range.
Exactly!

.. now who is Dan?

<------

I mean Brann

I had Brann in my head and for some reason typed Dan. I have no why I chose Dan and didn't snap about it.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2107 on:** September 13, 2020, 05:09:04 AM »

I cancelled the Vinyl cause I cant be bothered with it.

Downloaded the digital instead.

If nobody has heard it - the Jonah Hex EP is not bad. It's 4 instrumental Mastodon songs.

NoseofNicko · « **Reply #2108 on:** October 12, 2020, 02:07:26 PM »

I enjoyed these "Cooking With Mastodon" videos. I think this is the last one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxcNeuRxek

ProfessorPeart · « **Reply #2109 on:** October 12, 2020, 02:27:25 PM »

This reminds me, not sure how many saw the story but Bill went on record that he is pulling unemployment. I think I saw that they all might be.

Bill said the 2 things that are keeping him afloat is his wife and her job and the fact that he invested in real estate early on and has been working a job as landlord on his properties during the downtime. Could you imagine having the guitarist from Mastodon coming in to fix something in your house?

lordxizor · « **Reply #2110 on:** October 12, 2020, 05:45:55 PM »

It's nuts to me that Mastodon, a band with a level of success higher than probably 99% of bands out there, can't make a living off of royalties and the other random ways they can make a little money right now. What a tough business to be in.

wolfking · « **Reply #2111 on:** October 12, 2020, 06:26:20 PM »

Quote from: ProfessorPeart on October 12, 2020, 02:27:25 PM

This reminds me, not sure how many saw the story but Bill went on record that he is pulling unemployment. I think I saw that they all might be.

Bill said the 2 things that are keeping him afloat is his wife and her job and the fact that he invested in real estate early on and has been working a job as landlord on his properties during the downtime. Could you imagine having the guitarist from Mastodon coming in to fix something in your house?

This is quite astounding.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2112 on:** October 14, 2020, 02:40:34 PM »

They all seem to have nice homes so they can't be that poor.

wolfking · « **Reply #2113 on:** October 14, 2020, 03:55:19 PM »

Quote from: Kotowboy on October 14, 2020, 02:40:34 PM

They all seem to have nice homes so they can't be that poor.

People can spend beyond their means, have a big fancy home and be up to their eyeballs in debt.

ProfessorPeart · « **Reply #2114 on:** October 14, 2020, 05:38:57 PM »

Bill did say that part of it is that they are funneling some of the money to their crew or employees for the band. Trying to make sure they have something while this is going on.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2115 on:** January 11, 2021, 02:27:54 PM »

YEAH TEH HELL

Mastodon have posted Instagram pics of them in the studio.

Drums are all done. They're tracking Guitars at the moment.

The producer is Ænima and Lateralus and MUSE Origin Of Symmetry helmsman David Bottrill.

twosuitsluke · « **Reply #2116 on:** January 11, 2021, 03:07:37 PM »

If they release an album even half as good Emperor of Sand, I'll be happy!

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2117 on:** January 12, 2021, 03:12:28 AM »

Emperor of Sand was a brilliant album. It was like Blood Mountain meets Crack The Skye.

I wish that Brendan had produced Once More Round The Sun as i'm not a big fan of Raskulinecz as a producer and it didn't have the snap and clarity of The Hunter.

But Once More... wasn't *bad* but it was definitely missing something for me... Despite all the good material.

It's my least favourite of the Reprise albums.

IDontNotDoThings · « **Reply #2118 on:** January 12, 2021, 03:36:35 AM »

OMRTS is weird for me. I really love most of the songs individually (including the often-maligned Diamond In The Witch House), but putting it all together, something about it doesn't quite hit for me.

EOS though is the opposite. I can point to Precious Stones or Scorpion Breath as being clear lowlights for me, & others like Steambreather or Roots Remain work better in the album context, but listening to it in full has a really captivating tone & I'm always in awe by the time it ends.

That said, I think Cold Dark Place tops them both by a landslide. How those songs got cut from the respective albums is beyond me.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2119 on:** January 12, 2021, 03:56:58 AM »

Yeah I think they only put it out since Emperor was largely written by Bill and Brann so maybe they thought they would release some of Brent's songs as an EP ?

I know Brent wrote the majority of Crack The Skye..

Maybe Troy will write a whole album one day !

Although the song Ghost Of Karelia was co-written by all 4 and it's one of their best songs by a mile.

DoctorAction · « **Reply #2120 on:** January 13, 2021, 04:36:43 PM »

Awesome to hear they're cutting more tunes. Love these guys.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2121 on:** January 14, 2021, 07:30:56 AM »

I love that they're essentially a metal band but don't have the exact same drum sound and guitar sound as every other metal album these days.

They're more like heavy classic rock

Lonk · « **Reply #2122 on:** January 14, 2021, 07:46:30 AM »

Don't know how I missed this, but pretty excited. I was wondering when they were going to give us some new information.

I understand the dislike for OMRTS, but I love the album. EOS is also great. Last show I saw them play, Steambeather was the closer

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2123 on:** January 14, 2021, 07:48:08 AM »

I don't dislike Once More Round The Sun... But it's my least favourite of the Warners albums. It's just missing that punch / bite that The Hunter had and Emperor Of Sand has.

It feels quite weak and muddy.

I know he made Shogun - but I don't rate Nick Raskulinecz as a producer at all.

The band said it was basically a continuation of The Hunter but they're completely different. Hunter is quite bright, really punchy and catchy in a good way whilst Once More...

is quite dark and murky sounding and more ominous. And there aren't as many stand out songs / memorable moments imo... The songs and recording sound like they needed a little

longer to simmer.

---

Also - on the song " The Hunter " - does anyone else think Troy sounds like Load era Hetfield in the verses ? Just close your eyes and picture James singing those verses.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2124 on:** January 14, 2021, 09:17:57 AM »

REM and Mastodon - two of my all time fave bands and they're both on Warner Brothers and both from Atlanta, Georgia.

wolfking · « **Reply #2125 on:** January 14, 2021, 01:58:08 PM »

OMRTS >>> EOS

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2126 on:** January 14, 2021, 04:36:11 PM »

wolfking · « **Reply #2127 on:** January 14, 2021, 04:48:11 PM »

Quote from: Kotowboy on January 14, 2021, 04:36:11 PM

no

Yes

Kotowboy · « **Reply #2128 on:** January 15, 2021, 04:30:01 AM »

fair enough i hadn't considered that

Emperor Of Sand is like Blood Mountain crossed with Crack The Skye with amazing production.

Once More... to me is just another mastodon album. Not outstanding but not poor. I just think every other album they put out on WB is better.

Production is the last of my album ranking criteria - unless it's either terrible like Death Magnetic or amazing like The Hunter is imo.

Pristine production married to great songs is why i love The Hunter so much - and it's not a concept or has a dark underbelly like most of their albums.

Apart from being a tribute to Brent's brother who died - it's actually a really FUN album. Not everything has to be a concept album or SPR SRS at all times.

wolfking · « **Reply #2129 on:** January 15, 2021, 04:32:00 AM »

Seriously, I've tried several times and I'm just missing something when it comes to EOS. I see it so well liked and it's infuriating I can't agree to be perfectly honest.

wolfking · « **Reply #2130 on:** January 15, 2021, 04:34:20 AM »

Quote from: Kotowboy on January 15, 2021, 04:30:01 AM

fair enough i hadn't considered that

Emperor Of Sand is like Blood Mountain crossed with Crack The Skye with amazing production.

Once More... to me is just another mastodon album. Not outstanding but not poor. I just think every other album they put out on WB is better.

See, CTS I don't rate as highly either so it's probably just me. Been a fan when Leviathan came out and I guess I just lean too heavily towards the old stuff.

Once More For me was a nice surprise. I really enjoyed the catchiness of it.

Podaar · « **Reply #2131 on:** January 15, 2021, 05:38:20 AM »

Quote from: wolfking on January 15, 2021, 04:32:00 AM

Seriously, I've tried several times and I'm just missing something when it comes to EOS. I see it so well liked and it's infuriating I can't agree to be perfectly honest.

My only response to this is my long held opinion that the entire album is worth this one moment!

Quote from: Podaar on April 19, 2017, 08:32:49 AM

"And the sky opened up and it swallowed us whole..."

Just sayin'

Lonk · « **Reply #2132 on:** January 15, 2021, 07:18:39 AM »

So, your favorite line from the album is not "IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, A THRONE OF MAYONNAISE" from Jaguar God?

Podaar · « **Reply #2133 on:** January 15, 2021, 08:24:18 AM »

Thanks so much, that can't be unheard...

Buddyhunter1 · « **Reply #2134 on:** January 15, 2021, 08:27:57 AM »

OMRTS and EOS are pretty much on equal footing for me. They're both decent. Kinda Mastodon by the numbers. Some real highlights, some songs that are completely unremarkable.

That said, OMRTS gets a couple points for 1) having Halloween and 2) not having Show Yourself

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Author Topic: The Mastodon Thread v. Emperor of Sand! (Read 267556 times)