Mastodon Announce New Album 'Emperor Of Sand' to Be Released Today

nternationally celebrated heavy rock icons MASTODON are proud to announce the title, track-listing, and release date 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 31st via Reprise Records. Emperor Of Sand will be available for pre-order beginning today at www.mastodonrocks.com. Thedeluxe pre-order package will contain the album on double 180-gram vinyl housed in a gatefold jacket along with a bonus Color-In-Your-Own vinyl jacket, plus an exclusive box of Mastodon colored pencils. In addition fans will also receive a digital copy of the entire album on March 31st, along with an instant download of the album track "Sultan's Curse." Emperor Of Sand will also be available digitally and on CD. Click hereto view the typically stunning album artwork by Alan Brown in a glorious, full 360-degree view. Alan Brown, aka Medusawolf, created the cover and inside gatefold images. Click here to learn more about the artist.

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 Sandis 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), whofirst worked with Mastodon on their seminal 2009 album Crack The Skye.

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.