Mason Embers’ debut album, The Astounding Descent is out today.
“The Astounding Descent started as all major projects do- with a single thought. I was an imaginative fourteen-year-old, a year into singing, playing guitar, and writing songs. I had been struggling with developing concepts for my songs until I had a revelation that made me realize that I could write about that which everyone has experienced and can relate to emotions themselves. It was this core concept of writing about emotions, such as affection, anxiety, depression, excitement, and the like, which led me to the creation of this album. With the groundwork laid, I then got to thinking on what vessel I could use to explore the themes of emotion. I decided that a soldier would be the most likely person to experience the whole spectrum of emotions in a short period of time. That is why there are some obvious and other not-so-obvious war references in the work- it’s told through a soldier’s view. All in all, The Astounding Descent is a concept record, though I like to call it an interpretive or hidden concept record because the story of the soldier is likely completely missable without being given certain prompts or modes of thinking. However, I think that adds an element of accessibility for anyone who listens because the listener is not obligated to be sucked into any kind of story. It’s only those who purposefully look for it that may be able to find a cohesive narrative.”
