Complex sentence: Locations were chosen for the atmosphere they were intended to impart to the music, and the band visited Death Valley a number of times to "imprint the feeling of the desert into (their) minds", and to avoid composing artificial-sounding songs.
Split into simpler sentences: Locations were chosen for the atmosphere they were intended to impart to the music. The band visited Death Valley a number of times to "imprint the feeling of the desert into (their) minds", and to avoid composing artificial-sounding songs.