Few albums have been at the top of the most-anticipated list for 2026, such as Mastodon’s new album, Marrow Deep (Loma Vista Recordings). However, this is not a typical album for the band, as it is the first album after the death of co-founder, guitar god, and vocalist Brent Hinds. Hinds departed the band and then this mortal coil in a terrible accident, and taking place just weeks after the death of Ozzy Osbourne, it was a dark summer for metalheads in 2025. The band is no stranger to tragedy and overcoming adversity, and they have channeled this into relatable, real, and smart metal albums that transcended their concept albums. But the loss of Hinds, coupled with the loss of drummer and co-lead vocalist Brann Dailor’s mother, Michele Lawrence, proved foundational for the bedrock of Marrow Deep, an album centered on the loss, regret, grieving, confusion, and anger surrounding death. The album is also said to be inspired by the Three Fates of Greek Mythology, also known as the personifications of destiny. This is on display, not just in the songs, but the cover art created by longtime Mastodon collaborator Paul Romano (Workhardened).
Joining Brann are fellow bandmates guitarist Bill Kelliher, bassist and co-lead vocalist Troy Sanders, along with new members João Nogueira on keyboards (previously a touring member) and new lead guitarist Nick Johnston; the band was hungry, ready to prove themselves to the world again. The album was produced by Patrik Berger and Kurt Ballou, but also co-produced by the band.
Mastodon shot in Paris for the 2026 album campaign
Kicking off with thunderous war drumming between Brann and Ben Koller (Converge, High on Fire, Mutoid Man), “Barbarians Blood” leads off the album with a prog metal banger of a tune that could fit in on Remission (Relapse Records). This track and several others on the album have the old-school Masto-heavy vibes with great riffs and screamed vocals from mad bass wizard Sanders! This band has always done ominous opening lines, along with the best to ever do it, and hearing “We’re in Danger! Losing everything! As the fire burns all we once loved!” you just know you are in for a wild ride of a song and album.
“Poisonous Weapons” features a great contrast in vocals between Troy and Brann’s first shared lead vocal of the album. It’s a total Math-Rock banger that also calls back to their early days in the riff department, but also soaked in a lava-lamp glowing, Crack The Skye-esque (Reprise Records) room of psych weirdness that might sound about right on an ELP album! Also, Brann sings this ripper lyric: “Blood soaked stains resurrect the dead! Parasitic rats feeding on in you head yeah! Poisonous weapons in every hand! “Your Ghost Again” was the lead single of the album; with its killer, catchy-as-hell chorus, it was a natural banger to catch the fans’ ears. “Snakes for Dinner” was the second single and another killer track! Not only does it have a devil-horn-worthy main riff, but slick guitar solo from Johnston. You can appreciate that he stepped into Brent’s role with care, and was careful to not try and color inside the lines of his playing. It also has a phenomenal harmony vocal coda from Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. Josh last appeared with the band on Blood Mountain (Reprise Records). It’s the first of many killer guest appearances on the album that serve to uplift each track.
The next track “Out Like A Lamb” swings for the fences with late-seventies hard rock flavor, complete with harmony leads from Keliher and Johnston! Nogueira also lets it fly on the keys here with lines that will remind you of more recent Opeth albums. He is a standout on this entire album. “They’re Coming For You.” has an ominous title but is a more fun and uplifting middle-era-sounding track that would be at home on Once More Around The Sun or Emperor of Sand (both Reprise). Just to keep you on your toes, “Golden Spires” has some Math-Rock parts, a cool grunge-y chorus, and a wild key change halfway through the track!
“Moth and Bone” starts as a chill, unplugged type part with acoustic guitar and piano, but grows into a mini-epic. The last three tracks feature the lion’s share of the guest appearances on the album and, coincidentally, they are three of the best tracks here. Hard Rock, and trad metal, with a super-heavy ending riff, elevate “A Vampire’s Demeanor!” It also has backing vocals from both Nate Newton (Converge, Doomriders) and D. Randall Blythe of their frequent touring partners, Lamb of God.
“The Vanishing” leads off with an intro bass solo part by Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler! His contribution works since the song has the bones of a great Sabbath song, or MK-II era Deep Purple, with even more killer bass lines from Sanders. A super nice passing of the torch of metal legends. Lyrically, the song is one of the most vulnerable and sad passages on the album, with Brann almost adopting a doleful R&B timbre at times. The final bits of the song feature Gojira’s Joe Duplantier on vocals, bringing a nice contrast they miss with the loss of Brent.
The final track of the album sums up its guiding principles with “The Three Fates!” A tremendous closing song, at almost eight minutes long, and feels not unlike the closing of not just a final track, but a closing suite of music for this album, even if they are not all thematically and lyrically conjoined. Clutch’s Neil Fallon chimes in with a grandiose, poetic spoken-word part to bring it all home.
After over twenty-five years and untold heartaches and many triumphs, you couldn’t blame the band if they rested on their many laurels and mailed it in for this release. The fact that they stayed true to their longtime artistic vision and goals is admirable, but more than that, this album sounds like a Mastodon album should sound. Without copying themselves, repeating beats, or compromising at all, they have made a fresh album that is a creative powerhouse. Another brilliant chapter in their hopefully never-ending story.
Buy the album here:
https://amzn.to/4wQcOeD
9 / 10
KEEFY
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