The Weekly Ritual is back with Keefy and Ghost Cult Magazine for another hard-hitting rundown of the biggest stories moving through the rock and metal world. From new releases, tours, festival announcements, and scene chatter to the conversations that have heavy music fans fired up, this livestream keeps a finger on the pulse of everything loud, weird, heavy, and worth talking about.
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.
