by Dave Campbell
MASTODON’s legacy deepens. I don’t have to tell fans anything about their previous works such as ‘Leviathan,’ “Blood Mountain,’ or ‘Crack The Sky,’ which were a three-album run that put the band on the map and defined their sound. They also won a Grammy for the song ‘Sultan’s Curse’ from their 2017 album ‘Emperor of Sand.’ In a surprise twist of events however, Vocalist and Guitarist Brent Hinds abruptly left the band in March 2025 last year and, five months later, tragically died in a motorcycle accident. The band was left with the aftermath. Enter ‘Marrow Deep.’ Bassist/Vocalist Troy Sanders describes the album as “a moment of rebirth rather than an ending,” and drummer Brann Dailor comments that the music was a way for him to help process grief, rather than just sitting with it. Guitarist Bill Kelliher further adds that “I bawled when listening to the finished album, but some of them were tears of joy.” Five years have passed since ‘Hushed and Grim’ was released. Taken literally, the new album title refers to something vast and monolithic.
Three songs were released ahead of the album, and they are what I would like to start the review with. If the lead single, ‘Your Ghost Again,’ is indicative of what the album will offer, we are in for a beating. It opens with a bang, and it covers ground fast. The vocals roar with an echo, and the riffs are punishing. The band also shows restraint at times by holding back the pain and releasing the monster at just the right time. You can hear complexities in the song, as well some psychedelica, but they aren’t the main focus. It’s mostly about commanding, towering riffs. ‘Snakes for Dinner’ is gritty, heavy, and downright rowdy. Another fast mover, it stomps over the ground like a giant, crushing the earth beneath its feet. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are excellent, and they provide a melodic edge along with the bevy of flying fists. The song is nuanced, with sophisticated leanings, but at the same time, it’s also palatable. Some might even call it inviting.
‘In the Ruins’ is slower at first, with clean, gentle guitar tones, and was inspired by the terrible impact of Hurricane Helene and the personal havoc it wreaked upon Troy and his family. They were essentially displaced from their home for two years, and this event coincided with the death of Brent. But the song is not just about trauma, it’s about his resilience to work through the displacement and come out stronger on the other side. The vocals are raspy, and also very emotional, and they are reflective of the desolation he must have felt. It’s a gentler departure from the sonic presence of the first two songs, but don’t think for a minute that it won’t move you. In the end, rougher and sharper tones indicate the triumph he gained over the experience. A leading song should give the listener an idea of what to expect from the album, and that’s what ‘Barbarian Blood’ does. It’s slow and powerful at times, and moving, shifting and animated at other times. It shows a band who doesn’t want to rest on one predictable sound. The keyboard solo towards the end adds a distinct middle eastern flair to the song, as if it was plucked from the desert itself. The surprises keep coming.
‘Poisonous Weapons’ has a commanding sound that isn’t without melody or emotion, and the two wrestle with one another throughout the song. The bridge provides a change from the hardened core, with lyrics like “blood-soaked stains resurrect the dead, parasitic rats feeding on the wound that’s in your head.” You can feel a measure of lamenting as he sings these lines, but the delivery of them is almost nonchalant. The machine rolls on. ‘Out Like a Lamb’ refers to the month of March in the climate of the northeast…the saying goes, “in like a lion, out like a lamb.’ Animated bass notes dance behind the vocals and riffs, and it shows more of the introspective side of the band. They aren’t just a vehicle that stays straight on the tracks, and this song showcases their deep pockets. ‘They’re Coming for You’ is darker, more twisted, even sinister at times. The riffs climb and descend and are backed by a healthy does of keyboards. The bass and drum work hold it all together. They create a massive slab of concrete for the rest of the band to play on. You can hear more Progressive elements in this song, particularly in how they shift the meter, and the chorus pushes hooks in the vocals.
‘Golden Spires’ begins with a succession of tom drum rolls that sound like rocks breaking free from a mountain, and the riffs are always on the move. Sometimes dissonant, and other times melodic, it’s the balance of might and power with restraint that I find most compelling here. They move these passages with the skill of a race car driver shifting gears through curves in the track. Towards the end, they throw in a flurry of dexterous lead guitar notes just to remind you of their prowess. ‘Moth and Bone’ is a total surprise, but also a welcomed one. Too many bruisers in a row can suggest the album is less dimensional, and this song shows the band at their most vulnerable. Vocals and keyboards are like the mist that clings to the air in the early morning, and the melody is tender and ethereal. You make an immediate attachment to the catchy nature of the song, just before they descend back down on top of you with hands extended and fists flying.
‘A Vampire’s Demeanor’ is as dark and nefarious as the title suggests, and the vocal screams and steady riffs act like a typhoon’s raging winds trying to bring down the mountain. For as heavy as the anger is, however, there are also gentler passages that provide a little reprieve from the ass kicking . ‘The Vanishing’ is a song that is steeped in the deep traditions of the band and their past albums. Fuzzy, powerful bass notes lead off the song in a psychedelic haze of sorts, before the guitars and vocals enter. The vocals have that heavy reverb that reminds me of the song ‘Planet Caravan’ by SABBATH. Bassist Sanders has mentioned that he was influenced by Geezer Butler, after all. The song is like an LSD trip…colorful and peaceful, but also strange. ‘The Three Fates’ is the final song, and also the longest. It’s a journey, even an exploration, across a plethora of landscapes and textures. In a spoken word segment, they talk about a curse that “slithers across the floor at a snail’s pace,” and “every brick, every stone stacked against you.” The message is as emotionally crushing as some of the music.
Twelve songs is a lot for an album these days, but it seems that the band has a lot to say. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this might be their most diverse album to date. In addition to bone-crushing sludgy riffs, and vocals that strike like lightning bolts, it’s the bass and drum section that I admire most. They lay the foundation that the entire album is built on, and it’ something that won’t crack under pressure. There are other things at work…psychedelica, bossy lead guitar runs, and even some introspective features of the album that may reflect the band’s previous sense of trails and tribulations. It’s a statement for me. A statement of pain that transforms into revival, turning grief and uncertainly into one of their most focused efforts to date. This is MASTODON clawing their way back to the top and admiring the view.
Released on August 28th, 2026
Order here: i.mastodonrocks.com/shop
1. Barbarian’s Blood
2. Poisonous Weapons
3. Your Ghost Again
4. Snakes For Dinner (feat. Josh Homme)
5. Out Like A Lamb
6. In The Ruins
7. They’re Coming For You
8. Golden Spires
9. Moth And Bone
10. A Vampire’s Demeanor
11. The Vanishing
12. The Three Fates
Brann Dailor – Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Bill Kelliher – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Troy Sanders – Bass, Vocals
Nick Johnston – Guitars, Backing Vocals
João “Rasta” Nogueira – Keyboards, Synthesizers
Geezer Butler – bass guitar on “The Vanishing”
Joshua Homme – additional vocals on “Snakes for Dinner”
Nate Newton – additional vocals on “A Vampire’s Demeanor”
Randy Blythe – additional vocals on “A Vampire’s Demeanor”
Joe Duplantier – additional vocals on “The Vanishing”
Neil Fallon – additional vocals on “The Three Fates”
Ben Koller – percussion on “Barbarians Blood”
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