Artwork by Paul Romano
Style: Progressive metal, sludge metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Baroness, Opeth, The Ocean, Elder
Country: United States (Georgia)
Release date: 28 August 2026
Over their twenty-five-year career, grief has permeated Mastodon’s catalogue. Mournful themes emerging from the loss of friends and family members laid the foundation for Crack the Skye, The Hunter, and Emperor of Sand. While 2021’s Hushed and Grim found the sludge and progressive metal giants reeling from the passing of their longtime friend and manager, Nick John. Through it all, Mastodon remained a remarkably resilient and consistent four-piece with each member functioning as a critical cornerstone to the band’s sonic design. Marrow Deep, the group’s tenth LP, was born in the wake of lead guitarist and co-vocalist Brent Hinds’ 2025 passing, shortly after Mastodon’s fall out with him. Newcomer guitarist Nick Johnston has been enlisted to fill the Georgia-sized void left by Hind’s absence, and with him—as well as the full-time incorporation of keyboardist João Nogueira—comes the band’s first line-up change since their 2002 debut.
With the thunderous opening of “Barbarians Blood”, it’s clear that the machinery behind Mastodon’s gargantuan sonic character, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor, continues to churn on in full force. A revitalized energy pulses through the heavy distorted sections as Kelliher and Johnston add frills and unexpected tangents to the guitar phrases, with licks evolving through variation rather than stagnating in repetition. The chaotic, sludgy riffs that defined Mastodon’s early sound roar back with full force in “Poisonous Weapons” and “Snakes for Dinner”. Marrow Deep contains some of Mastodon’s heaviest work since Blood Mountain, with the epic descending hook of “Golden Spires” and the punk-tinged “A Vampire’s Demeanor” finding the band back to the strength of their early days. Dailor’s frenetic trademark drumming, wild and engaging as ever, remains the force that propels the now fivesome through heavier passages. Despite the revival of ferocious guitar lines, inconsistencies of guitar volume within and between tracks are stumbling blocks to the album’s flow. Distorted guitar phrases within verses often become swallowed by Dailor’s drumming, vocals, and the surrounding synths, and at times are nearly indecipherable.
Though Hinds’ soulful leads and characteristic vocal twang are but a memory, the increased role of João Nogueira’s synths and keys ramps up the progressive feel to Marrow Deep, adding further depth to the band’s aural signature. While synths in past Mastodon albums have acted as subtle, textural elements, their central presence is a defining feature of Marrow Deep. From the ‘70s prog interlude that beautifully sets the stage for the explosive ending of “Your Ghost Again” to the unexpectedly delicate isolated keys that open “Moth and Bone”, Nogueira’s increased presence effectively expands Mastodon’s sonic palette. During the wide-open acoustic verses of “Poisonous Weapons” and “Golden Spires”, for instance, the sparkling synths fill the empty space with an atmosphere of melancholy. As for the solos, Johnston shows no interest in replicating Hinds, tearing through technical yet emotive lines in “Out Like a Lamb” and “A Vampire’s Demeanor”. Meanwhile, Nogueira is given moments to show off his technical prowess in the keyboard solos of “Snakes for Dinner”, “Out Like a Lamb” and “The Three Fates”.
Dailor and Troy Sanders have accounted for the bulk of Mastodon’s vocals in recent releases, though Hinds’ absence requires them each to take up even greater roles. In Marrow Deep, Sanders’ gruff, characteristic snarl and Dailor’s soaring cleans line their grief with shimmers of hope, declaring in “Moth and Bone” that despite the loss, the group is “not yet defeated”. Poignant moments of mourning, however, consistently cut deep, none more so than the chorus to “Snakes for Dinner”:
“When you left, you took the moon and stars
Buried them deep underneath the ocean
When you left, you took our hearts and minds
All that I could find amongst the grime were memories”
Although the struggles that Mastodon’s remaining members had with Hinds’ demons are well-known, the band confronts the grief of losing their brother with honesty, providing catharsis for the band and longtime fans alike.
Despite Marrow Deep’s powerful opening section and many high points, the album fails to fully engage throughout its sixty-five-minute runtime. Guitar solo aside, momentum begins to slip with “Out Like a Lamb” and fails to completely recover despite the propulsive “In the Ruins” that follows. Key reasons for this are the largely indistinguishable slow acoustic verses of “Golden Spires”, “A Vampire’s Demeanor”, and “Moth and Bone”. Though these tracks do double down on the melancholic atmosphere, by being grouped together they become tiresome. Sanders’ repetitive “The Jackal!” battle cry in “They’re Coming For You” grows increasingly grating with repeated listens. The album’s closing and longest track, “The Three Fates”, wraps up Marrow Deep with a whimper compared to the album’s high-octane opening. While the guitar and keyboard back-and-forth would be a great addition to a live set, its placement at the end of an hour-plus album adds to the bloat that drags down the latter half of Marrow Deep.
Even though the list of guest musicians and vocalists is brow raising, the appearances rarely pay off: Josh Homme’s (Queens of the Stone Age, ex-Kyuss) isolated vocals that close “Snakes for Dinner” dim the theretofore blazing track; Clutch’s Neil Fallon’s demented sermon on closing track “The Three Fates” is a jarring distraction; and the four-stringed-god himself Geezer Butler’s opening to “The Vanishing” is completely detached from the rest of the track. Rather than adding to the experience, these guest appearances detract from the album’s ultimate impact.
Marrow Deep is easily the band’s most progressive album since Crack the Skye, though lacking in cohesion. While there are plenty of the massive sludgy riffs that longtime fans crave, the album’s back half suffers from inconsistency and bloat. Despite the excessive runtime and numerous flaws, Marrow Deep is nonetheless a triumphant statement from Mastodon, persevering through the haze of grief following Hinds’ departure and passing. While unlikely to rival their classics, Marrow Deep provides another opportunity to revel in the band’s resilience and another solid addition to their remarkably consistent discography.
Recommended tracks: Barbarians Blood, Snakes for Dinner, In the Ruins, Moth and Bone
You may also like: Üga Büga, Anciients, Dvne, Boss Keloid
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Loma Vista Records
Mastodon is:
– Troy Sanders (bass, vocals)
– Bill Kelliher (guitar)
– Brann Dailor (drums, vocals)
– Nick Johnston (guitar)
– João Nogueira (keyboards, synthesizer)
With guests:
– Ben Koller – percussion on “Barbarians Blood”
– 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”
– Geezer Butler – bass guitar on “The Vanishing”
– Neil Fallon – additional vocals on “The Three Fates”
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