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STERLING HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 10: Troy Sanders (L) and Bill Kelliher of Mastadon perform at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill on August 10, 2024 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. (Photo by Scott Legato\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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The metal icons Mastodon have just dropped a new single that could be the first teaser for their highly anticipated 2026 album. \u201cYour Ghost Again\u201d is the first single since the band\u2019s fan favorited 2024 track \u201cFloods of Triton,\u201d which was in collaboration with fellow modern metal heavyweights Lamb of God. Futhermore, \u201cYour Ghost Again\u201d is the first Mastodon track to not feature guitarist and founding member Brent Hinds, who exited the band<\/a> in March 2025 and then tragically died in a motorcycle accident<\/a> in August 2025. Since then Mastodon has recruited renown guitarist Nick Johnston as a full time member. <\/p>\n First Impressions On Mastodon\u2019s New Single, \u201cYour Ghost Again\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Ghost Again\u201d manages to kick the door down in a rather satisfying way, as the band return to their more straight forward hypnotic sludgy riffs, reminiscent of their earlier albums like Blood Mountain (2006) and Leviathan (2004). The chorus certainly has shades of the melancholic melodies the band has experimented with on their recent albums, but the main riff and especially the outro on this single seems to indicate the band are evolving their beloved heavy songwriting. <\/p>\n While this track will certainly please longtime fans, there\u2019s not a clear moment that highlights the band\u2019s new guitarist Nick Johnston, who much like Brent Hinds, has a very distinct sound. However, this was likely by choice, as Mastodon has spoken candidly<\/a> about the lyrical contents and themes heard on \u201cYour Ghost Again,\u201d and how they\u2019re directly about the late guitarist Brent Hinds. <\/p>\n Mastodon Reflect On Late Guitarist Brent Hinds In New Single<\/p>\n \u201cYour Ghost Again is about being in those familiar places you used to be with people, which for us is in the studio,\u201d drummer\/vocalist Brann Dailor says. \u201cI just kept seeing [Hinds] out of the corner of my eye, where he would normally be with his guitar.” Bassist\/vocalist Troy Sanders adds, \u201cMy portion of the song, lyrically, is all about Brent, and for Brent. The bridge lyrics are two lines of pure gratitude towards Brent.\u201d <\/p>\n Furthermore, guitarist Bill Kelliher elaborated on the band\u2019s decision to choose this track as a single release, \u201cwe wanted to pick a song that sounds like Mastodon, and that has all the things in there, because it\u2019s the first impression of what people are gonna hear. It speaks about things that have just happened and people passing. I could go deep but I don\u2019t want to because a lot of that s**t\u2019s personal.\u201d<\/p>\n 2026 Will Be Big Year For Mastodon<\/p>\n With this new single potentially serving as the first glimpse of Mastodon\u2019s 2026 LP, the band likely is gearing up for a massive tour cycle in support of this new material. It\u2019s already been confirmed<\/a> that the album is complete and that the band recruited renown heavy music producer\/engineer Kurt Ballou (High on Fire, NAILS, Converge), and with this information leaks<\/a> of Mastodon\u2019s upcoming North American tour have begun to surface. <\/p>\n If the leaks are true, then it\u2019s possible the new Mastodon LP could be called The Poisonous Weapons as the tour flier indicates. Futhermore, if the band is really bringing out experiment black metal acts Deafheaven and Alcest, then maybe Mastodon are teasing black metal as being a primary influence on this new LP. Time will tell of course, but that certainly would be an interesting sonic concoction. It might be the first time fans get to hear drummer Brann Dailor throw down some blast-beats on a Mastodon album. <\/p>\n