MASTODON - “Marrow Deep”
Written by: Tom Wilson| Tuesday 25th August 2026
Atlanta Metal Legends Turn Grief Into Triumph
This is a MASTODON record. The question isn’t “is it good?” The question is “Just how good is it?” The band are so intensely respected across the heavy music spectrum that they could book shows with everyone from METALLICA to CANNIBAL CORPSE, and people would be stoked that they’re there.
Their last Australian performance, at the 2024 Good Things Festival, was one of the most physically gruelling shows of my life – playing mid-afternoon in December, in the middle of a heatwave with no shade anywhere – but it was worth suffering for. We didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the last time Australian audiences would see Brent Hinds, the tattooed, hard-drinking wild man, who left the group shortly before his untimely death in a motorbike crash, almost exactly one year ago. Marrow Deep is their first album since his passing, and Brent’s ghost can be felt behind every note.
Marrow Deep slowly rumbles awake with the ominous riffage of Barbarians Blood, and straight from the get-go, it’s classic MASTODON, with Brann’s silky-smooth voice taking us through the verses before Troy’s massive vocals soar over the chorus, and a bonus prog freak-out in the bridge for good measure, courtesy of session keyboardist João Nogueira, who is now a full-time member. New guitarist Nick Johnston has been a part of the writing process for Marrow Deep, and he fits perfectly in the lineup.
With Poisonous Weapons, they pay tribute to a wild man with a sample of another famous wild man – Dennis Hopper in River’s Edge screaming “I felt so FUCKING ALIVE!” – dropping the hammer on a hard-hitting track that wouldn’t have been out of place on The Hunter. Next is first single Your Ghost Again, which still hits as hard as it did when it came out in June, and if you can get through that chorus without feeling emotional, you might be made of stone. Second single Snakes for Dinner features QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE legend Josh Homme guesting on the outro and one of the most memorable choruses on the album, with that ghost showing up again in the line “When you left you took our hearts and minds”. Out Like a Lamb slows things down without sacrificing the technicality, and the vocals drip with emotion. Third single In The Ruins deals with loss of a different kind, as Troy Sanders reflects on the chaos that Hurricane Helene wreaked on his family. They’re Coming For You starts with a classic MASTODON fretboard workout, then they change gears and let their prog flag fly before bringing the brawn. Golden Spires is built around a plummeting riff that will give crowds a neck workout, before Brann shows off that stunning voice of his as João tinkers on the keys, before they really flex their prog muscles on Moth & Bone. It’s a thing of languid beauty, with a guitar riff that will touch your soul.
The Vampire’s Demeanor is the track I keep coming back to. With an absolutely epic riff that hits like GOJIRA’s Flying Whales, I can only imagine the impact it will have on crowds when they come down here next. It’s pure MASTODON brawn in the tradition of Blood & Thunder, with a kick-arse scream at the height of the chorus, and you’re going to love it. The Vanishing, featuring Geezer Butler and Joe Duplantier, begins with a languid bass line distorted almost beyond recognition, before opening up into an intoxicating blend of country twang and prog rock. Album closer The Three Fates brawny opening leads into a beautiful duet between Brann and Troy, before CLUTCH’s Neil Fallon busts out some grandiose spoken word. It’s almost eight minutes, and yet it never outstays its welcome.
If listening to Marrow Deep helps you pick up the phone and reach out to someone estranged, it’s done its job. This is far more focused and memorable than 2021’s The Hushed & Grim. In fact, it might be the best thing MASTODON have put out in years.
