Full Breakdown
Mastodon Unveils “Marrow Deep” – First Album in Five Years, Featuring Josh Homme
7/13/2026, 8:03:35 PM
Core Release
Mastodon announced that their ninth studio album, Marrow Deep, will be issued on August 28, 2026 through Loma Vista Recordings. The rollout began with the single “Snakes for Dinner”, which includes guest vocals and a cameo appearance by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme in the accompanying video directed by DEATHCATS.
Background & Context
The album follows 2021’s *Hushed and Grim* and arrives after a period of personal upheaval for the band. Founding guitarist-vocalist Brent Hinds left Mastodon in March 2025; five months later he died in a motorcycle accident in August 2025. The group subsequently recruited guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboardist João Nogueira, expanding the lineup to a five-piece for the first time.
Key Figures & Groups
- Troy Sanders – bassist/vocalist, primary spokesperson.
- Bill Kelliher – guitarist.
- Brann Dailor – drummer/vocalist.
- Nick Johnston – new guitarist.
- João Nogueira – keyboardist.
- Josh Homme – guest vocalist on “Snakes for Dinner.”
- Patrik Berger (producer; credits include Lana Del Rey) and Kurt Ballou (producer; High on Fire, Converge) co-produced the record.
- Andrew Scheps handled mixing (Adele, Black Sabbath, Metallica).
Data & Statistics
- Release date: August 28, 2026.
- Track count: 12 songs (tracklist below).
- Tour: “Poisonous Weapons Tour” – North American dates Sep 16 – Oct 24, 2026, with support from Deafheaven and Alcest.
- Tracklist: 1. Barbarians Blood 2. Poisonous Weapons 3. Your Ghost Again 4. Snakes for Dinner 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
Why It Matters
*Marrow Deep* is the band’s first full-length without Hinds, representing a “new chapter” while honoring his legacy. The album’s lyrical themes draw on the Three Fates of Greek mythology to explore loss, resilience, and destiny—subjects directly linked to the members’ recent grief. The collaboration with Homme also marks the second Mastodon-Homme partnership, the first since 2006’s “Colony of Birchmen,” underscoring the band’s continued relevance in the progressive-metal sphere.
Official Statements & Responses
- Troy Sanders (press release): “Bill, Brann, and myself are thrilled that we still have the opportunity to do this, and we’ve got other members who are just over the moon to be in the band with us. That’s a magical feeling that makes us keep wanting to go to band practice. It’s reminiscent of the very beginning of our band, where all members are hungry, we’re united, and excited to get to work.”
- Brann Dailor on “Your Ghost Again”: the song “is about when you lose somebody that’s close to you that you existed with for most of your life.”
- Loma Vista Recordings described the album as “equal parts crushing & cathartic,” noting that Mastodon “channel profound grief into one of the most emotionally charged albums of their storied career.”
Criticism & Opposition
No published criticism or dissenting commentary appears in the available sources.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Track count: The pre-order description mentions a “13-song testament,” yet the official tracklist lists 12 songs.
- Departure narrative: The band’s video frames Hinds’s exit as a mutual decision, while Hinds’s own social-media claim described being “kicked out.” Both versions are presented without resolution.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Bill, Brann, and myself are thrilled that we still have the opportunity to do this, and we’ve got other members who are just over the moon to be in the band with us,” — Troy Sanders, bassist/vocalist
- “'Your Ghost Again' is about when you lose somebody that's close to you that you existed with for most of your life,” — Brann Dailor, drummer/vocalist
- “ Brann continued: "It means a lot to me, and I hope that's able to translate to our fans and people who are grieving, too.” — Brann Dailor, drummer/vocalist
- “It was really depressing and sad and fucked up,” — Brann Dailor, drummer/vocalist (on Hinds’s departure)
- “The bridge lyrics are two lines of pure gratitude towards Brent.” — Troy Sanders, bassist/vocalist
What’s Next
Mastodon will commence the “Poisonous Weapons Tour” on September 16, 2026 in Orlando, Florida, concluding on October 24, 2026 at Dallas’s Sick New World venue. The band has indicated additional guest performers will be announced closer to the album’s release.
