Mastodon is releasing its first album since co-founding guitarist and singer Brent Hinds died last year. The band's ninth studio album, Marrow Deep, is due out August 28 through Loma Vista Recordings.
According to Billboard, the record was inspired by the Three Fates of Greek mythology and the fragile threads connecting life, loss and destiny. It follows Hushed and Grim, the double album released in 2021, which was the last record Hinds made with the band.
The album's lead single is Snakes For Dinner, a five-minute prog metal track that includes guest backing vocals from Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. The band has promised a full roster of additional guests but has not yet announced who they are.
Marrow Deep marks the first full-length to feature guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboardist João Nogueira alongside founding members bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist and vocalist Bill Kelliher, and drummer and singer Brann Dailor. The album was recorded at the band's own West End Sound Studio in Atlanta and co-produced with Patrik Berger, who has worked with Lana Del Rey, and Kurt Ballou, known for his work with High on Fire.
Sanders spoke about what making this record felt like for the band. "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," he said in a statement. "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. And we're thrilled to have the opportunity to do this record."
The three founding members recently released a short film called The Mastodon in the Room, a 35-minute piece in which they remember Hinds. They described him as a sweet but often volatile presence who struggled with mental health and substance use issues.
Snakes For Dinner follows a surprise single called Your Ghost Again, which dropped last month.
Mastodon will support the album with a North American tour called Poisonous Weapons, with support from Deafheaven and Alcest. The tour kicks off September 16 in Orlando, Florida at the Hard Rock, and runs through October, hitting cities including Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Minneapolis before heading west to Salt Lake City.
