Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor recently discussed the band’s upcoming album, “Marrow Deep,” their first release since the death of former guitarist Brent Hinds, in an interview with Metal Injection.
Dailor reflected on how Hinds might have responded to the new record, noting the guitarist’s evolving taste in music during his later years with the band.
When asked, “Have you guys ever considered what would Brent think or feel of the new record if he heard it?” Dailor offered a thoughtful response.
“[He] probably wouldn’t like it very much. No, he might. I mean, I don’t know. Maybe there’s aspects of it that he would dig,” Dailor said.
“But, you know, he wasn’t the biggest fan of heavy stuff toward the end. He was kind of always trying to steer us away from having that.”
He continued by imagining how Hinds might have engaged with the material had he still been part of the band.
“I would have to think that there’d be a majority of the record that Brent would dig it, you know, and want to be – like if he was still here and still wanted to be in Mastodon and wanted to come rock with us, that he’d put his stamp on some of these tracks. Put his shine on some of it [like] the way he always did,” Dailor said.
The road to “Marrow Deep” has been marked by significant loss for the band. The circumstances surrounding its creation help explain why Dailor’s reflections carry such weight.
“Marrow Deep” arrives August 28 as Mastodon’s first full-length album without Hinds. Hinds was fired from the band in March 2025 and died five months later in a motorcycle accident. The record was shaped in the shadow of that loss, with the band forced to navigate both the grief of losing a founding member and the practical reality of moving forward without him musically.
Despite the difficult backdrop, Dailor has expressed confidence in the direction Mastodon has taken with the new material. He called “Marrow Deep” “the right record for us at this point in time,” signaling that the band views the album as a natural next step rather than a forced pivot.
That sense of renewal extends beyond the studio. Dailor described the band as feeling “rejuvenated and excited” heading into this new chapter, adding, “We couldn’t be more excited to start attacking the stage and doing the Mastodon thing.”
Those comments suggest that Hinds’ absence looms large over “Marrow Deep.” Still, the remaining members are approaching the album and the live shows that will follow with genuine enthusiasm rather than hesitation. The band appears focused on honoring its past while carving out a future shaped by its current lineup.
