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Last Friday (Aug. 28), Mastodon<\/a> released their ninth studio album (Marrow Deep<\/a><\/em>), which is their first without<\/em> late guitarist\/vocalist\u00a0Brent Hinds<\/a>\u00a0and their first with<\/em> guitarist\u00a0Nick Johnston<\/a> and keyboardist\u00a0Jo\u00e3o Nogueira<\/a>. Among the many questions surrounding the record is why the group decided to call it Marrow Deep<\/em>, and during a new chat with iHeartRadio Canada<\/a>, drummer\/vocalist\u00a0Brann Dailor<\/a> explained precisely that.<\/p>\n Dailor\u00a0discussed multiple things regarding Marrow Deep<\/em>\u00a0with\u00a0iHeart Rocks Canada<\/a>\u2019s JD Lewis (uploaded to YouTube on Aug. 28). For his last question, Lewis asked Dailor about the \u201cmeaning\u201d behind the title.<\/p>\n \u201cThe marrow deep [is] as deep as you can get into a relationship,\u201d Dailor began, continuing:<\/p>\n So, first and foremost, my mother [Michele Lawrance, who died in 2015<\/a>], but then a brother of 25 years [Hinds]. When you kind of go deep into writing deeply emotional music with other people and you sort of bare your soul with them and have that primitive [and] ritualistic \u2013 you kind of, like, tap into the children that still kind of live inside you, you know? That, I feel, [is] as deep as you can get into a relationship.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Dailor further contemplated:<\/p>\n A lot of people are friends with \u2013 and they have friends. They have really close friends, and you’re super-close friends, but there’s something about creating art with another person that \u2013 for me \u2013 elevates a friendship past the normal hanging-out-and-helping-me-move friendship levels. We [Dailor and Hinds] got there, and for me, life is about the relationships that you’ve have and the relationships that you make.<\/p>\n I was very lucky to experience some very, very deep personal relationships that gave me so much joy and satisfaction in my life. I was also very lucky to have a profound relationship with my mom. I know that not everyone has that (which is sad), but I was able to, so I’m very fortunate. Both [of] those relationships are the deepest \u2013 marrow deep \u2013 and so that was what I felt should be the name of the record.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n You can see Dailor\u2019s entire conversation with iHeart Rocks Canada below:<\/p>\n READ MORE: Mastodon Reflect Upon Releasing First Album Since Brent Hinds\u2019 Death<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Obviously, Hinds\u2019 death (and departure from Mastodon in early 2025<\/a>) loom large over Marrow Deep<\/em>.<\/p>\n In fact, the group reflected on releasing their first album without him<\/a> via a social media statement<\/a> posted on Aug. 28 (almost one year to the day after Hinds\u2019 fatal motorcycle accident<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a turbulent ride getting here and while we\u2019re no strangers to exploring heavy subject matter, this one hit different,\u201d Mastodon admitted near the start of their statement. \u201cAll we had known as a band had dramatically changed forever, and we all found ourselves navigating personal tragedies and catastrophic events.\u201d<\/p>\n They added:<\/p>\n This album was forged in a whole lot of chaos and raw, unfiltered emotion, but through the uncertainty, we managed to come together, unpack the weight of it all and create something beautiful that pushed us to our absolute limits, collectively and individually, as creatives, musicians and human beings. For us, Marrow Deep is more than just a snapshot of time, it’s a testament to perseverance and the importance of getting out of bed and showing up, even when you feel like the world is crumbling around you.<\/p>\n The three of us have poured everything we have into Mastodon for the past 26+ years, it’s an insatiable fire that burns within us still to this very day. Having Nick and Joao beside us during this new chapter has been incredibly uplifting and genuinely awesome! They bring a new energy and dynamic into the mix and we are firing on all cylinders!<\/p>\n Whether this album helps you navigate dark times, inspires you to pick up an instrument, or you simply listen for enjoyment, we hope the music connects with you as deeply as it does with us!<\/p>\n We say this often but still feel like we can never say it enough, thank you! To the fans old and new, your support means everything!<\/p>\n See ya on the road!<\/p>\n – Mastodon<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n You can see their full statement below:<\/p>\n As for how Hinds would feel about Marrow Deep<\/em><\/a>, Dailor told Metal Injection<\/a> earlier this month:<\/p>\n [He] probably wouldn\u2019t like it very much. No, he might. I mean, I don\u2019t know. Maybe there\u2019s aspects of it that he would dig. But, you know, he wasn\u2019t the biggest fan of heavy stuff toward the end. He was kind of always trying to steer us away from having that. But then he was like, \u201cWe should make a black metal<\/a> song\u201d and I\u2019m like, \u201cI just don\u2019t know if you\u2019re being serious or coming and going. One day, it\u2019s this [and] one day, it\u2019s that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Dailor elaborated:<\/p>\n I would have to think that there\u2019d be a majority of the record that Brent would dig it, you know, and want to be \u2013 like if he was still here and still wanted to be in Mastodon and wanted to come rock with us, that he\u2019d put his stamp on some of these tracks. Put his shine on some of it [like] the way he always did.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So far, the critical reception to\u00a0Marrow Deep<\/em>\u00a0has been exceedingly positive.<\/p>\n For example,\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/a><\/em> called it \u201cone of their most emotional albums\u201d and concluded: \u201cMarrow Deep<\/em> at times feels turbulent, ornate, measured, chaotic, and cathartic. Most of all, it sounds mature.\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Kerrang!<\/a><\/em> deemed it a \u201cbruising masterpiece\u201d; Sonic Perspectives<\/a> described it as \u201can endearingly familiar yet sufficiently fresh record that honors Mastodon\u2019s past while kicking off their next chapter\u201d; Consequence<\/a> championed Mastodon\u2019s ability to \u201cdeliver a metal masterpiece in the wake of unfathomable loss\u201d; and Classic Rock Magazine<\/a><\/em> said it\u2019s a \u201cstellar\u201d and \u201cdefiant\u201d work that \u201ctakes all the bad experiences the band have endured in recent times and turns it into something positive.\u201d<\/p>\n How are you liking Marrow Deep<\/em> so far? Let us know. Also, be sure to check out our feature on 31 rock and metal albums turning 20 in 2026 (including Mastodon\u2019s Blood Mountain<\/a><\/em>) below!<\/p>\n What was hitting as nu-metal faded and emo exploded? Let’s take a look at the big rock and metal albums from 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBrann Dailor Explains Marrow Deep<\/em>\u2019s Title<\/h3>\n
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Brann Dailor Discusses Mastodon\u2019s Marrow Deep<\/em> + More (Aug. 28, 2026)<\/h3>\n
More About Hinds\u2019 Legacy + Marrow Deep<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Critical Reception of\u00a0Marrow Deep<\/em>\u00a0So Far<\/strong><\/h3>\n
31 Rock + Metal Albums Turning 20 in 2026<\/h2>\n