Sound-wise, Marrow Deep is not too dissimilar from the band's other recent efforts. This is quite a psychedelic release, although the album does rock pretty hard in spots. Keyboards play a bigger role in the band's sound than ever, with Nogueira employing plenty of retro sounds, whilst Johnston brings a perhaps more typically guitar hero style which differs from Hinds' approach. Hinds' voice is missed, of course, but Sanders and Dailor between them sound great - and there are a few guest vocalists throughout that add some additional variety. Hinds had sung less in recent years in any case, so the change is perhaps not as drastic as it could have been. As with most of the band's albums Marrow Deep is quite lengthy - with 12 songs here clocking in at just over the hour. Kicking off with Barbarians Blood (noting the disappointing lack of an apostrophe), a lumbering, percussive drum pattern from Dailor opens the album - over a which a slow-burning, bluesy riff is laid, showcasing the band's stoner influences from the off. As the opening riff intimates, this is largely a mid-paced and groovy number on the whole. The opening riff is quite slab-like, with Sanders soon adding his howling vocals over the top. The opening vocal section resurfaces throughout the track, whilst snappier, quieter sections with juddering guitar patterns and atmospheric keyboards rein in the heaviness. Whilst this album certainly fits nicely alongside the band's other more recent releases, it does feel a bit riffier than some of them. Kelliher has written quite a few memorable riffs for this album - and there are a few in this song alone, with an off-kilter heavier one later backing a flashy, old-school synth solo. A few moments of twin lead guitar showcase the band's self-confessed love of Thin Lizzy, whilst stabbing riffing elsewhere is a bit of a hark back to heavier times. The song is a bit of a mix of everything, then, with the band firing on all cylinders. Poisonous Weapons feels a bit heavier initially, with more of a driving, jagged guitar riff kicking things off - which, again, is repurposed throughout, usually with Sanders singing over the top in his gruffer, yet still clean, delivery. His bellowing vocal style is full of character, whilst jazzy, quieter sections act as something of a respite - with chiming clean guitar melodies, off-kilter basslines, and shuffling drum grooves. Dailor sings over some of these sections, but some are left instrumental - with grinding keyboards also doing a lot of heavy lifting. The vocal interplay between Sanders and Dailor has grown organically over the years - with the former generally taking the heavier sections and the latter the more melodic. That clash of styles works well here, whilst Johnston lays down his first proper solo of the album later on - with some bluesy motifs sounding strong. Picking up the pace, lead single Your Ghost Again is Mastodon at their chaotic best. The fast-paced main riff has that barrelling yet off-kilter vibe that was a hallmark of the band's early days, whilst Dailor's hard-hitting drumming showcases those hardcore roots. There are uncompromising moments here, then, with some of Sanders' most aggressive vocals - but there are also spacey moments with plenty of keyboards which cut in occasionally. Generally, though, this song is heavy - and is less dynamic overall than is typical. There is a pretty hooky chorus, but it remains pretty fast-paced and tough-sounding, whilst Johnston shreds in a more overtly metallic way than is typical of Mastodon at this point. The mix of the faster riffing, big chorus vocal hooks, and a jazzy outro with fluid riffing and busy bass playing is likely to make the track a winner live.
Snakes for Dinner is one of the more instant songs here. Mastodon songs tend to take a few listens to settle in, but I found this one memorable from the off - with some excellent drumming from Dailor early on and some guitar riffing that is, again, a little more metallic than is the norm. The addition of some rumbling organ in the background is always going to draw me in, too. Mastodon have utilised keyboards before, of course, but Nogueira adds a lot to this album in my opinion. The guitars still dominate, but there are so many strong textures on this album - and the ever-present organ here sits nicely against the snappy guitar riffing. Structure-wise, this song is a bit simpler, too, with tougher verses, with vocals split between Sanders and Dailor, alongside a pretty soaring chorus that sees the two singing together to great effect. The chorus vocal melodies really stick in the brain for me, and it is one of the album's true sing-a-long moments - whilst the second iteration is followed by a great, lengthy, retro synth solo. The first of the album's guest vocalists is utilised here, too, with Josh Homme (Kyuss; Queens of the Stone Age; Eagles of Death Metal; Them Crooked Vultures) adding his drawling voice to the ending segment of the song - his voice standing out from the band's two main singers' to add something different. Out Like a Lamb reins in the heaviness somewhat. It opens with a pretty acrobatic guitar riff, but it feels more 1970s in tone, with less of a metallic bent - which the song doubles down on when Dailor starts to sing. A version of the riff sits under his voice, but it is mixed into the background - with percussive drumming and the synths largely dominating. There is a strong psychedelic vibe to the main verses, then, with later verses seeing different synth textures popping in and out, although the song does get a bit heavier again during a lumbering chorus - which sees Sanders take over vocally and some double bass drum patterns. The spacey vibes are later returned to when the opening riff leads a bridge section in its fuller form - over which synth melodies flash. Mellotron is also made use of later on, making the second half of the song sound even bigger - whilst a lengthy guitar solo, followed by a proper distorted organ wig out, leans fully into the band's prog side. In the Ruins continues down a proggy path, with more of a stripped back sound - losing some of the metal and focusing on warmth and emotive vocals. Early Pink Floyd and those dense ballads found on early King Crimson albums feel like a touchstone here, with whimsical, distant vocals floating around the mix early on - whilst a surprisingly busy drum groove and percussive guitar patterns form a sweeping backdrop. Some of the album's gentlest moments are found here, then, and there is a meandering quality to parts of the song - with subtle guitar leads coming and going. As if to be deliberately varied, though, there are also some distinctly heavy sections - which roar into life in a surprising manner, with Dailor unleashing some double bass drum patterns whilst snarling guitars take over. These sections perhaps feel heavier than they are due to the quieter nature of much of the song, but there is certainly a strong contrast between light and shade here - with one of the heavy sections also containing a pretty epic guitar solo. Mastodon songs always need a few listens to fully appreciate, and this one is no different, but the smashing together of two sounds works well for me on repeated listens - and it is a song that has become a bit of an overall highlight for me.
They're Coming for You (this time with a correct apostrophe) is a bit of a riff-fest, at least early on. With the band largely going for heavy, stonery riffs in the main - the opening minute or so of this song feels like 'proper' prog metal. The kinetic guitar playing of Johnston and Kelliher is busy and interlinking - with melodies aplenty in their playing. I love how the riffing varies slowly as the instrumental opening moves along - whilst Nogueira later joins in with his keyboards, adding an extra layer of energy to the song. Even when the busier riffing finishes, and the band settle into more of a bluesy, mid-paced groove, the song still feels quite busy - with Sanders and Dailor trading vocals across lengthy verses that feature intricate drumming, a mix of riffing and sparser moments, and more synths. There is always something new to hear as this song progresses, and it feels like a truly progressive piece of music as a result. The band do not want to sit still at all here - with a few heavier sections kicking in later on, with Sanders bellowing the vocals with real power. Neo-classical keyboard runs and another pretty lengthy guitar solo add a lot to the song - which is another overall highlight for me. Golden Spires has a buzzing opening riff that somewhat feels like it comes in from a distance. It repeats a few times over some percussive drumming - before the band lunch into a bit more of a chaotic verse that ups the heaviness and has something of an old-school vibe. There are certainly shades of albums like Leviathan during the heavier moments of this song - and there are times when Sanders' vocal style approaches the tone of the late Hinds. As with most of the songs here, though, this is quite a dynamic number - with Dailor taking the lead vocally during some spacier sections that flourish thanks to layers of synths and a great bass underpinning. The contrast between light and shade is perhaps not as pronounced as it was during In the Ruins, but the song goes for a similar approach - even if the two approaches feel a bit more cleanly integrated this time. This has been Mastodon's way of working for a long time at this point, though, so the collision of worlds should not come as much of a surprise - with Johnston once again delivering with a couple of memorable guitar solos later on. Moth and Bone opens quite slowly, with some distant guitar melodies - before a fairly organic acoustic guitar pattern cuts through the haze, against a shuffling drum groove. In terms of a a proper old-school prog sound, this song is one here that delivers on that approach in a big way. The shuffling drum beat is just a bit left-field to allow for a prog groove to settle in - whilst Nogueira really shines here as he adds his retro synth melodies over the top of the warm acoustic guitar backing. Vocal harmonies and the synths add to the warmth, but the song does grow from this sparser base. It does get heavier, although it never feels truly heavy. The tougher guitar tones here feel more retro in nature, and the vocals are never as aggressive as they can be - staying melodic as the synths still cut through. The contrast between the light and shade is another strong example of such here - even if the whole song retains a retro feel. Even the heavier moments, including some later sections that feature double bass drumming, feel less metallic and more old-school, hard-hitting prog rock - with the vibes conjured up early on by the acoustic guitars and synths never truly leaving.
The last three songs all feature guest vocalists - with A Vampire's Demeanour (another correct apostrophe) up first. Nate Newton (Jesuit; Converge; Old Man Gloom; Doomriders; The Ocean Collective; Cavalera Conspiracy) and Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) add their voices to the track - which is heavier overall than the last few, returning instead to the more hard-hitting way the band opened the album up. Vocally, the song feels a bit more aggressive than has generally been the case up to this point. There is more of a hardcore vocal approach taken throughout - with Sanders, Newton, and Blythe using harsh and screamed vocals to sit nicely against the heavier and sludgier riffs which make up the bulk of this song. As such, this song feels like a real hark back to the band's early days. Mastodon have rarely been this consistently heavy for sometime, and the heavy riffing and grinding grooves of the track should please all old-school Mastodon fans. There is little of the prog and the light and shade largely seen elsewhere here - but as a flat out metal track that turns the clock back somewhat I think the song succeeds. The Vanishing opens with quite a lengthy bass intro, provided by Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath; Ozzy Osbourne; Heaven & Hell; Deadland Ritual). Butler played a number of bass intros of this nature on Black Sabbath's early albums, and this song sees him harking back to those times - his fuzzy, acrobatic playing opening what is actually quite a progressive number. The bass intro seems like it might give way to something heavy and doomy, but actually a popping drum groove and spacey guitar melodies soon take over - whilst dreamy vocals from Dailor dominate. In terms of old-school prog, this is another that really harks back to the 1970s. Black Sabbath could at times be rooted in prog, so the bass intro is not totally out of character, whilst meandering guitar riffing, occasional dancing guitar leads, and warm synth melodies constantly weave in and out of the mix - building a dense song that is easily the most atmospheric thing here. I really like the more straight ahead lead guitar approach that Johnston has brough to Mastodon - and his guitar solo here showcases why. It feels quite heroic at first, before settling into some legato runs that fit nicely with the core vibe of the song. There are some slightly heavier sections, which feature brief harsh vocals from Joe Duplantier (Gojira; Cavalera Conspiracy), but largely this is a song that revels in soundscapes and an old-school sound. The album then comes to a close with The Three Fates, the longest track here at just under eight minutes. Neil Fallon (Clutch; The Company Band; The Bakerton Group; Dunsmuir) is the final guest vocalist here, with the song having something of a three-part vocal approach as a result. In many ways, the song feels like bits of everything that has come before. There is heavier riffing early on, but it is not as heavy as some of the examples here - but the song meanders through various sections. There is something of a strange spoken word section during part of the song, under which the band groove away in a retro fashion, and there are also some quite lengthy instrumental sections here that return to jazzy influences - particularly when considering Nogueira's keyboard playing. There is a sparse guitar and keyboard solo interplay section late on which feels pure jazz - although it does later expand into something more metallic and sweeping. It is definitely the song with the most instrumental experimentation - and it helps the album to end on a technical and progressive high. Whilst there was a journey to get here, Marrow Deep feels like the first Mastodon album I have truly digested. I enjoy much of it, and it is an album that continues to impress. Maybe this will be my true gateway to Mastodon, but even if I remain a casual fan I will be grateful for the proper introduction - and given the line-up change it is great seeing the band still sounding so powerful and so like themselves.
The album was released on 28th August 2026 via Loma Vista Recordings. Below is the band's promotional video for Snakes for Dinner.
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