Mastodon‘s latest record, Marrow Deep, is finally here. It marks an interesting time for the band following the departure (and untimely death) of guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds. It’s bittersweet for fans, and with Nick Johnston stepping in as a replacement, the question stands: can Johnston hold a torch to the legacy that Hinds left behind, or is there an obvious gap where he should stand?
Hinds undoubtedly had a huge impact on Mastodon and their fans. Leaving the band was a sad time for all, especially as there seemed to be some animosity between the two. Then for him to pass as suddenly as he did, it was a massive blow to the metal community. He was such an iconic guitarist and a key part of what made Mastodon great. So for many, this album already had a lot of weight on its shoulders.
First impressions, though: it holds itself up very, very well. Johnston does a great job filling some very big boots, and the band sounds great. There is one notable gap in that Hinds’ harsh vocals are no longer present, giving the band more of a vocally gothic undertone. Many songs on the album gave me Gojira vibes but with a slightly more progressive edge.
I remember my first experience with Mastodon; it was around 2004, and I’d grabbed the latest issue of Rock Sound, which back then used to come with a CD that featured a handful of singles from new and upcoming albums. On that CD was the track Blood and Thunder. That opening riff left an impression, as did the rest of the song. Admittedly, I never really got into the band until their 2017 album Emperor of Sound, which was when I realised their sound had evolved since then.
Marrow Deep, for me, feels like a middle ground between the band’s progressive, sludge metal beginnings and their later somewhat toned-down prog metal evolution. It’s an album that’s comforting while also bringing something new to the table. It’s also a deeply emotional album, naturally, as the band have been through not only Hinds’ departure and death, but the loss of bass player Troy Sanders’ home during Hurricane Helene.
There’s almost an old-school element to this album, with some heavy progressive influences on display. In the track Snakes For Dinner, there’s a brilliant synth solo that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Rush tune.
A number of times throughout this Marrow Deep, I feel the band’s prog influences are on full display, from Rush to Genesis; there’s an almost old-school feel to some of the songs, which I really enjoyed. Stepping away from the progressiveness for a second, there’s an almost southern-metal, metalcore twang to this album that reminds me a lot of Every Time I Die, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Marrow Deep goes hard both instrumentally and lyrically. While it’s not necessarily a memorial album, the memory of Hinds is certainly a big part of this album, and it sadly pushes it into that realm. This is the type of album no band that has been going as long as Mastodon probably wanted to write, but here we are, and they’ve done a brilliant job of creating a record that honours Hinds while also progressing the band into its next era.
Overall, Marrow Deep is a thoroughly enjoyable album that touches on two genres I adore: progressive rock/metal and metalcore. It’s a deeply emotional album without being contrived. A lot is laid bare on this album, backed up by Mastodon‘s brilliant composition. To answer my earlier question, does Johnston hold up a torch to Hinds? In many ways, yes. He fits in very well with the band. Do we miss Hinds? Of course we do. There is a notable lack of harsh vocals, but that’s not enough to take away the greatness that the rest of the band has put out here.
Score: 8.5/10
Mastodon released Marrow Deep on August 28 via Loma Vista.