#368 Mastodon — Marrow Deep Album Review: Atlanta's Own Returns

Very few bands in the history of recorded music have managed to maintain the same lineup for as long as Atlanta, Georgia’s own progressive metal titans, MASTODON. After Brent Hinds’ departure from the band in 2025 and the tragic permanence of his untimely demise which followed just a few months later, it seemed that after 25 years the band which Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Troy Sanders had launched with Hinds was finished.

Thankfully, the remaining three were able to transmute their tragedy into a new era for the band by introducing two new members (Nick Johnston on guitar & João Nogueira on keyboards) and crafting one of the most powerful comeback albums of all time with MARROW DEEP, the band’s 9th studio album and perhaps one of their most well rounded and progressive albums to date.

There are so many layers to this album that it’s nigh impossible to digest it all in one single listen. With familiar sonic textures, elements, and themes that span all the way through the band’s catalog (from Remission to Hushed and Grim) combined with the contributions of Nick Johnston and João Nogueira, MARROW DEEP possesses an almost darker, 70’s flavored progressive quality, making the album a mountaintop moment for “Mastodon 2.0” and resulting in one of the finest and most sophisticated albums of the band’s career.

Buckle up and get ready to find out which disgusting sounding form of hydration is actually “closer to broth”, always remember that releasing an album on 9/11 will ensure that you “never forget”, and prepare for a reading from “The Book of Sevens” when you JOIN US as we dive into what may very well be a contender for Album of the Year with MARROW DEEP from MASTODON.

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Show Notes & Time Stamps:

(00:01): “Which do you think is grosser? Boiled egg water…OR…hot dog water?”/

“It’s closer to broth…” / #inthemiddleofthenight /

***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***

“I have a new problem…gunt sweat…”/

***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST IN THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE!!!***

(05:04): “Can I speak upon the Zombie shirt?” #RussellsReflections #RobZombie /

“I’m gonna give you guys a quick review…” #RobZombie #MarilynManson #Orgy /

“He sounded good…his voice was great…I mean it was never good, but…you know what I mean?” #FreaksOnParade

(14:14): ***PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast ***

***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #YouTube #Facebook #Instagram & #TikTok (“Where everything is going vaginal…”) ***

***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com or GIVE US A CALL AND VOICEMAIL US AT 980-666-8182!!!*** / #inthemiddleofthenight with #AmericanDave

(17:22): ***WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-TAH!!!***

#TheFierceAndTheDead (Regional Theater – September 11, 2026) / #NeverForget /

SHAKE HANDS AND EXIT / “That’s a great time to release an album, too, because people NEVER forget when they get something on September the 11th…”

(21:20): ***METAL NERDERY PRESENTS: MASTODON – MARROW DEEP***

#Mastodon #MarrowDeep / “It doesn’t suck, you just grew out of it, it’s not your thing, or they moved on without you…” /

“It still sounds like Mastodon, but it’s got some 70’s/retro vibes…”/

“If you like Mastodon, you’ll like this. This is Mastodon 2.0…”/

New members: Nick Johnston (guitar) João Noguiera (keyboards)

Some special guests: Neil Fallon, Josh Homme, Geezer Butler, Joe Duplantier

Produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge) and Patrik Berger

(24:42): BARBARIANS BLOOD

“The lyrics…(are) a lot about loss…and tragedy…”

(28:16): “The next one opens with a clip from The River’s Edge…”/

POISONOUS WEAPONS

“And I felt so FUCKING ALIVE!!!”/ “It’s progressive but it has a 70’s vibe to it…”/

“All hail the weakest link!”/ “I love the midrange guitars…without the scoop…”/ #inyourface

(31:11): “What’s with The Book of Sevens?”/ #Wheelerglyphics /

***If you’re wondering where the 7’s reference comes from, go check out our Instrumentals episode…*** / #imgonnasendyouafile

“This was the first single…” / YOUR GHOST AGAIN /

“Constantly reminded how good I’m not…how do they come up with that?”/

“They’re riff shamans…”/ “(Mastodon) have been the same lineup for 20 plus years…”

(34:10): “How about some SNAKES FOR DINNER? This one has some (Mr.) Josh Homme at the end…”/ “‘About’ 3:51…” / “Talk about haunting…that’s haunting…”

(37:40): OUT LIKE A LAMB /

“This kinda has Blood Mountain & Emperor of Sand vibes to it…” /

“The songcraft is really, really good…”

(39:40): “This is about Troy’s family losing everything in Hurricane Helene…”/

IN THE RUINS

“It sounds like space…like a planetarium…” / “There’s a lot of texture on this album…”/ “What I like about it is it’s very emotive…a lot of emotion involved.”

“This has got all the good elements: the heavy stuff, the grooving stuff, the melodious stuff…”

(44:26): THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU / “Track number 7 in The Book of 7’s…”/

“I was gonna say: it’s a lot like Dream Theater, but more listenable…”/

“That sounds like Deep Purple (see also Child in Time… specifically around 5:43)”/

“My ears are happy…I’m just hearing cool shit.”/ “The thing that makes me laugh…”/ #riffgravy

(47:48): “See if you can count this next one…”/ GOLDEN SPIRES /

“This one’s pretty heavy…I think it’s in 4/4…”

“I like the atmosphere that the keyboards give…and the fuzz on the bass.”

(50:11): “The next one I really like…it’s a change of pace…”/

“If YOU don’t know what The Book of 7’s says, then we’re all fucked.”/

MOTH AND BONE / (“Insert relaxers here…”) / “It’s kind of a departure…”/ “It’s guitar on one side and keyboards on the other…”

(54:23): A VAMPIRE’S DEMEANOR /

“A lot of nice use of light and shade…soft and hard…dark and light…”/

“On the last two (tracks) we’ve got guestesses…on The Vanishing we’ve got Geezer Butler…

“Terrible tragedy turns into beautiful art…”

(57:22): THE VANISHING (Ladies & gentlemen, Mr. Geezer Butler) /

“This has kind of a weird Kyuss vibe…like a mellower Kyuss…I’ve heard some people say ‘Elder’…”/ “It’s like night driving music…”/ “It’s like stoner metal Mastodon…kinda.”/

“The more we love, we suffer in it…”

(1:01:14): “Let me consult The Book of 7’s…” / THE THREE FATES (featuring Mr. Neil Fallon)

“Definitely a relaxer album, for sure…”/ “1:37 is when Neil Fallon comes in…”/ “What’d you guys think?” / “I think the keyboards bring some things out…but I think more and more metal bands are starting to embrace keyboards…that 70’s vibe is kinda coming back…”

(1:10:06): ASK THE METAL HEAD… / #AskTheMetalhead /

“Debut album covers…which is better?”

“For an ’84 record…which is better?”

“For an ’85 record…which is better?”

“Tacos or burritos?”

“Food – Japanese or Chinese? Pizza or wings? Pizza, wings, or fried chicken?” /

“Fried chicken and ice cream!?” / THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / #untilthenext #outroreel