Ahead of the release of their powerful new album Marrow Deep, Mastodon caught up with hmv to discuss drawing strength from Greek mythology, processing immense personal grief, collaborating once again with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and reflecting on nearly 25 years of heavy riffs.
hmv: Mastodon’s lyrics and concepts have always thrived on rich metaphor rather than literal storytelling. With Marrow Deep drawing on the Three Fates of Greek mythology (spinning, measuring, and cutting the thread of life), how did that symbolic framework shape the broader message of transition, resilience, and solidarity on this album?
Mastodon: Thankfully, the Three Fates perfectly ties into our bands story. The further we go in this world, the more our perspectives change. Through our recent internal transitions, we have come together with more grit, desire and might than ever before. Leaning on each other in solidarity at this time has proven the most proud and humbling moment Mastodon has ever shared together.
hmv: Was there a particular track on this record that felt especially difficult (or especially liberating) to capture on tape?
Mastodon: Working through the personal grief we were experiencing from the break up & turmoil with Brent, the passing of Brann’s mom and then Brents passing, it was very difficult to forge onward. Considering the emotional state of the band entering the studio in September 2025, I personally feel incredibly liberated that we put together this entire album! I am very, very proud of my bandmates for coming together stronger than ever before and creating what I feel is our most important record ever.
hmv: A 13-song album gives you a massive canvas to work with. Did the record come together naturally around these central themes, or did the narrative take shape later in the process?
Mastodon: From a lyrical standpoint, every ounce of it was created from grief, tragedy and sadness. Yes, I know its a downer, but its the absolute truth.
hmv: Themes of loss and lasting impact run deep through Marrow Deep. Where on the album do you feel the presence and influence of those you’ve lost most strongly?
Mastodon: I feel the influence of those we’ve recently lost resonated throughout the entire record. Our relationships with the two we lost in 2025 are beyond blood and brotherhood and their impact on us are marrow deep.
hmv: Remission turns 25 next year. Looking back at where you started as a band, how different is the writing and recording process now compared to back then?
Mastodon: As we have grown as people, musicians and friends, our perspective on writing and recording have amplified for the greater good. We take each riff and each lyric very seriously, which is cool coming from a bunch of goofballs.
hmv: Once again, you’ve collaborated with Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, how did that come about this time around?
Mastodon: We were blown away with Josh‘s collaboration with us on Colony of Birchmen from our 2006 Blood Mountain album. Since then, I know our drummer Brann has been waiting for a musical moment that we could again share with Josh to see his interest into joining in. Thankfully he was happy to do so and his vocal turned an excellent ending riff of ’Snakes for Dinner’ into an incredible outro, truly elevated the vibe of the song.
hmv: Will you be incorporating the theme and visual concept of the Three Fates into your stage production when you take Marrow Deep on tour?
Mastodon: This is top-secret information and cannot be revealed until our North American tour begins in September. Disclaimer: I actually do not know yet as we’re putting the shows production together now!
hmv: Throughout your career, you've been on massive world tours with some of the most iconic metal bands in history (Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer), as well as huge co-headlining runs like the one with Lamb of God. Do you still have a bucket list of bands you'd love to go on the road with?
Mastodon: Absolutely! We have shared stages with Queens of the Stone Age and The Deftones in the past, but yearn to do a proper tour with either of those bands! We befriended those guys long ago and are super friendly with each other. Mastodon has massive amounts of respect for them both.
hmv: Did writing and recording this material bring a sense of closure, or did it open up new ways of looking at resilience and memory?
Mastodon: Completing this record was beyond therapeutic for us to create. The process did help me personally with a small sense of closure and gave me a positive emotional reset on our future. Marrow Deep is now a massive triumph in my eyes.
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