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Anchored by a somber weight and deep emotional pain impacting the connective tissue binding Mastodon over the decades, Marrow Deep signals a new era for the Atlanta heavyweights. Ninth album, and first since 2021’s bloated and occasionally brilliant double opus, Hushed and Grim arrives on the back of turbulent and traumatic times. Enigmatic founding member, uber-talented axeman/vocalist, and all-round wild man Brent Hinds parted ways in tense circumstances in March twenty-twenty-five, before tragically passing away in a motorcycle accident in August of the same year. The tragedy surrounding Hinds’ premature death hangs heavily over Marrow Deep’s conception. The remaining core trio of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor, and guitarist Bill Kelliher composed the album, fleshing out the material with fresh members, guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboardist/synth player João Nogueira. Marrow Deep exorcises tense emotional grief, and like its predecessor, pulls on the heartstrings.

Listeners who tapped out following Crack the Skye will find little here to bring them back into the fold. Following the exhaustive length of Hushed and Grim, cut down to size, Marrow Deep still sports a hefty 65-minute runtime. Peppering their progressive metal and sludge rock core with heady psych and stoner influences, alongside mellower rock and prog fare, Marrow Deep is also frequently direct and punchy. “Your Ghost Again” signals a fitting tribute to their fallen brother, anchored by urgent, driving verses, blossoming into haunting melodies, playful prog and a crushing climax. Fellow singles also fare well, such as the keyboard freakout and effective, minimalist cameo from Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) on “Snakes for Dinner,” or the impressively raw, gut-wrenching Sanders vocal performance on the doomy ” Ruins,” inspired by the personal events of Hurricane Helene.

Dailor’s smooth, though divisive, melodic vocals, alongside the deceptively dynamic bellows and rough vox of Sanders, sound confident, impassioned, and familiar, while the increased integration of keys and synths enlivens the Mastodon formula, adding texture and swirling psychedelia into the sludge rock and progressive metal populating infectious, riff-driven songcraft. Heavier and more energetic than its predecessor Marrow Deep often hits with impact. Featuring a bending, genuinely heavy swagger, opener “Barbarians Blood” eventually unleashes a turbo-charged, thrashy, punk-metal groove that goes hard. Equally potent, “Poisonous Weapons” demonstrates Mastodon can still crush and destroy through dense, riffy sludge with a bitter edge. Upping the aggressive ante, Nate Newton (Converge/Cave In) and Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) lend their vocal talents to the fiery blast of “A Vampire’s Demeanor.” Elsewhere, the legendary Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) supplies signature, tasty bass licks on the intro to the trippy, psych-leaning odyssey of “The Vanishing,” while Clutch’s Neil Fallon showcases his gruff preaching on jam-infested finale, ‘The Three Fates.” Gears shift on “Golden Spires,” sweetly balancing the album’s melodic sways and heavier surges through towering riffs and striking dynamics.

Loaded with technical and progressive flair listeners have come to expect, performances are super tight. Johnston fills the Hinds void admirably, without simply replicating his admired predecessor. A hugely competent shredder, Johnston puts his own stamp on Marrow Deep, getting a particular opportunity to exhibit his classy soloing on Marrow Deep’s more exploratory, psych and stoner heavy tunes (“The Vanishing,” “Moth and Bone,” and monolithic closer “The Three Fates”). Dailor’s drumming is as intricate and creative as ever, without overplaying his hand, and the Dailor/Sanders vocal combo sounds confident and assured. Unfortunately, Marrow Deep is saddled with a crunchy but overly clean production and compressed mastering job sapping some of the album’s sonic power. Concerning self-editing issues also surface, and while most the material lands, there are occasional lulls and plods suggesting some shrewder editing may have been required.

For all of Marrow Deep’s strengths and fresh designs, the absence of Hinds is strongly felt. Whether through his songwriting contributions or unique guitar style, which cleverly incorporated outside influences, such as bluegrass and southern rock twang, into Mastodon’s progressive sludge formula. Meanwhile, his hugely expressive, soulful soloing and unmistakable vocals feel odd to be missing; moments occur where you half expect a Hinds vocal to pop up. Gripes aside, Marrow Deep is a better album than expected considering the massive hole left by Hinds’. Credit to the remaining members and new blood for forging ahead with optimism, crafting an entertaining opus. Time will tell where Marrow Deep fits in the greater Mastodon canon. As it stands, Marrow Deep marks a rejuvenated, cathartic, nerve-poking transitional turn from Mastodon.

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Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Lousy Stream
Label: Lorna Vista Recordings
Websites: mastodonrocks.com | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 28th, 2026

The post Mastodon – Marrow Deep Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

I am very pleased to have yet another opportunity to write about Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin’s split singles series, and this latest installment is one I’ve been especially stoked about! With a lot of these singles, I’ve become more educated about bands or artists I was not yet super familiar with. This time out, Moss and his band are collaborating with TA-80, one of my favorite bands. So in this case, with me being a big fan of both bands, I was really excited about hearing what would happen when they traded songs. It seems an unlikely pairing on the surface, but that is what makes it so intriguing. 

Moss and Skin-Tight Skin (which, on this release, finds lead guitarist Marshall Keith joining bassist Tom McNally and drummer Steve Naff ) take on TA-80’s “Black Glitter” from the 2018 album of the same name. Moss notes that he saw Marshall Keith playing with The Slickee Boys back in late 1979 or early 1980. And the impression that that performance made on him was massive. Says Moss: “They were having so much fun on stage that, even though I had yet to pick up a bass or a guitar, I knew I had to start a band. So, for me, Marshall playing on my songs now is a treat.” The original version of “Black Glitter” is a typical TA-80 pop/punk rock ‘n’ roll party-starter. Moss and his band transform it into a grittier old school punk sing-along with snotty vocals and ripping lead guitar. It’s a killer take on a fantastic song! Both versions of the song are chock full of attitude, but they are definitely different kinds of attitude. If you heard this track on a playlist, you’d have no reason to suspect Moss didn’t write it.  

On TA-80’s half of the split, the band tears into “Two Slices of Bread,” which originally appeared on Moss’s excellent 2022 album Now With More Rockets. Moss wrote the song as an homage to Willie Alexander and The Boom Boom Band. TA-80 has taken the song and run with it, turning into something that sounds like early ’80s Southern California hardcore punk! The energy and speed are dialed way up. The band’s affection for the original version is undeniable, but I love that it brought its own unique energy to this version (replete with some obligatory guitar shredding). 

In keeping with the spirit of this entire series, both bands here were not at all handicapped by a fear of changing the songs they were covering. They both really went for it, and what results is a single that’s a lot of fun to listen to. It’s like watching two monsters swap brains and get up and try to dance. If you’re a fan of both bands as I am, this single is an essential purchase. If one of these two bands is new to you, I imagine you’ll be inspired to dig into their back catalog! This is another winner in a series that continually hits the mark.

In wake of their next LP release Psychohazard, due out on October 23rd 2026, Poland’s Cursebinder offer in listening the newest track in preview titled “The Astronaut”.
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Swedish-based black metal ensemble Det Eviga Leendet announce official signing with Debemur Morti Productions for the release of their third full-length effort Vehemence later in 2026. Additional details coming soon.

Russian Circles are an instrumental post-rock/metal band from the US. This is their ninth album. Russian Circles can do no wrong. Sorry, but them’s the rules. More seriously, coming off the back of 2022’s fantastic Gnostic, Nine has big shoes to fill, but fill them it does. Across 39 minutes of new material, Russian Circles … Continue reading “Russian Circles – Nine (Review)”

Warren Haynes reflected on the life and career of Dolly Parton following the country music icon’s death on August 25.

In a soon-to-be-released interview with Blues Rock Review, Haynes discussed his longtime admiration for Parton, whose music connected with him even during his younger years when much of the country music surrounding her did not.

“I’ve always been a fan,” Haynes told Blues Rock Review. “She was kind of the exception to the rule for me back growing up, when I didn’t really love a lot of the artists that she would be compared to. Somehow I always really liked her songs.”

Haynes’ appreciation for Parton dates back to childhood and watching her on television. He specifically recalled several of the songs that made an impression on him early in life.

“I go back to watching her TV show when I was a kid, and she used to close every night with ‘I’ll Always Love You,’” Haynes said. “I always loved ‘Coat of Many Colors’ and ‘Jolene’ and songs like that, that hit me even as a teenager.”

Beyond the music, Haynes said he developed an appreciation for the way Parton handled the challenges of a career that spanned decades. He pointed to her ability to succeed on her own terms in an industry that could be particularly difficult for women.

“But then through the years, just watching her navigate her career, as a strong-willed woman in a sexist environment, you know, the music business can be pretty harsh,” Haynes said. “And she dealt with it in an amazing way and managed to be an amazing artist decade after decade after decade.”

Haynes eventually had the opportunity to work with Parton when she ventured into rock music with her 2023 album, Rockstar. The star-studded project saw Parton collaborating with artists from across the rock world, with Haynes among the musicians who took part.

For Haynes, getting the opportunity to contribute to the project was especially meaningful given how far back his admiration for Parton went.

“And so when she announced she was going to do a rock record, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s really cool,’” Haynes said. “And then when I got the call to be part of it, I was just all smiles, you know, it was a fantastic experience.”

Parton’s career crossed boundaries between country, pop and rock while producing some of the most recognizable songs in American music. For Haynes, however, her legacy went beyond genre. She was an artist whose songwriting reached him at a young age and whose longevity and determination continued to earn his respect throughout his own career.

Blues Rock Review’s full interview with Warren Haynes will be released soon.

The post Warren Haynes pays tribute to Dolly Parton: “I’ve always been a fan” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Submasq, formerly known as Subterranean Masquerade, have debuted an Omri Daddon-directed music video for “Anger”, the latest new single off their soon-to-be-released studio album Spirit Animal.
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Queens Of The Stone Age have set October 30, 2026 as the official release date of their ninth long player Perfecth. The 9-piece music output was produced by Joshua Homme and Michael Shuman. For a preview, give a listen to the first single called “Insignificant Other”.
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Swedish symphonic/power metal outfit Dragonland has premiered a video clip for “The Prophecy Unfolds”, the second advance single from their upcoming record Prophecies.
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British heavy metal band KK’s Priest are pleased to announce their first touring run in Latin America next spring. Fellow countrymen Tailgunner will serve as support (except in Brazil).
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