Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher have spoken about performing without founding guitarist Brent Hinds, who left the band and later died, as they prepare to release their first album in five years. In an interview with Germany's Visions magazine, the pair reflected on the emotional difficulty of continuing without him and said they feel it is important to keep playing the songs he helped create, viewing it as a way of honouring his memory and legacy.

The new album, "Marrow Deep", is due out on 28 August via Loma Vista Recordings and follows 2021's "Hushed And Grim". It was made by the remaining founding members, Dailor, Kelliher and bassist Troy Sanders, and draws on themes of loss and fate inspired by Greek mythology. Both musicians described still catching themselves looking for Hinds during shows, but said performing tracks he wrote, such as "Megalodon" and "Crack The Skye", brings a sense of gratitude and keeps his contribution to the band alive.