Mastodon’s Brann Dailor Says Upcoming Album Was Made Amid “Turmoil” Following Brent Hinds’ Death

Mastodon are officially set to release their long-awaited ninth studio album later this year, according to drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor, who recently opened up about the emotionally difficult process behind the record.

The GRAMMY Award-winning progressive sludge metal band have faced a turbulent stretch over the past several years, including the departure of longtime guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds in 2025. At the time, the band stated they planned to continue work on the album without his involvement and confirmed the material would not include his writing contributions.

Tragedy later struck when Hinds was killed in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta, Georgia last August, further complicating what Dailor described as an already painful chapter for the group.

Speaking with Blabbermouth.net, Dailor revealed the album has now been completed and reflected on the emotional weight carried throughout its creation:

“We’re very excited about it. It was a hard record to make. It was a very emotional time for us. I lost my mom, we went through all this turmoil with Brent, and then he passed away. It’s been tough. It’s all in the music, it’s all in the songs, and I’m excited to release it and get it out there into the world because we’ve been sitting on it for a while.”

He continued by explaining that some of the material has existed in skeletal form for nearly two years:

“A lot of this stuff, at least the skeletons of what this album is, we’ve been sitting on for two years now. A lot was going on.”

Dailor also reiterated that the upcoming record does not contain contributions from Hinds, describing the guitarist as increasingly disconnected from the writing process toward the end of his time with the band:

“Toward the end, unfortunately, it was hard to get him to come down to the space. He was interested in doing other stuff, which was fine. It was a confusing time.”

He added:

“He was wherever the wind took him. Unfortunately, it was not down to the practice space to work on riffs. It was a little bit frustrating.”

In a separate social media comment shared on May 10, Dailor confirmed that Mastodon will release the album sometime later this year, with additional details expected in the coming months.

If you’re rocking with The Mosh Network, hit the link and add us as a Preferred Source on Google. That’s the easiest way to keep our latest metal, hardcore, and alternative news, tours, and releases showing up directly in your feed.