Drummer and vocalist Brann Dailor has confirmed that MASTODON's ninth studio album is finished and ready for release. The announcement came in a recent interview where Dailor described the recording process as deeply emotional and fraught with personal loss.
"We're very excited about it. It was a hard record to make. It was a very emotional time for us," Dailor said. The difficulty stemmed from multiple tragedies: Dailor lost his mother during the sessions, and the band endured the departure and subsequent death of co-founding guitarist Brent Hinds.
Hinds parted ways with MASTODON in March 2025 following creative tensions. In August 2025, he died in an accident, leaving the metal world in shock. Dailor reflected on Hinds' absence from the studio: "It was hard to get him to come down to the space. He was interested in doing other stuff."
The album features no contributions from Hinds. In his place, touring guitarist Nick Johnston — who joined the band following the split — recorded the guitar parts. Much of the foundational material had been sitting for two years before the sessions were fully realized.
No release date has been announced yet, but Dailor's excitement suggests MASTODON are eager to bring this record to fans. It marks a genuinely new chapter for one of heavy music's most celebrated and influential acts.