Mastodon have surprise-released an epic and poignant new song, “Your Ghost Again,” the band’s first since the death of co-founding vocalist-guitarist Brent Hinds last summer. The single serves as a tribute to Hinds, expressing the band’s grief over his passing but also their gratitude for the experiences he brought into their lives. In addition, the song is the first taste of the group’s forthcoming, as-yet-untitled ninth album.
“‘Your Ghost Again’ is about being in those familiar places you used to be with people all the time, which for us was in the studio,” Mastodon vocalist-drummer Brann Dailor says of the single in a revealing behind-the-scenes video about the song posted on Mastodon’s instagram. “I just kept seeing [Brent] out of the corner of my eye, where he would normally be with his guitar. It’s about that: Your mind plays tricks on you, especially so soon after someone dies and you’re in the places where they always were. You just see them.”
Guitarist-vocalist Bill Kelliher adds: “We wanted to pick a song that sounds like Mastodon, and that has all the things in there, because it’s the first impression of what people are gonna hear. It speaks about things that have just happened and people passing, I could go deep but I don’t want to because a lot of that shit’s personal.”
Vocalist-bassist Troy Sanders opens up a little more, breaking down the meaning of the song. “The bridge lyrics are two lines of pure gratitude towards Brent,” he explains. “It’s ‘all the gifts from you, now you can take them back where you must go,’ meaning you came into my life, you exposed me to things that blew my mind, together we conquered thousands of stages around the world, had magical moments that we can never repeat again, but all the beauty that you brought it still remains, always will.”
As for Mastodon’s upcoming album, it will follow up 2021’s Hushed and Grim, which also wrangled with a death in the band’s extended family, in that case the passing of the band’s manager Nick John. Dailor hopes that the record — which will be the band’s first with new guitarist Nick Johnston — helps fans through their grieving and healing process.
“Hopefully this album helps everybody. Hopefully they can find some piece of it that speaks to them about it,” he says. “I know Brent’s not there and it’s weird and it’s hard, and some people might be like, ‘Well, I don’t wanna listen to it because Brent’s not there and I’m hurting about that,’ but we are too. Big time.
“It means a lot to me, and I hope that’s able to translate to our fans and people who are grieving, too. I understand that, because we never really addressed it. We just couldn’t. And to the fans I’m just sorry that I wasn’t able to be more for them when that happened, because I couldn’t. For myself, I’m still unpacking it.”
In addition to releasing a new song today, Mastodon also announced a big fall tour, with support from blackgaze leaders Deafheaven and Alcest. Dubbed “The Poisonous Weapons Tour,” the trek is set to kick off September 16th in Florida and wrap up October 24th in Dallas at that city’s installment of the Sick New World festival — check out the full itinerary below.
Last year, Revolver commemorated Mastodon’s 25th anniversary with a special collector’s issue telling the story of the band (so far) — from Atlanta’s underground to the forefront of heavy music, through triumph and tragedy.
Mastodon 2026 “The Poisonous Weapons Tour” dates:
September 16 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock
September 18 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Yards
September 19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
September 20 – Louisville, KY – Louder than Life
September 22 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall
September 23 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
September 24 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
September 25 – Washington, DC – Anthem
September 27 – Montreal, QC – MTelus
September 28 – Toronto, ON – Rebel
September 29 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Riverworks
October 1 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
October 2 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera
October 3 – Minneapolis, MN – Palace
October 6 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
October 7 – Boise, ID – Revolution
October 9 – Oakland, CA – The Fox
October 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
October 11 – San Diego, CA – The Sound
October 14 – Denver, CO – Fillmore
October 16 – Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom
October 17 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
October 18 – Memphis, TN – Satellite Music Hall
October 20 – Cleveland, OH – Agora
October 21 – Greensboro, NC – Piedmont Hall
October 22 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
October 24 – Dallas, TX – Sick New World Dallas