Mastodon

Mastodon formed in Atlanta in 2000 and spent the next quarter century treating heavy metal as a vehicle for long-form storytelling, from a concept album built on Moby-Dick to records about astral travel, Rasputin, and the Three Fates. Three of its members sing, the drummer included, which gives the band a vocal range most metal groups never attempt, layered over riffs that shift between sludge, stoner heaviness, and progressive intricacy. Leviathan was named album of the year in 2004 by Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer, and the band later took a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. Founding guitarist Brent Hinds left in 2025 and died in a motorcycle crash less than half a year later, and the ninth album, Marrow Deep, arrives on August 28, 2026 with Nick Johnston in the recording lineup and loss running through most of its twelve tracks.