Mastodon have unveiled another piece of their next chapter, dropping a striking animated video for “In The Ruins” ahead of the release of their tenth studio album, Marrow Deep.
The new Mastodon track is the third single from the forthcoming record, which arrives August 28th via Loma Vista Recordings.
The accompanying visual (below) was directed by Hey Beautiful Jerk, who took a deeply personal approach to the song’s themes of grief, loss and trying to rebuild after devastation.
The director explained that the concept for the video came together during a particularly brutal hospital visit (per the PRP).
“The initial inspiration for Frank and the concept for ‘In The Ruins‘ came to me when I was in the ER for 10 hours with the worst eye infection of my life. The pain was so bad it felt like my eye was revolting and wanted to escape my head. I had just talked to Brann about the meaning of the song and how it was inspired by his and Troy’s recent losses. The expression ‘picking up the pieces’ came to me and I sketched a very rough version of Frank on my phone, capturing the idea as fast as I could before my eye wanted to escape my face once again.”
Mastodon ‘In The Ruins’ video
Connection to loss
As previously reported, Marrow Deep represents a major turning point for the Atlanta metal giants, the album follows 2021’s Hushed and Grim and arrives after the death of founding guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds, making it the first Mastodon studio album without his involvement.
Rather than attempting to ignore that loss, the band have been increasingly open about the process of moving forward, the record also introduces another important change to Mastodon’s creative lineup, marking the first studio album on which guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboardist João Nogueira have worked alongside the band.
Seriously intriguing material
“In The Ruins” follows “Your Ghost Again” and “Snakes For Dinner”, the latter featuring Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. Homme’s appearance marked his first contribution to a Mastodon recording since “Colony of Birchmen”.
Marrow Deep was produced by Mastodon alongside Patrik Berger and Kurt Ballou, with Andrew Scheps handling the mix.
The album’s themes draw from the Three Fates of Greek mythology, using ideas of destiny, mortality and the fragile threads connecting people as a foundation for the record.
With “In The Ruins”, Mastodon are offering another glimpse at an album that feels less like a continuation of the past and more like a band rebuilding itself from the ground up.
Mastodon – Marrow Deep Track Listing
- Barbarian’s Blood
- Poisonous Weapons
- Your Ghost Again
- Snakes For Dinner
- Out Like A Lamb
- In The Ruins
- They’re Coming For You
- Golden Spires
- Moth And Bone
- A Vampire’s Demeanor
- The Vanishing
- The Three Fates
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