MASTODON To Begin Recording New Album In Two Weeks

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON are preparing to enter the studio to begin recording their next album. The follow-up to 2017's "Emperor Of Sand" will mark MASTODON's first collection of new material since the death of longtime manager Nick John and the passing of tour manager Bob Dallas.

In a new interview with the 93X radio station, MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor said (see video below): "We're drilling the new material to record mid-November. We're going for realsies mid-November, so we are just drilling it.

"For me, I have to play each song, like, a thousand times — or at least I want to," he explained. "I want to feel like I exhausted every fill possibility, every rhythmic possibility — leave no stone unturned, as far as the percussive aspects of the music. And there's also discovery, guitar-wise, 'That's not really working. We have to do this.' Before we get in there with any kind of producer, we want to have pored over it tirelessly. And then when we go to really record it, that'll be like the easy part, 'cause we're so prepared. So that's what we're doing. We're just going through that stuff at the moment."

MASTODON's new rarities collection titled "Medium Rarities", was released in September. The compilation includes a new song called "Fallen Torches" as well as a bevy of classic covers, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides, and live recordings on one complete package for the very first time.

"Emperor Of Sand" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. That LP was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album," and its opening track, "Sultan's Curse", won the Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance."

Earlier in the year, MASTODON wrote and recorded a new song called "Rufus Lives" for inclusion in the latest "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie.

"Bill & Ted Face The Music", which reunites Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in the title roles for the first time since 1991's "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", was released in August.