Carving their path through decades of heavy metal evolution, Mastodon made their triumphant return to Pittsburgh, still the undisputed kings of progressive sludge. Bringing their Poisonous Weapons tour to Stage AE, the Atlanta juggernaut rolled into town supporting their latest album, Marrow Deep, an album that hits like a freight train while carrying plenty of emotional weight. For over twenty five years, Mastodon has pushed the boundaries of modern metal, evolving from raw sludge monsters into absolute titans of technical, melody driven prog.
Kicking the night off with sheer atmospheric beauty, French shoegaze and post metal pioneers Alcest cast a spell over the early crowd. Their shimmering guitars and soaring melodies washed through the venue, wrapping around the floor like a foggy dream before exploding into crushing double bass passages. Neige sounded incredible, effortlessly floating between delicate clean vocals and fierce shrieks, while Winterhalter locked down the beat with precise, dynamic drumming. Pierre “Zero” Corson on guitar and Indria Saray on bass rounded out the stage and helped make the music feel all-encompasing. You don’t always expect a crowd waiting for heavy riffs to lock into ethereal shoegaze, but the entire room was mesmerized from start to finish.
Ripping that dreamy atmosphere straight to pieces, Deafheaven took the stage next and unleashed a wave of pure blackgaze energy that shook the concrete floor. George Clarke took control of thd stage like a man possessed, leaping across the risors, glaring into the pit, and drawing every single person into his web. The sheer wall of sound created by Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra on guitars was massive, perfectly balancing furious blast beats with gorgeous, shimmering melodies. They tore through their set at breakneck speed, leaving the floor buzzing and sweaty and craving more.
When Mastodon finally stepped out under the lights, their sheer musical authority took total control of the room. The crushing sounds of “Barbarians Blood” immediately kicked the show into overdrive. Drummer Brann Dailor was a complete machine behind the kit, tearing through crazy fill after crazy fill while somehow keeping his smooth, signature vocals crystal clear. Bassist Troy Sanders stomped across the front of the stage with his iconic, wide-stance bass-slinging style, roaring into the microphone and feeding off the energy of the crowd. Riff lord Bill Kelliher anchored the chaos with his rock solid rhythmic precision, while lead guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboardist João Nogueira filled out the sonic wall with incredible technical flair and haunting textures. Synchronized lights and images on the backing screen created a total feast for the senses, transporting every single person into Mastodon’s carefully crafted world.
Diving headfirst into a setlist that covered almost every era of their career, the band served up a perfect balance of classic anthems and fresh material. New tracks off Marrow Deep, including heavy-hitters “Your Ghost Again” and “Poisonous Weapons” sounded larger than life live, with a thick, heavy groove that felt right at home next to older fan favourites. The transition between their dirty, old-school sludge days and their complex, modern prog rock arrangements was seamless throughout the night. Everyone was headbanging in unison, completely locked into the massive riffs and huge vocal harmonies.
Taking the energy to a whole new level for the second half of the set, Baroness frontman John Baizley joined the band on stage to sling guitar and add his powerful vocals to the mix. Look, no one will ever replace Brent Hinds and his legendary presence, but Baizley stepped into that slot and did a hell of a job bringing his own fire to the stage. Seeing him trade licks with Bill and scream along with Troy on timeless bangers, especially “Blood and Thunder,” brought an energy that was unlike any other. By the time the set wrapped up, it was crystal clear that Mastodon is as vital, heavy, and unstoppable as they have ever been.
September 19th, 2026
