MASTODON Reveal Plans to Record a Studio Version of BLACK SABBATH’s Legendary Song
Summary
- MASTODON plans to record a definitive studio version of BLACK SABBATH’s Supernaut, a live staple in their recent shows.
- The decision follows their involvement in the Back To The Beginning tribute concert for Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH.
- Band members call SABBATH’s riffs their ‘DNA’, with Supernaut now a crowd-erupting highlight of their setlist.
Atlanta progressive metal giants MASTODON have confirmed their intention to record a studio version of the iconic BLACK SABBATH track “Supernaut”.
The confirmation came during an interview with Bloodstock TV host Oran O’Beirne at this year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival in the United Kingdom.
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When asked if a studio version of their thunderous “Supernaut” cover was in the works, guitarist Bill Kelliher stated:
“Not yet, but we’ve been talking about it, for sure. We have to. We’ve been playing it every night. We’ve recorded it a few times live, and it’s come out… Who knows? Maybe we’ll do a live version, do a studio version.”
Drummer and vocalist Brann Dailor was more direct, emphatically adding: “We’re definitely recording it.”
The band’s recent obsession with the “Vol. 4” classic stems from their participation in the “Back To The Beginning” event, a special concert celebrating the monumental careers of Ozzy Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH.
The invitation was one the band couldn’t refuse.
“We got an e-mail asking about it, if we were interested,” Dailor told Bloodstock TV. “And at first it was, like, ‘Are you sure? Are you sure you don’t have the wrong people or something?’ Our manager actually joked that it was the fastest reply that they had ever gotten from us collectively.”
Kelliher quipped: “We replied, like, I think 0.10 seconds before they actually asked us to do it. We had already replied ‘yes.’”
The band’s reverence for BLACK SABBATH is no secret, a fact that bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders elaborated on in a May 2024 interview with Revolver magazine.
“Without Black Sabbath, I don’t think Mastodon would exist. It’s that simple,” Sanders said. “Their riffs are in our DNA. We were kids who grew up with their posters on our walls, so to be asked to be part of a celebration of their legacy, it was a profound honor. It felt like coming full circle, a chance to pay direct tribute to the band that started it all for us.”
Since the tribute show, “Supernaut” has remained in MASTODON’s setlist, with the band putting their own signature spin on the legendary track.
The energy from the crowd has been a major factor in their decision to give it a proper studio treatment.
“The crowd just erupts every single time,” Dailor told Metal Hammer earlier this month. “It’s a testament to Sabbath’s power. It’s not even our song, but it feels like this huge moment in our set. That energy is a big reason why we feel we have to get a proper studio version down. We want to capture that lightning in a bottle and do it justice.”
Guitarist Brent Hinds, speaking to Guitar World in July, commented on the challenge and joy of playing Tony Iommi’s riffs.
“That riff is a monster,” Hinds said of “Supernaut”. “It’s so deceptively simple but has this massive groove. You can’t just play the notes; you have to feel it. Iommi is the master of that. Every night we play it, it’s a lesson in heaviness.”
This would not be the first time MASTODON has honored their heroes with a cover.
The band has previously recorded acclaimed versions of METALLICA’s “Orion” and, most poignantly, a cool rendition of LED ZEPPELIN’s “Stairway to Heaven” as a tribute to their late manager, Nick John.
In October 2021, Mastodon released their eighth studio album, Hushed and Grim, produced by David Bottrill. This record marked the final studio project featuring co-founding guitarist Brent Hinds.
By March 2025, the band and Brent Hinds had mutually decided to part ways after 25 years together. Mastodon described the separation as respectful and assured fans that all 2025 touring plans would go ahead as scheduled.
In the months that followed, tensions surfaced. Hinds publicly derided the band, calling them “a shit band with horrible humans” in a scathing Instagram remark, contrasting sharply with the band’s more conciliatory tone.
In May 2025, Mastodon introduced guitarist Nick Johnston as their new touring member. He took over live duties after a brief stint with YouTuber Ben Eller at select shows.
Earlier, in December 2024, Mastodon announced The Infinite Arc Tour, a U.S. co-headlining run with Coheed and Cambria, featuring Periphery as special guests. The tour launched in May 2025 and shuffled through key U.S. cities.
Throughout Summer 2025, the band expanded their European presence with headline dates tied to major festivals, adding shows in Luxembourg, Poland, and Germany to an already busy schedule.
Then, in August 2025, Mastodon performed their first show since Brent Hinds’s untimely death in a motorcycle accident.
At the Alaska State Fair on August 22, drummer Brann Dailor paid an emotional tribute, recalling Hinds’s 25-year legacy in the band and reaffirming the group’s intention to continue playing the music they created together.
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