Brann Dailor has long existed in two creative worlds inside Mastodon: the relentless force behind the drum kit and one of the band’s most distinctive voices. Since stepping more fully into the vocal spotlight on Crack The Skye (2009), his cleaner, more melodic delivery has helped stretch Mastodon’s sound far beyond its early sludge-metal roots—adding emotional range without softening its impact.
Recently, Dailor brought that vocal identity into a very different space: a cover of Chris Cornell’s “Dead Wishes” for KING ULTRAMEGA, the Soundgarden tribute project led by Metal Allegiance’s Mark Menghi. What began as a guest appearance turned into something far more personal, reflective, and emotionally loaded.
Taking on Chris Cornell: A Different Kind of Challenge
Dailor has never shied away from demanding music, but he described this experience as intimidating in a unique way. Unlike performing within Mastodon’s dense, rhythmic architecture—where vocals must lock tightly with complex instrumentation—this cover stripped everything back.
With no drums to anchor or constrain him, he was left alone with Cornell’s vocal landscape: delicate, expressive, and often soaring into emotionally exposed territory.
He compared the task to approaching a monumental song like “Stairway to Heaven”—something that requires care, restraint, and respect rather than technical showmanship. Instead of replicating Cornell, Dailor focused on interpreting the spirit of the performance.
Freedom Outside the Mastodon Framework
Within Mastodon, Dailor’s vocals are shaped by structure. Every line has to fit the band’s heavy, shifting rhythmic identity. On “Dead Wishes,” that structure disappeared.
That freedom allowed him to explore Cornell’s phrasing more naturally, leaning into nuance rather than precision. The experience, he explained, was both liberating and daunting—an unusual emotional balance for a vocalist used to multitasking behind a drum kit.
Working with engineer Miles Landrum at West End Sound, Dailor focused on entering the right headspace rather than chasing perfection. He admitted he might have preferred a more familiar Soundgarden track, but ultimately embraced the challenge of something less obvious and more interpretive.
A Song That Became Personal
The cover also carried deep personal meaning.
Dailor shared the song with his mother, a devoted fan of Chris Cornell and Soundgarden. She immediately connected with Cornell’s voice and artistry, and Dailor believed she would have been thrilled to hear him take on one of his songs.
Following her passing, that memory reshaped the emotional weight of the recording. It became more than a tribute—it became a quiet dedication. That connection, he said, pushed him to deliver something honest rather than merely technical.
Outside Projects and Vocal Identity
In recent years, Dailor has found himself being invited more often for vocal contributions rather than drum appearances—a reversal of his usual role in the music world. He joked that most bands already have drummers, but fewer have access to his voice.
Still, he is selective. He only participates when the music resonates with him or when he feels he can genuinely add something meaningful.
As for fronting a band full-time, Dailor remains hesitant. He pointed to his synth project ARCADIA as an example of where he can perform in a more theatrical or character-driven way. But stepping onstage simply as “Brann Dailor” in a traditional frontman role, he said, doesn’t fully appeal to him.
Mastodon’s New Album: Finished in the Shadow of Loss
The biggest revelation from Dailor’s recent reflections is that Mastodon’s next album is complete—and will arrive soon.
But its creation was far from straightforward.
The record was shaped by a period of intense emotional upheaval, including personal loss and major shifts within the band. Dailor described the material as being deeply tied to grief, transformation, and time passing in ways none of them could control.
Some of the music had been developing for years, but the final form only came together recently as circumstances within the band continued to evolve.
Initially, Dailor had hoped the album would mark a return to Mastodon’s more mythological, escapist themes. Instead, reality pushed the band toward something more personal and grounded in lived experience.
A New Guitar Voice in the Band
With the departure of Brent Hinds, Mastodon welcomed guitarist Nick Johnston into a challenging role—one defined by legacy as much as technical skill.
Dailor emphasized that Johnston is not attempting to replace Hinds. Instead, he brings a contrasting style: more fluid, prog-leaning, and structurally different from Bill Kelliher’s heavier riffing.
Rather than imitate Hinds note-for-note, Johnston focuses on honoring the emotional shape of the original solos while still adding his own identity. Dailor compared this approach to respecting iconic guitar work in the same way musicians treat classic Randy Rhoads parts in Ozzy Osbourne’s catalog—recognizable, but not frozen.
For Dailor, that balance between preservation and evolution is essential.
Looking Back Without Bitterness
Dailor also reflected on the end of Mastodon’s original lineup with a sense of sadness rather than resentment. Over time, he said, the band’s internal rhythm shifted. Rehearsals became harder to align, priorities diverged, and collaboration grew more inconsistent.
He described the dynamic not as conflict, but as gradual detachment.
Despite that, he spoke warmly of the long history they shared—decades of music, growth, and rare stability in a genre known for constant turnover. He had once imagined a future where the original lineup would reunite and reflect on everything they had built. That version of events, he acknowledged, no longer exists.
Still, the commitment to Mastodon remains.
The Work Ethic Behind the Noise
Much of Dailor’s perspective is shaped by his lifelong relationship with drumming and discipline. From his early days in Lethargy to decades of international touring, he has maintained a strong sense of responsibility toward both the music and the fans.
That consistency, paired with a willingness to embrace uncertainty, continues to drive him creatively. Even through loss and change, he describes the process of making music as something worth the struggle—the unpredictability included.
Final Thought
Whether stepping outside Mastodon for a Chris Cornell tribute or finishing one of the band’s most emotionally complex albums, Brann Dailor remains in a constant state of balancing precision with vulnerability.
And right now, that balance seems to define Mastodon itself—an evolving band carrying history, grief, and renewal all at once, ready to enter its next chapter.