“We’d just played the Black Sabbath farewell show and I thought, ‘What’s the worst that can happen if we ask Geezer to guest on our album?’” How Troy Sanders landed one of metal’s greatest bassists for a guest spot on Mastodon’s new album

Troy Sanders of Mastodon performs at Festival d'été de Québec. Geezer Butler of the band Deadland Ritual.

For all the discussion of Mastodon’s latest album, Marrow Deep – their first since the passing of guitarist Brent Hinds – Troy Sanders is quick to point out that the album’s biggest bass guitar moment doesn’t actually belong to him. Instead, it comes courtesy of one of his lifelong heroes.

“There’s definitely a bass highlight on this record,” Sanders tells Bass Player. “But it isn’t me.”