Following the tragic motorcycle accident that claimed the life of guitarist Brent Hinds earlier this year, Mastodon has enlisted Nick Johnston to contribute to their upcoming record.

While Johnston has not yet been officially named a member of the band, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher revealed during an interview on Sixty Scales And The Truth podcast that Johnston is indeed contributing to the new album.

Kelliher explained that while they are still in the writing process, they have over 20 song ideas, with contributions from both Johnston and keyboard player João 'Rasta' Nogueira.

Kelliher also noted that Mastodon has been busy touring, which has slowed down the creation of the new material.

Despite this, Kelliher is confident in the quality of the songs written so far and believes Johnston will bring a unique flavor to the new album.

While some fans may be hesitant about Johnston replacing Hinds, Kelliher encourages listeners to reserve judgement until they have heard 'Johnstodon' in action.