In a move that stunned the metal world, Brent Hinds, co-founder, lead guitarist, and one of the defining voices of Mastodon, has officially parted ways with the band.
While the March 7 announcement framed the split as mutual after 25 monumental years, recent developments indicate a bitter parting rather than a peaceful farewell.
Initially, Mastodon released a statement:
“Friends and Fans, After 25 monumental years together, Mastodon and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways. We’re deeply proud of … the music and history we’ve shared, and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors. … All 2025 touring plans will remain intact.”
Guitarist Bill Kelliher later offered a poignant analogy in interviews, describing the split as something akin to a marriage where people simply grow apart. He spoke fondly of their achievements, Grammys, tours with Metallica and Tool, and hinted that the time had come to pursue new directions.
Yet a sharply contrasting tone emerged in June when Hinds publicly commented under a Mastodon Instagram post. To a fan lamenting his absence, Hinds replied:
“I won’t miss being in a shit band with horrible humans.”
In August, he went further, claiming on Instagram that he was kicked out, not a mutual choice, and launched scathing attacks at his ex-bandmates:
“They kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am… I’ve never met three people that were so full of themselves. It’s disgusting.”
These statements have shattered any illusion of a cordial split, suggesting the exit was as turbulent as it was public.
Born in Helena, Alabama, in 1974, William Brent Hinds moved to Atlanta and soon became a fixture of the local music scene. Early projects included The Blood Vessels,
Four Hour Fogger (with future Mastodon bassist Troy Sanders), and The Last of the Blue Eyed Devils. Known for his bluegrass background and eclectic range, Hinds blended Southern twang, punk, improvisation, and even banjo into his evolving style.
In 2000, Hinds co-founded Mastodon with Sanders, Brann Dailor, and Bill Kelliher after meeting through Atlanta’s underground metal scene. Mastodon emerged with a uniquely multifaceted sound — sludge, prog, alternative, stoner — and Hinds’s guitar playing and vocal contributions (often singing alongside Sanders and Dailor) were central to their identity.
Over the next two decades, Hinds featured on every Mastodon studio album — from Remission (2002) through Hushed and Grim (2021). Stylistically, he infused the band’s heavy riffs with melodic, psychedelic, and Southern rock elements, pushing the group into experimental territory while anchoring their savage edge.
Apart from Mastodon, Hinds was equally prolific. He fronts surfabilly outfit Fiend Without a Face, and has performed with West End Motel, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, and Legend of the Seagullmen — showcasing his affinity for genre-hopping and boundary-pushing experimentation.
As the band continues with touring fill-ins like Ben Eller and new collaborator Nick Johnston (confirmed to have writing and recording roles), the future will test whether Mastodon can thrive without Hinds’s distinctive voice and vision.
Meanwhile, for Hinds, this final public split offers a dramatically different path forward, one coloured by raw emotion, rebellion, and his long-standing desire to distance himself from heavy metal’s conventions.
