Brent Hinds, co-founder and longtime guitarist of the Grammy-winning heavy metal band Mastodon, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 51. Hinds had been a key member of the group for 25 years before his departure earlier this year. WANF reported his death, citing the Fulton County medical examiner’s office.
In March 2025, Mastodon and Hinds announced that they were parting ways. In their announcement on social media, the band wrote, “We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavours.”
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Hinds earlier claimed he was ‘kicked out’ of the band
According to the Associated Press, no reason was given for their departure. However, comments made by Hinds on Instagram suggested a rocky relationship between the guitarist and the band.
According to NME magazine, Hinds aimed at the band members on several instances. In June, the guitarist responded to a fan who commented that they missed him in the band: “I [won’t] miss being in a sh*t band with horrible humans.”
A few weeks ago, Hinds posted a series of scathing comments on Instagram reflecting on his time with the band and revealed that he was “kicked out,” as reported by the media outlet. Recalling a 2012 performance of Crack The Skye, he wrote, “My Guitar sounds great, but Troy and prawn [Brann Dailor] sound absolutely horrible… they are way out of key… embarrassing and they kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am… but what about who they are?”
The guitarist continued, “They are two people that can’t sing..together live or anywhere else in the world… everything they try to sing in the studio is manipulated by autotune because they’re incapable of singing in key…” Hinds added, “F*** these guys… only I know who they really are… they are the biggest fans of them selves… I’ve never seen anyone in my life look in the mirror more than Troy Sanders. He thinks he’s God’s gift to anything. I’ve never met three people that were so full of themselves. It’s disgusting,” as reported by NME magazine.
However, in a separate post he clarified, “Not saying I can sing [though].”
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Mastodon shares tribute for Hinds
The Mastodon band members shared a tribute to Hinds in a social media post. The band wrote, “We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident.” They shared that the members are “heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss” of the guitarist with whom they have shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many.”
Hinds co-founded Mastodon in 2000 alongside Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher, and Brann Dailor.
