Brent Hinds had established a name for himself among the vibrant musical scene of Atlanta with his metal band, Mastodon. As the lead guitarist of the group, Brent was known for his unique way of playing the instrument. Even though he parted ways with the band recently, Brent has been acknowledged as the creative force behind Mastodon.
However, a gloom has taken over the band members of Mastodon as Brent unexpectedly passed away at the age of 51 after meeting with an accident on August 20, 2025. As condolences have been pouring in for the departed soul, here’s a look at the life story and legacy of Brent Hinds.
Brent Hinds combined the techniques of playing the banjo and the guitar
Born as William Brent Hinds on January 16, 1974, he grew up in Alabama, U.S.A. In his hometown, the budding musician first learnt the banjo. Interestingly, Brent would go on to combine the methods of playing a banjo and apply them to the guitar in the future. However, talking about his school life to The Guardian, the guitarist revealed that he was very ‘dysfunctional’ in school. But despite this, Brent went on to learn the classical guitar at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Brent shared about his school days:
“I was very dysfunctional at school, just a jackass. I’d take LSD and come to class still tripping. I was too creative, never doing my homework, just filling my notepad up with drawings of skulls.”
Brent Hinds co-founded the band Mastodon
Brent Hinds left his hometown of Alabama and relocated to Atlanta after meeting Troy Sanders, his future Mastodon bandmate. The two musicians joined the band, Four Hour Fogger, in the mid-’90s. However, after the group dissolved, Brent and Troy formed their own band, Mastodon, with two more members in 2000. So the line-up of Mastodon was as followed: Brent Hinds for lead guitar and backing vocals, Troy Sanders for bass and lead, Bill Kelliher for rhythm guitar, and Brann Dailor for drums, percussion and lead vocals.
Mastodon’s debut album, Remission, was highly acclaimed and launched their name in the space of metal music. As of now, the band has released eight albums. Due to their unique music, people have found it difficult to pinpoint their genre of rock metal music. Some pople have called Mastodon as a progressive metal band, and others have termed it as psychedelic metal. Talking about the genre of music that they create, Troy Sanders had said:
“We don’t consider ourselves a metal band. We recognize there is a lot of metal in us, but we also want to believe we have a lot of rock ‘n’ roll in us, and we have a lot of progressive rock in us, we have bits and pieces of thrash and punk, and psychedelic-ness sprinkled throughout. A lot of times for me personally, just having the metal tag itself seems kind of limiting on us because we have such an appreciation for all styles of music and we like to incorporate bits and pieces of those into our songs.”
Brent Hinds’ controversial departure from Mastodon
In March 2025, Mastodon announced that they had parted ways with Brent Hinds through mutual decision. However, Brent Hinds raised a lot of eyebrows with his tell-all social media comments. The former guitarist of the band claimed that he had been kicked. Along with that, he called his former bandmates, especially Troy and Brann, ‘horrible human beings’. In an Instagram video, which featured Mastodon playing Crack the Skye in Maryland, 2012, Brent Hinds made a scathing comment against bandmates that read:
“My Guitar sounds great, but Troy and prawn (Brann) 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? 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.”
Brent Hinds’s tragic death at the age of 51 years old
On August 20, 2025, Brent Hinds met with a tragic accident while riding a Barley Davidson. The musician, while riding his motorcycle, collided with an SUV that failed to yield at a turning. The crash proved fatal for Brent, and he passed away at the age of 51. A day after the unexpected loss, Mastodon’s official Instagram page announced the sad demise of their former bandmate, Brent Hinds. Their heartfelt caption read:
“We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident. We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many. Our hearts are with Brent’s family, friends, and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect everyone’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Heartfelt condolences to all the loved ones of Brent Hinds.
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