Mastodon Pay Tribute After Former Guitarist Brent Hinds Passes Away, Aged 51
Hinds, the co-founder and former guitarist in Mastodon, passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident.
Mastodon's Brent Hinds performing at Good Things Festival (Credit: Peter Dovgan)
Brent Hinds, co-founder and former guitarist of American heavy metal band Mastodon, has passed away in a motorcycle accident. He was 51 years old.
The tragic news was confirmed in a medical examiner’s report conducted in Fulton County, Georgia, on Thursday, 21 August. Before the report’s findings, police reported that a man on a Harley Davidson motorcycle was killed in a collision with a BMW SUV.
Atlanta News First reported that Hinds was killed in the crash on Wednesday night when the driver of the SUV reportedly failed to yield at an intersection at approximately 11:35 pm.
Paying tribute to Hinds on social media, Mastodon said they were experiencing “unfathomable sadness and grief.”
“We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident,” the band said.
“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.”
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In March, NME reported that Hinds had amicably parted ways with Mastodon 25 years after co-founding the influential metal band.
However, earlier this month, Hinds claimed that his departure from the band was not mutual and said that he’d been “kicked out.”
The band cited their “25 monumental years” with Hinds, writing upon his departure in March: “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. We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of Mastodon.”
In 2000, Hinds co-founded Mastodon alongside bassist/singer Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/singer Brann Dailor.
Honouring Hinds, Relapse Records—the label that’s released all of Mastodon’s albums—shared: “Our hearts are broken with the news of Brent Hinds' tragic passing. It is an understatement to say that Mastodon forever changed the course of Relapse's history, for the absolute better. The records Mastodon released with Relapse are all-time classics across any genre, and they would not sound the way they sound without Brent.
“His larger-than-life personality was eclipsed only by his monstrous musicianship. Our love goes out to Brent's friends and family, the rest of Mastodon and everyone else lucky enough to have had their lives changed by the music that Brent brought to the world.”
Our hearts are broken with the news of Brent Hinds' tragic passing. It is an understatement to say that Mastodon forever changed the course of Relapse's history, for the absolute better. The records Mastodon released with Relapse are all time classics across any genre, and they… pic.twitter.com/2sTUkXJeNt
— Relapse Records (@RelapseRecords) August 21, 2025
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