Brent Hinds rose to prominence as guitarist/vocalist with heavy metal staples Mastodon. Hinds had been with the band since its inception in 2000, but the band announced on Friday that they were parting ways with the guitarist.
“Friends and Fans, After 25 monumental years together, Mastodon and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways,” the band wrote in a statement. “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 endeavors. We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of Mastodon. As we move forward, all 2025 touring plans will remain intact. We look forward to seeing you on the road.”
Mastodon bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders talked about the band’s longevity in an interview with Metal Wani a little more than three years ago. “I attribute the longevity to two main things, I believe. Number one is that we have, thankfully, over time continued to grow together. In any human relationship, you always hope for the best, but it’s very natural for people to grow apart. And that’s very normal — a normal thing to happen. So the good fortune and fate that we’ve stuck together and continued to grow together. And number two is that we’re all still incredibly passionate about creating music. Thankfully, none of us have a personal writer’s block where… We’re not the main songwriters, so if someone’s only coming up with one or two ideas for this album, well, don’t worry — the other guys have you covered because we’re a band in the true sense of the word, I believe. So the two points is that we’ve thankfully grown together, and we’ve all continued to share this… The fire in our bellies to create has yet to be extinguished. So those two things are keeping us together.”
Mastodon is set to kick off a 20-city tour with Coheed And Cambria and Periphery this May.
