Brent Hinds, founder and former frontman for Mastodon, has died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 51.
In a statement the band said, “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.”
Watch the 2012 Noise11 Mastodon interview with Brann Dailor:
William Brent Hinds, the guitarist, vocalist, and co-founder of the Grammy-winning heavy-metal juggernaut Mastodon, died in a tragic motorcycle accident on August 20, 2025, in Atlanta. He was 51.
Authorities confirm the collision occurred when another vehicle failed to yield at an intersection, striking him while he rode his Harley-Davidson; his death was ruled accidental. Hinds was pronounced dead at the scene.
Born January 16, 1974, in Helena (or Birmingham), Alabama, Brent Hinds grew up immersed in country, surf-rock, and rockabilly. A self-taught musician, he began on banjo and adapted its finger-picking techniques to guitar, creating his signature fiery playing style. He even studied classical guitar briefly at the Alabama School of Fine Arts before chasing his musical ambitions in Atlanta.
In the mid-1990s, Hinds joined bassist Troy Sanders in the band Four Hour Fogger. After that group dissolved, the two recruited Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor and formed Mastodon around 2000. From the outset, Hinds was guitarist, he shared lead vocal duties and co-shaped the band’s sonic identity.
Brent Hinds stood at the centre of eight landmark Mastodon albums, contributing his distinctive guitar lines and vocals from debut to the band’s evolution into progressive-metal giants:
Remission (2002) – the band’s break-through, raw and explosive
Leviathan (2004) – inspired by Moby-Dick, it elevated Mastodon into critical stardom
Blood Mountain (2006) – complex, conceptual, Grammy-nominated
Crack the Skye (2009) – rich, psychedelic, featuring Hinds’s banjo
The Hunter (2011) – a more streamlined, melody-driven approach
Once More ’Round the Sun (2014)
Emperor of Sand (2017) – earned the band a Grammy for “Sultan’s Curse”
Hushed and Grim (2021) – their deeply emotional double album, their latest with Hinds
Hinds also composed the score for the film Jonah Hex and participated in collaborative projects: surfabilly outfit Fiend Without a Face, supergroups Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, Legend of the Seagullmen, and others, displaying his restless creativity beyond metal.
Renowned for his hybrid-picking, lightning speed, and melodic solos, Hinds drew from his banjo roots and progressive-rock sensibilities to forge one of modern metal’s most distinctive guitar voices. He often shared vocal duties with Sanders and Dailor, bringing raw, emotive energy to tracks like “Blood and Thunder,” “Oblivion,” and “The Hunter.”
In March 2025, Mastodon announced that Hinds and the band had “mutually decided to part ways” after 25 years together. They expressed gratitude for their shared history and reaffirmed that their 2025 tour plans would proceed.
Bandmate Bill Kelliher likened their split to a marriage long ended, acknowledging they had “grown apart” and wished Hinds well in “chasing his dreams.”
However, in late June and August, Hinds offered a starkly different perspective. On social media, he wrote that he wouldn’t miss “being in a shit band with horrible humans” and later claimed he had been “kicked out … for embarrassing them for being who I am.” He even criticized his former bandmates’ singing abilities.
Mastodon moved forward with substitute guitarists, including YouTuber Ben Eller and later Nick Johnston, for tour commitments.
At the time of his death, Hinds remained active in the wider music scene, with side projects still underway. He is survived by his wife, Raisa Moreno, whom he married in 2017.
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