BRENT HINDS Dead At 51

Former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds has died at 51 years old. According to a report from Atlanta News First, Hinds was killed in an accident on August 20 in a crash while riding a Harley Davidson when the driver of a BMW SUV failed to yield while making a turn at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Boulevard, according to police. The Fulton County medical examiner’s office confirmed his death. Hinds was 51 years old.

He was best known as the co-founder and former lead guitarist of the Atlanta-based band Mastodon, which he formed in 2000 alongside bassist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher, and drummer Brann Dailor. In March, Billboard reported that the band had “mutually decided to part ways” with Hinds, though Hinds stated he was kicked out.

Brent Hinds, born William Brent Hinds on January 16, 1974, in Helena, Alabama, began his musical journey playing the banjo. That early training left a permanent mark on his guitar style, giving him the unique hybrid picking and fast, fluid runs that later became his signature.

Moving to Atlanta in the late 1990s, Hinds linked up with bassist Troy Sanders in the band Four Hour Fogger, and the two soon connected with drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher. From this partnership, Mastodon was born in 2000, with Hinds stepping into the dual role of lead guitarist and co-vocalist after the original singer departed.

With Mastodon, Hinds helped push metal into new directions, blending sludge, progressive, and Southern rock elements. His banjo-inspired phrasing and unconventional riff structures gave Mastodon a sound unlike any of their peers, earning Hinds recognition as one of metal's most innovative players. Alongside the band, he also carved out time for eclectic side projects, including the surfabilly-tinged Fiend Without a Face, the rootsy West End Motel, and the supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra.

Beyond Mastodon, Hinds' collaborations and guest appearances highlighted his range, with credits on works by The Dillinger Escape Plan, CKY, and Legend of the Seagullmen. He even made cameo appearances in pop culture, appearing in Game of Thrones and Jonah Hex. After more than two decades, Hinds parted ways with Mastodon in 2025, closing a landmark era in metal history. Despite the sometimes turbulent relationships with his bandmates, his contributions to Mastodon's catalog and his genre-bending guitar style remain central to his musical legacy.