The founding member and former lead guitarist of Grammy-winning heavy metal band Mastodon, Brent Hinds, has died in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta. He was 51.
Police said Hinds was riding his Harley-Davidson on Wednesday when it collided with a BMW SUV whose driver failed to yield while turning.
The Atlanta medical examiner’s office later confirmed his death.
In a statement, Mastodon said they were in a “state of unfathomable sadness and grief.”
“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 music that has touched the hearts of so many,” the band posted on Instagram.
Tributes poured in from across the rock world. Queens of the Stone Age wrote on X: “Rest in Peace Brent Hinds. With love & respect. See you on the other side old friend.”
Alice in Chains frontman William DuVall said: “This has knocked the wind out of me. RIP to the great Brent Hinds.”
Hinds co-founded Mastodon in 2000 with Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor, helping define the band’s progressive-metal sound on acclaimed albums including Remission, Leviathan and Emperor of Sand.
The group later made a cameo as “wildlings” in HBO’s Game of Thrones (Season 5, Episode 8).
Earlier this year, Hinds left the band under disputed circumstances. While Billboard reported a “mutual decision to part ways,” Hinds later said he had been forced out.
Mastodon went on to perform at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert in July without him.
Born and raised in Alabama, Hinds drew on influences from classical guitar, country, and psychedelic rock in addition to metal.
In a 2009 Rolling Stone interview, he recalled first being taught banjo by his father before turning to guitar, a skill he honed obsessively.
Beyond Mastodon, he played with projects including Fiend Without a Face, West End Motel, Four Hour Fogger, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, and Legend of the Seagullmen.
