Brent Hinds, co-founder and former guitarist of Atlanta metal band Mastodon, died on Wednesday in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta. He was 51.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, Hinds was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle late on August 20 when he collided with a BMW SUV that was turning left at the intersection of Memorial Drive SE and Boulevard SE. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene shortly after 11:35 p.m. The driver of the SUV, a woman whose name has not been released, remained at the site and cooperated with investigators. A spokesperson for the Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed Hinds’ cause of death as blunt-force trauma.
Mastodon confirmed the news in a statement on social media the following day. “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 wrote. “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.”
Hinds co-founded Mastodon in 2000 alongside Troy Sanders, Brann Dailor, and Bill Kelliher. The lineup remained intact for more than two decades, producing eight studio albums, including 2002’s Remission and 2021’s Hushed and Grim. The group earned six Grammy nominations and won Best Metal Performance in 2018 for Sultan’s Curse. Hinds left the band earlier this year, telling fans in July that his departure was not voluntary, contradicting reports of a mutual decision.
Tributes have come from across the rock and metal world. Queens of the Stone Age posted on X: “Rest in Peace Brent Hinds. With love & respect. See you on the other side old friend.” Alice in Chains’ William DuVall wrote: “This has knocked the wind out of me. RIP to the great Brent Hinds.”
Hinds’ eclectic guitar style drew from metal, psychedelic rock, and even country, shaped in part by his early years learning banjo at his father’s insistence. Beyond Mastodon, he recorded with projects ranging from Fiend Without a Face to Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, and even appeared with Mastodon as a “wildling” extra in Game of Thrones.
Photos – Steve Gerrard
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