Nearly four months after he departed from Mastodon, the band’s former lead guitarist, Brent Hinds, has made what appear to be his first public comments on the unceremonious exit, and apparently there’s some bad blood, at least on his end of things.
Over on Mastodon’s Instagram page, the band shared a post celebrating the 11th anniversary of their 2014 album, Once More ‘Round the Sun. In the comments, one fan replied that they were “definitely gonna miss B. Hinds” — as pointed out by Lambgoat — which seemed to summon the man himself. “I want [sic] miss being in a shit band with horrible humans,” his comments reads, implying that he’s happier having left, if still a little bitter.
The comment comes several weeks after the announcement of Hinds’ exit, which was shared by Mastodon in March. “Friends and fans: After 25 monumental years together, Mastodon and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways,” the band wrote in a statement shared on social media.
“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,” the statement continued. “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.”
In a subsequent conversation with Guitar World, Mastodon rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher had some fond things to say about Hinds. “What can you say about the legacy of Mastodon’s first 25 years with Brent?” Kelliher posed. “It’s been a fun, wild fucking ride, that’s for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There’s been Grammys, touring with our heroes like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motorhead and Tool. I cherish all of that.”
“Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart and they get interested in other things,” he added. “We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams.” It feels, unfortunately, fair to say that the feelings don’t appear to be mutual.
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