On Thursday August 21, 2025, metal fans were shocked to learn of the death of Brent Hinds. The former guitarist, vocalist and co-founder of the band Mastodon lost his life in a road accident, following a collision between his motorcycle and a car in southeast Atlanta.
Since then, tributes have been pouring in from the world of metal music. His former bandmates in Mastodon were naturally keen to honor the memory of Brent Hinds. " Brent Hinds passed away last night following a tragic accident. We are shaken, shocked and still trying to understand the loss of this creative force with whom we shared so many moments, triumphs and music that touched millions. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. We ask you to respect each other's privacy at this difficult time. RIP Brent, " he wrote on Instagram.
Brent Hinds left Mastodon last March, after 25 years with the band. But since then, relations between Brent Hinds and Mastodon seemed far from cordial. While Mastodon continued to tour with a new guitarist, Brent Hinds was due to return to the stage this autumn, including a solo appearance at Les Étoiles in Paris.
Tool also paid tribute to the memory of Brent Hinds in a message posted on Facebook. " The members of the band would like to express their deepest condolences following the tragic and untimely death of Brent Hinds, former guitarist and singer of Mastodon. This death is particularly touching, as Brent was not only a musician, who sometimes shared the stage with them as guest guitarist, but also a close friend outside of touring," they wrote.
Swedish band Opeth, for its part, published a photo of its singer Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt at Brent Hinds' side, accompanied by a moving text. " Brent Hinds is gone. An incredible musician. A force of nature. Our friend. My friend. I contacted my bandmates with the tragic news, and my phone has been vibrating every ten seconds since. There's so much to say about Brent. We spent so much time with him on the road. I like to think we got to know each other very well. Brent demanded attention (and got it) whenever he entered our dressing room or bus, which was quite often, by the way. He and Fred played backstage. I kept an eye on them and their usual touring shenanigans, to the point where Brent started calling me 'Dad', and I called him 'Son '," we read.
Other tributes were shared on the web, including those from Slash, Zakk Wylde, Alice In Chains' William DuVall, Lamb of God's Mark Morton, and Trivium's Matt Heafy.
Not to be forgotten are messages from Lacuna Coil, Machine Head, Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer) and Testament'sAlex Skolnick.
Hellfest also paid a final tribute to the former Mastodon member.
