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Brent Hinds, founding guitarist of Mastodon, has died.
If you're a fan of the band, you no doubt know that the band parted ways with Hinds not long ago, and the split was far from amicable. I won't rehash all the drama here other than to say that Hinds long had a reputation as a prickly guy with a lot of well-publicized substance abuse issues, and the band seems to have lost patience with that after 25 years. Hinds had also been saying for many years that he didn't really like heavy metal, so there was hope that the end of his time with Mastodon would lead to some new and interesting projects from him.
And interesting he was. When I was introduced to Mastodon with their Blood Mountain album, I was hooked immediately. I have seen Mastodon live eight times, most recently at Red Rocks in Colorado, as seen in the photo above. The first time was on the Crack the Skye album tour, which remains my favorite Mastodon album. A big part of why I love that album so much is because of Brent Hinds' guitar parts, which are just so weird and unexpected.
I will always remember the first time I heard "Divinations" and every time I hear it, I wish I could erase my memory and hear it again for the first time. I love the little country music inflections of the opening riff and the strange, jangly guitar part around two minutes in. It's also a great showcase for Hinds' vocals.
I often get obsessed with a particular moment in a song - a little piece that for one reason or another connects with me on a deeper level and elevates the entire song. For example, the moment at the end of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" on Nirvana Unplugged when Kurt Cobain's voice cracks and it sounds like his soul ripped in two. That aforementioned jangly guitar part in "Divinations" is one such moment. It's my favorite moment of the song and my favorite bit on the entire album. Those chords may be my favorite thing Mastodon ever recorded. Every time I hear it, I have to stop and give it my full attention. Every time I hear it, it brings me joy.
Brent Hinds died tragically and it seemed like his last few months on Earth weren't particularly peaceful. He also left behind some amazing music, and that's what I'm focusing on. I hope he finds peace and knows that people will still be finding joy from his art for decades to come.
If you're a fan of the band, you no doubt know that the band parted ways with Hinds not long ago, and the split was far from amicable. I won't rehash all the drama here other than to say that Hinds long had a reputation as a prickly guy with a lot of well-publicized substance abuse issues, and the band seems to have lost patience with that after 25 years. Hinds had also been saying for many years that he didn't really like heavy metal, so there was hope that the end of his time with Mastodon would lead to some new and interesting projects from him.
And interesting he was. When I was introduced to Mastodon with their Blood Mountain album, I was hooked immediately. I have seen Mastodon live eight times, most recently at Red Rocks in Colorado, as seen in the photo above. The first time was on the Crack the Skye album tour, which remains my favorite Mastodon album. A big part of why I love that album so much is because of Brent Hinds' guitar parts, which are just so weird and unexpected.
I will always remember the first time I heard "Divinations" and every time I hear it, I wish I could erase my memory and hear it again for the first time. I love the little country music inflections of the opening riff and the strange, jangly guitar part around two minutes in. It's also a great showcase for Hinds' vocals.
I often get obsessed with a particular moment in a song - a little piece that for one reason or another connects with me on a deeper level and elevates the entire song. For example, the moment at the end of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" on Nirvana Unplugged when Kurt Cobain's voice cracks and it sounds like his soul ripped in two. That aforementioned jangly guitar part in "Divinations" is one such moment. It's my favorite moment of the song and my favorite bit on the entire album. Those chords may be my favorite thing Mastodon ever recorded. Every time I hear it, I have to stop and give it my full attention. Every time I hear it, it brings me joy.
Brent Hinds died tragically and it seemed like his last few months on Earth weren't particularly peaceful. He also left behind some amazing music, and that's what I'm focusing on. I hope he finds peace and knows that people will still be finding joy from his art for decades to come.
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