Who Was William Brent Hinds? Mastodon’s Ex-Guitarist Dies In A Tragic Motorcycle Accident At 51

William Brent Hinds, the guitarist who helped shape Mastodon’s sound, died Wednesday night in Atlanta after a collision involving his motorcycle and a BMW SUV. He was 51.

Revolver magazine broke the news, and local reports confirmed the accident happened at the corner of Memorial Drive and Boulevard.

How did William Brent Hinds die? 

Details from Atlanta News First say Hinds was riding his Harley-Davidson when the SUV, attempting a turn, failed to yield and slammed into him. First responders found Hinds unresponsive at the scene, and medical personnel later confirmed his death.

The Fulton County medical examiner’s office officially identified him, and Mastodon posted a tribute on Instagram.

Who Was William Brent Hinds?

Born in Atlanta in 1974, Hinds had music in his blood long before Mastodon. Back in the mid-90s, he was gigging around with a band called Four Hour Fogger—Troy Sanders was there too. Fate stepped in at a High on Fire basement show, where Hinds and Sanders met Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher. That’s when Mastodon was born.

Hinds played with Mastodon for over two decades, leaving a permanent mark on albums like Leviathan, Blood Mountain, Crack the Skye, and Emperor of Sand. The band’s 2021 record, Hushed and Grim, ended up being his last with them.

Why did William Brent Hinds quit Mastodon?

As for why Hinds left Mastodon after 25 years, things got messy. The band announced his exit as a mutual decision in March, saying they were proud of their shared history and wished him well. 

But Hinds himself later contradicted that, claiming he was pushed out. Responding to a video online, he criticized his former bandmates’ performances, saying they were “way out of key,” and called his departure anything but friendly. According to Hinds, they kicked him out for “embarrassing them for being who I am.”

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