According to Metalinjection.net, former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds has died at the age of 51 years old. According to   Atlanta News First, Hinds was killed in an accident on August 20, in a crash while riding a Harley Davidson when the driver of a BMW SUV failed to yield and made a turn at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Boulevard, according to police. The Fulton County medical examiner’s office has confirmed Hinds’s death.

The artist was best known as the co-founder and former lead guitarist of the Atlanta-based band Mastodon, which he formed in 2000 alongside bassist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor. In March, Billboard reported that the band had “mutually decided to part ways” with Hinds, although the guitarist stated he was kicked out.

Hinds was born on January 16, 1974, in Helena, Alabama, where he began his musical journey playing the banjo. That early training left a permanent mark on his guitar style, giving him the unique hybrid picking and fast, fluid runs that later became his signature.

Moving to Atlanta in the late 1990s, Hinds linked up with bassist Troy Sanders in the band Four Hour Fogger and the two soon connected with drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher. From this partnership, Mastodon was born in 2000, with Hinds stepping into the dual role of lead guitarist and co-vocalist after the original singer departed.

With Mastodon, Hinds helped push metal into new directions by  blending sludge, progressive and Southern rock elements. His banjo-inspired phrasing and unconventional riff structures gave Mastodon a sound unlike any of their peers, earning Hinds recognition as one of metal’s most innovative players. Alongside the band, he also carved out time for eclectic side projects, including  Fiend Without a Face, West End Motel and the supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra.

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz