According to Pitchfork, Mastodon has released a short film, “The Mastodon in the Room,” honoring their late singer and guitarist, Brent Hinds. Hinds, who co-founded the band with drummer Brennan Dailor, bassist Troy Sanders and guitarist Bill Kelliher, died in a motorcycle accident last August at 51. Several months prior to the accident, Hinds had split from the band due to ongoing struggles with substance abuse. Dailor reported in the short film that the band held no ill will at all toward Hinds, but supported his departure as a way of asserting their own boundaries and in caring for his well-being.
“We really were coming from a place of love,” he said. “Maybe this will be some kind of bottom for him. We had to set some boundaries and take care of our own mental health.”
Following his passing, the band and fans have been in an understandable period of grieving. Mastodon released their first song since Hinds’ passing, “Your Ghost Again,” last month, in tribute to their late bandmate. In their new short film, the band opens up more about their loss. The film seeks to address their own grief and to help process the incident with fans, while also serving as a tribute to Hinds’ influence on the band and his legacy.
When speaking about the making of “Your Ghost Again,” Dailor said that he kept imagining Hinds was there recording with them. “When we were in the studio recording, I kept seeing Brent. I’d see him on my right holding the guitar because that’s where he’d usually be,” he said. “You get a little jolt of excitement because you think you’re actually seeing them, but then you remember they’re not here and it takes you down a notch.”
The band had performed together for over two decades, first coming together in 2000. Their debut album, Remission, was released in 2002, while their last album with Hinds, Hushed and Grim, was released in 2021.
Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz
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