Mastodon surprised all on March 7 by the sudden departure of guitarist Brent Hinds after twenty-five years. The announcement was made just two days before their March 9th appearance at the first-ever destination event, Tool Live in The Sand, where the band hired YouTuber Ben Eller to fill in. While Eller has expressed his appreciation for performing with the group, guitarist Bill Kelliher has spoken with Guitar World to further discuss the band’s ultimate decision along with being uncertain on who will be his official replacement moving forward.
On Hinds’ exit, Kelliher expressed to Guitar World:
“What can you say about the legacy of Mastodon’s first 25 years with Brent? It’s been a fun, wild fucking ride, that’s for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There’s been Grammys, touring with our heroes, like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motörhead, and Tool. I cherish all of that. Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things. We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams.”
On the difficult decision, Kelliher added:
“You know, it’s amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us. I mean, it’s like being married to three other dudes, traveling the world, trying to stay the course, and having everybody agree. That we managed to do it this long, I feel like that’s a feat in itself. You could never replace any of us because we [are the] the sum of four parts. That doesn’t mean there’s not someone else out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction. I think I’ll just leave it there, you know? It was a hard decision we all had to make. It’s just… it was just time.”
Kelliher later discussed to Guitar World on finding a replacement for Hinds:
“Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play — and can play well. Obviously, you gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Like, living together in a little tour bus on the road for fucking days and months at a time, it’s got to be someone who can do all that. And that’s another variable. Like, ‘Oh, this person is a great guitar player. Why don’t you hire them?’ It’s like, ‘Well, they gotta stand the test of time.’ We’ve got to be able to sit down and have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, you know, feel them out, and make sure they’re Mastodon material. Like, can they hang, for sure, but it’s got to be someone who has a unique style, and is very serious about it.”
On being unsure about recruiting Eller on their upcoming tour, Kelliher stated:
“We do have some more shows coming up. We have a tour with Coheed and Cambria coming up in May, which, you know, we’re still going to fulfil that. We’re going to finish up our new record. I’m not sure what our future is with Ben or if we’ll try a couple of other people out. Not really sure yet; it’s too early to say.”
Meanwhile, Eller recently expressed his gratitude for joining Mastodon for their Tool Live in the Sand destination performance at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Eller shared the following on Instagram:
“What an incredible weekend playing with @mastodonrocks as a part of @toolinthesand . You guys who have followed me for a while know how much I love this music, so to be asked to play alongside the band is a TRUE honor. I’ve seen your kind and supportive words for me out there, and it means the world to me! My inbox is so stuffed, there’s no way I can respond to every single thing, but know how much I appreciate yall. Thank you all, and thank you to @billy_butterslax , @creamale , and Troy for trusting me to get the job done. Playing the parts of one of my favorite guitarists ever is no easy task, but it was a joy. Cheers, everyone!”
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Feature Image Photo Credit: Chris Loomis
