Not that I follow Mastodon or anyone in it all that closely, so maybe I'm missing something, but this was quite unexpected. This will mean a major paradigm shift for the band as well: to have the same lineup for 26 years, on every album, is no mean feat, and with a band like this where the individual members have such strong musical personalities and work from such profound chemistry, filling that void will be difficult. An established musician is going to bring their own personality into the mix and a newcomer could easily get subsumed in a band with this longevity and status among the other members. I really wonder how they'll address Brent's departure musically.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic about Mastodon's future; bands survive lineup changes all the time, and the important thing is that they've parted amicably. I'm more shocked than I am personally affected. It'll be very interesting to see what happens now, though. Presumably one of the remaining three will now have to get the face tattoos so that people will still know which band Mastodon is.

Pretty much ScreamingUS said it above.

I think it got to a lot related to Hinds's ambivalence about heavy metal. He stated he "never really liked heavy metal" and didn't intend for Mastodon to be categorized strictly within the genre. This news was making rounds among Mastodon fans. So, at no surprise, I find this news to be shocking.

Regardless of the reason for the split and Brent's personal feelings about metal, this will definitely affect the music of the band due to him being an integral part of the composition process as he and Bill were the main songwriters, if my knowledge on this aspect of the band is correct.

Man, I feel for Eric Saner. The amount of people I see talking about how the band have always had the same line up forget he existed

Be interesting how they move forward without him, such a unique style and player that getting a like for like replacement will be difficult.

Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 08.03.2025 at 09:06

Not that I follow Mastodon or anyone in it all that closely, so maybe I'm missing something, but this was quite unexpected.

I feel like it's both unexpected but also kinda unsurprising. Aside from the obvious headline-catching news about him hating metal and other similar stories/rumours that have popped up over the years, Bill Kelliher's talked about a shift in involvement since Crack The Skye, which watching the Crack The Skye behind the scenes and Emperor of Sand behind the scenes would suggest; Hinds is way more involved in the former (haven't seen the Hushed And Grim doc tho). Even more than the loss of his voice and guitar talents, I do have some concerns over what impact it might have on the writing of future albums; if the suspicions of him being less involved since Crack The Skye are correct, it would correlate with a decline in album quality, and what's more, the EP that's meant to be the release most driven by him since then, Cold Dark Place, is possibly my highlight of their post-CtS material, so I feel like he'll be a really big loss on the songwriting front.

I don't think it's possible to find a like-for-like replacement of someone with that combination of talents, so it'll be curious to see what they prioritize in a replacement.

If you've seen all the behind the scenes stuff since Crack The Skye (which I'm not saying anyone should have watched) this news should come as no surprise. In fact, this is the news I have been dreading for at least the past 10 years. Indeed there has been a shift in involvement since Crack The Skye, and the decline in quality since that album has a lot to do with Brent's loss of interest in the band. It's no wonder some of the best songs on The Hunter, Hushed and Grim, Once More... had Brent on vocals. It's usually because he (co-)wrote them.

Brent, just like every other Mastodon member is irreplaceable. More than that, he is one of my absolute favourite guitar players and songwriters. I will keep an open mind for future Mastodon music, since it's not like they have ever made something bad. But, this news is deeply saddening to me all the same.

Still a good shock. Mastodon is just one of those bands you’d think would have the same lineup forever, like Rush or the Beatles. Wouldn’t surprise me if they decided to call it quits shortly afterwards.

Written by Zap on 08.03.2025 at 11:31

Brent, just like every other Mastodon member is irreplaceable.

This is my takeaway message from the whole thing. Brent is a truly unique musician, and his contributions were a defining part of Mastodon's voice over the years.

I really think he just got no more energy for band and touring as well. It really felt like he's lossing interest and that he's becoming uninspired. I perceived this especially on the last album.

To me Mastodon are similar to Rush or Queen, each member brought something unique to the band and without him I imagine there'll be a big shift in sound. Even on albums when he hasn't contributed as much you'll hear one of his solos or finger picking riffs and know it's Mastodon

Looking at their Instagram though and there's a video from a few days ago with Brann sporting a black eye, I'd say that's pretty telling of how things ended up

Bummer. All the best, Brent. Thank you for all the music

Written by musclassia on 08.03.2025 at 11:15

Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 08.03.2025 at 09:06

Not that I follow Mastodon or anyone in it all that closely, so maybe I'm missing something, but this was quite unexpected.

I feel like it's both unexpected but also kinda unsurprising. Aside from the obvious headline-catching news about him hating metal and other similar stories/rumours that have popped up over the years, Bill Kelliher's talked about a shift in involvement since Crack The Skye, which watching the Crack The Skye behind the scenes and Emperor of Sand behind the scenes would suggest; Hinds is way more involved in the former (haven't seen the Hushed And Grim doc tho). Even more than the loss of his voice and guitar talents, I do have some concerns over what impact it might have on the writing of future albums; if the suspicions of him being less involved since Crack The Skye are correct, it would correlate with a decline in album quality, and what's more, the EP that's meant to be the release most driven by him since then, Cold Dark Place, is possibly my highlight of their post-CtS material, so I feel like he'll be a really big loss on the songwriting front.

I don't think it's possible to find a like-for-like replacement of someone with that combination of talents, so it'll be curious to see what they prioritize in a replacement.

When you put it that way, I realize that anything is surprising if you haven't been paying any attention at all. I did have some impression, at least, that he was more involved with Crack The Skye and less with the more recent ones, so that would definitely be a blow considering the gap in quality there's been since then.

After seeing Portnoy being forced out of DT and Chevelle fire their own brother, anything is possible. Major news though regardless.

Well, this comes as a surprise to say the least. It will be interesting to see how the band will fill that empty space. There was a really good chemistry within the band, and now there will most likely be a totally different dynamic when someone new joins. And that can lead to a couple of outcomes. Worst case would be Mastodon losing some of its identity. Best case scenario, it reinvigorates the band in some ways and leads to some interesting experimentation and a new and fresh sound for the band.

Meh

Honestly, I expected this, I. Just surprised that it's so soon. I mean, Brent only sang on a couple songs on hushed and grim, whereas he sang on pretty much every other one in the albums before that. People have also said that he seems bored and uninterested during shows, so it's not too surprising that he's calling it quits.

This is a sad day for all of us Mastodon fans. I've had the pleasure and privilege to see them live 4 times and even hung out with Brent before one of their shows for a few beers. He clearly expressed his indifference towards metal as the first question I asked him was "Who are your favorite bands right now." I can't recall the bands he mentioned but they were obscure to me and not metal for certain. He was an incredibly nice guy and even invited me to join him at an oyster bar. I declined because oysters are nasty, LOL. Anyhow this is a major loss for the band and reminds of when Chris Adler left Lamb of God. They haven't been the same ever since.