It’s been a whirlwind few months for progressive fusion virtuoso Nick Johnston, who was recruited to join Mastodon following the surprise departure of Brent Hinds after 25 years. It turns out he has another guitarist, a handful of drummers, and a casual coffee hang to thank for paving the way to the gig.
Hinds left Mastodon in March, with YouTuber and Mastodon fanatic Ben Eller temporarily stepping in for their Tool in the Sand Festival appearance just days later.
Remaining guitarist Bill Kelliher then offered insight into the group's personnel shift, saying it was “amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us” before revealing that the band was in no rush to find a permanent replacement. He also outlined the criteria for their next recruit.
All this unfurled during the two-month gap between their Eller-aided festival slot and the opening night of their tour with Periphery and Coheed & Cambria. Fans enthusiastically theorized over who they thought would be in place for those shows, but few people would have expected to have seen Nick Johnston – the Schecter-endorsed, prog-tinted solo artist – step up to the plate.
“I used to hang out with Brendon Small [Dethklok, Metalocalypse]. He was a mentor to me early on when I was trying to understand the industry,” Johnston exclusively tells Guitar World after several weeks on the road with the band. “One day, Brann [Dailor, Mastodon drummer] came along to one of our coffee hangs and we hit it off.”
Kelliher has said that Mastodon aren’t just looking for another great guitarist for him to spar with. “You gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time,” he says. Johnston feels he might tick more than just that box.
“I’ve worked with great drummers, so I felt like he knew me because of that, having seen names like Gavin Harrison, Marco Minnemann, Thomas Lang, and Benny Greb,” Johnston ponders.
With Harrison – who has played with Porcupine Tree and King Crimson – Johnston showed his technical expertise on the collaborative track Sorcerer. Minnemann and his Aristocats bandmate, Guthrie Govan, featured on Silver Tongued Devil from Johnston's 2014 album, Atomic Mind.
The mix of rapport and respect found Johnston in Dailor’s good graces.
“Brann told me I’d be the first person he’d call if anything ever came up,” he continues. “That’s what he did! We’ve become really close over the last few months.”
It’s unclear whether Johnston will become a permanent fixture in the band or if his stay will end when their current run of tour dates finishes. Mastodon are keeping their cards close to their chest, but for many, it seems the perfect match on paper, and on stages, such thoughts are being compounded in style.
Meanwhile, Hinds has said, “I won’t miss being in a band with horrible humans,” as he adjusts to life away from the band.
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