<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Bill-kelliher ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/bill-kelliher Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:10 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “I discovered that you need to be anxious – it keeps you motivated. I try to feed off the anxiety and play guitar”: The life and times of Brent Hinds, the visionary guitarist with a maverick style who made Mastodon a big beast of metal ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-mastodon-tribute NSUfsd6ptMEsCyHzUiMptW Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:29:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He’s gonna be on the new record, for sure. He’s writing like crazy”: Mastodon have seemingly confirmed their new guitar player – revealing Nick Johnston is writing and recording for their next albums ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bill-kelliher-says-new-mastodon-album-will-feature-nick-johnston JWcfQrmLoDNqXQvjoHkkKm Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:47:46 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:30:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brent Hinds found to be “at fault” for the tragic motorcycle accident that led to his death, police determine ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-at-fault-for-motorcycle-accident-that-led-to-his-death vLMXPnMGzFZRJhMHuuXonB Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:18:02 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:19:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “All that we accomplished after that first fistfight in the van 25 years ago. I didn’t think you’d be taken from us like this”: Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher issues first public statement following Brent Hinds' death ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mastodon-guitarist-bill-kelliher-issues-first-public-statement-following-brent-hinds-death kGtXyMQ5VvnLAhjmpzjr2S Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:05:23 +0000 Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:19:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “They kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am”: Brent Hinds says he was forced out of Mastodon – despite claims his departure was amicable ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-says-he-was-kicked-out-of-mastodon pJnXGV4SwcvCr8dyW5g8bA Wed, 13 Aug 2025 14:24:56 +0000 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:35:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Instead of being like, ‘Hey, man, you’re my favorite guitar player,’ I was like, ‘Watch out for that cable running across the floor’”: Bill Kelliher on his awkward Tony Iommi encounter and Mastodon’s Back to the Beginning plans ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mastodon-bill-kelliher-black-sabbath-back-to-the-beginning-tony-iommi-encounter mz4PuJc7errhPtoYgtWS58 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:37:42 +0000 Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:00:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I won’t miss being in a band with horrible humans”: Former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds fuels speculation of tension with his ex-bandmates after calling them out on social media ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/former-mastodon-guitarist-brent-hinds-calls-out-old-bandmates 6RNtfDQxAT9GNd67P8KhYg Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:19:39 +0000 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:46:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon recruit prog fusion virtuoso Nick Johnston as surprise new stand-in guitarist following Brent Hinds’ departure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nick-johnston-plays-with-mastodon 7v8Ya4vDNvSBebzBuHdsom Mon, 12 May 2025 10:37:41 +0000 Wed, 21 May 2025 09:38:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brent Hinds plays first show since leaving Mastodon – and he has plenty more lined up ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-plays-first-show-since-leaving-mastodon Bd9kjy9b46fqxwVuN7mtdc Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:24:36 +0000 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:09:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My lead skills are decent enough – but whoever we get is going to be light years ahead of me”: Brent Hinds’ exit left Mastodon at a crossroads. But for Bill Kelliher, it’s an opportunity for a fresh start with a new guitar wingman ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bill-kelliher-mastodon-new-guitarist BHXhnGgeoz6XzPdpMysSM5 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:40:53 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:30:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I went into this looking at it as one of the coolest things I could ever be part of, but knowing the backlash could be brutal”: Ben Eller was wary of the reaction he’d get for stepping in for Brent Hinds in Mastodon – but that didn’t stop him saying yes ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/ben-eller-on-playing-with-mastodon TQTaNar7ga88jP8AFiXEqX Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:49:38 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:12:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’m as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon. I’m not ready to give it up yet. So, we’re going to keep looking”: Bill Kelliher is searching far and wide for Mastodon's next guitarist – here's what the band are looking for ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/bill-kelliher-what-mastodon-are-looking-for-in-new-guitarist 74dk68pjrGcnGLLDZRYdyS Sat, 15 Mar 2025 10:13:00 +0000 Mon, 31 Mar 2025 08:00:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us”: Bill Kelliher opens up on Brent Hinds’ surprise Mastodon departure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bill-kelliher-on-brent-hinds-mastodon-exit XJc3bNSvcvH6ptMREtCGYE Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:34:39 +0000 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:59:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Can you learn 17 Mastodon songs immediately?” Mastodon recruit YouTuber for first show following Brent Hinds’ shock departure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/mastodon-recruit-ben-eller-for-tool-in-the-sand-show hJZNP7nJjj8HHt5r2dnNaX Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:37:37 +0000 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:11:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My mom would still be bugging me, like, ‘You need to go to college and get a real job.’ I’m in the van, getting baloney sandwiches on 100 bucks a night. And I’m 30!” Bill Kelliher and Mark Morton on how Leviathan and Ashes of the Wake changed everything ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/lamb-of-god-mastodon-mark-morton-bill-kelliher ehKNcwCutxL9hNbZYyAPng Mon, 12 Aug 2024 10:59:29 +0000 Tue, 27 Aug 2024 15:59:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was funny when I first met James Hetfield. I was like, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar. You paved the way for me’”: Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-bill-kelliher-meeting-guitar-heroes-james-hetfield DoF9zTUKGANZhEDGFvhhP8 Wed, 15 May 2024 16:01:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s heavy, thick and unique. It feels great, and the neck is incredible. And it’s heavy; but that’s okay because the weight of a guitar is very important to me. The thicker the better”: If you pick up Bill Kelliher’s new ESP guitar, you’ll know about it ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bill-kelliher-esp-ltd-royal-shiva-guitar 7nmhDxYswC82ghbinHNyYT Thu, 08 Feb 2024 20:43:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I tried SGs and Flying Vs, and they might look cool, but it's like playing a piece of Styrofoam”: Bill Kelliher explains why he prefers his guitars to be as heavy as possible ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-heavy-guitars-explanation zoDoCkA5ACoYymvc6eVvR3 Wed, 07 Feb 2024 16:29:03 +0000 Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:50:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2024: “It's heavy, thick, and unique. It feels great”: ESP brings Bill Kelliher’s long-awaited double-cut custom model to the masses with LTD Royal Shiva signature guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/esp-ltd-bill-kelliher-royal-shiva AePpi6yYEaeeKCH3rvBydf Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:01:57 +0000 Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:25:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My dad didn’t believe in distortion”: Bill Kelliher took us through his unlikely guitar tone journey – while he cooked us lunch ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-guitar-tone-journey FBUpwPVcTHLSr6xw47C3SN Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:24:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2023: ESP meets fan demand with James Hetfield Olympic White Vulture and debuts 12 LTD signature guitars, including Gary Holt’s “very pointy” GH-SV ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/esp-james-hetfield-ltd-signature-series-vulture-olympic-white CL4S2Qt99S9Ehqx8sVtA5R Thu, 13 Apr 2023 17:00:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Victory Amps overhauls its Sheriff range – and seemingly signs Mastodon’s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher to its ranks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/victory-sheriff-range-2023-mastodon-brent-hinds-bill-kelliher RvN46UNdzPSfBW8sCbMHcZ Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:12:47 +0000 Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:18:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ Are Bill Kelliher’s new Mojotone Hellbender pickups the most versatile metal humbuckers ever made? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mojotone-bill-kelliher-hellbender-pickups TPkkEro6tZQ32mbRqgHqAi Mon, 16 Jan 2023 13:49:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon: “We write our guitar parts separately then show them to each other. We’re not a jam band – we’re more like choreographed acrobatics” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/mastodon-hushed-and-grim JuXZLFN7goqpZSf7XNmxng Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:36:49 +0000 Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:11:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bill Kelliher reveals Ron Wood’s signature ESP as his secret studio weapon: “It’s the best-sounding Tele ever” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-esp-ron-wood BTQxBqWcmyakDeZ2zEJss8 Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:00:28 +0000 Tue, 14 Dec 2021 12:51:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ John Frusciante, Jack White, Emily Wolfe and Peter Frampton pay tribute to Electro-Harmonix founder Mike Matthews on his 80th birthday ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mike-matthews-birthday-letters wGk77ieKZToPL2DnXhq3UC Tue, 07 Dec 2021 22:52:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon bring metal to the masses with a performance of Teardrinker on Late Night With Seth Meyers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-teardrinker-late-night-with-seth-meyers YoHtVURAmJDRQcNsFgf9wb Thu, 25 Nov 2021 16:09:23 +0000 Thu, 25 Nov 2021 16:23:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bill Kelliher shares first glimpse of new double-cut ESP signature model in promo for STL ToneHub Pack ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-esp-double-cut mHVims7Mq9spBhyp3wJmFZ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:18:24 +0000 Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:22:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bill Kelliher: “Metallica practiced for three hours a night before playing onstage for another two. Meanwhile, we were sitting around drinking beer and picking our noses!” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bill-kelliher-the-black-album bETsSzvfACpni5UcFLQ5bA Mon, 11 Oct 2021 12:32:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bill Kelliher: “It’s not the gain from your pickups, pedals or amp that makes your riff heavy – it’s the riff itself” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-its-not-the-gain-from-your-pickups-pedals-or-amp-that-makes-your-riff-heavy-its-the-riff-itself cEv7M68V73zEs8VZgZMijH Wed, 21 Apr 2021 15:17:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon, Faith No More, Sepultura members join forces to cover Public Enemy's She Watch Channel Zero ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-faith-no-more-sepultura-members-join-forces-to-cover-public-enemys-she-watch-channel-zero 2WqG9XL6b7dCezRgDMjP38 Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:19:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ Wes Borland and Bill Kelliher join The Kings of Quarantine for a virtual cover of Jane's Addiction's Mountain Song ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/wes-borland-and-bill-kelliher-join-the-kings-of-quarantine-for-a-virtual-cover-of-janes-addictions-mountain-song qi7sCkMfZ892KB5wP8E7VW Thu, 14 Jan 2021 12:41:05 +0000 Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:02:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ Alice in Chains, Mastodon and Anthrax members cover Soundgarden’s Rusty Cage in blistering new playthrough video ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/members-of-alice-in-chains-mastodon-and-anthrax-cover-soundgardens-rusty-cage-in-blistering-new-playthrough-video PPTazic7FFhL5MRUDD7EsG Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:39:01 +0000 Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:44:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ Marty Friedman teams up with Mastodon, Baroness members to shred Fleetwood Mac’s You Make Loving Fun ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/marty-friedman-teams-up-with-mastodon-baroness-members-to-shred-fleetwood-macs-you-make-loving-fun Hwkar2JQp3hdgWSVVZUFNd Mon, 14 Sep 2020 16:42:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch members of Tool, Primus, Mastodon and Coheed and Cambria absolutely crush Rush’s classic Anthem ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-members-of-tool-primus-mastodon-and-coheed-and-cambria-absolutely-crush-rushs-classic-anthem PR8VRTtm73ciAaNFtxkwYB Mon, 27 Jul 2020 16:12:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon's Bill Kelliher, Emma Ruth Rundle and more give Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill a moody metal makeover ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodons-bill-kelliher-emma-ruth-rundle-and-more-give-kate-bushs-running-up-that-hill-a-moody-metal-makeover r7hW85KP29a96LvhVM3zfi Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:19:34 +0000 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:19:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Mastodon Geek Out About Gear, Guitar Solos ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-mastodon-geek-out-about-gear-guitar-solos tbaTBWSFMWRWtG8EnQTdzB Tue, 07 May 2019 17:33:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon's Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher Talk New Album, 'Emperor of Sand' ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/mastodons-brent-hinds-and-bill-kelliher-talk-new-album-emperor-sand iL26Nmcr2bJZQhL9zCcdHa Thu, 06 Apr 2017 20:13:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ ESP's New Bill Kelliher Signature Series Guitars Are Available Now ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/esps-new-bill-kelliher-signature-series-guitars-are-available-now q8f33Jryve8QH9MnPtSFBf Wed, 31 Aug 2016 17:03:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ ESP Partners with Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher for New Signature Guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/esp-partners-mastodons-bill-kelliher-new-signature-guitars VkchFL4EqNJ64GGZXnyC5g Tue, 21 Jun 2016 16:01:27 +0000 Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:03:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ ESP Guitars Announces Two Signature Models for Mastodon'sBill Kelliher ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/esp-guitars-announces-two-signature-models-mastodons-bill-kelliher jG7yUJzsFVCYkzTsgvDys Thu, 09 Jun 2016 20:18:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2014: Lace Music Introduces Bill Kelliher Signature Dissonant Aggressor Pickups ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/namm-2014-lace-music-introduces-bill-kelliher-signature-dissonant-aggressor 7HJzZhq6kzVpcu7mGBGwcB Thu, 16 Jan 2014 20:44:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gibson's New Bill Kelliher Golden Axe Explorer Powered by Gold-Plated Lace Nitro Hemi Pickups ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/gibsons-new-bill-kelliher-golden-axe-explorer-powered-gold-plated-lace-nitro-hemi-pickups JZJNy2DqT6qXpJAFNAZ67V Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:02:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Interview: Bill Kelliher of Mastodon ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/interview-bill-kelliher-mastodon oJhci69nRxGrS4gqNiqkcm Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:16:14 +0000