Mastodon will release their next album, Marrow Deep, on August 28, and have dropped a new single, Snakes for Dinner, which features Josh Homme.

Marrow Deep is the band’s ninth album, and first without former guitarist Brent Hinds, who left the group in March last year, and was killed in a motorcycle accident last August.

It will also be the first with new guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboardist João Nogueira, who has been added as an official member of the band. It makes for a new-look Mastodon.

The band has already released Your Ghost Again, which saw them face Hinds’ loss head-on, and last week released a short film that celebrated his life and legacy.

Homme, who previously featured on Colony of Birchmen, returns to the fore with some harmonized vocals, while Bill Kelliher and Johnston's riffs propel the track forward. Some fierce fretboard runs nod to the band’s Leviathan and Blood Mountain eras.

Marrow Deep is inspired by the Three Fates of Greek mythology. Life, loss, and destiny are three interconnected themes throughout, as the band prepares to release yet another album dominated by grieving.

Emperor of Sand found Bill Kelliher writing by his dying mother’s bedside, while its follow-up, Hushed & Grim, was underscored by the death of their manager, Nick John.

The album was recorded at West End Sound in Atlanta with Patrik Berger, who has worked with Lana Del Rey, and Kurt Ballou (High On Fire, Converge). The album is said to feature “a staggering roster of guests”, which will be revealed in due course.

Having wrapped summer dates with Loathe, Mastodon will embark on the Poisonous Weapons Tour, which starts in Orlando on September 16 and concludes on October 24 at Sick New World Dallas.

Marrow Deep is available to pre-order now.

Nearly one year after Brent Hinds’ tragic death, Mastodon members are opening up about their complicated 25-year-relationship with the former lead guitarist – and the brain injury that nearly spelled the end of the band.

In an infamous accident that happened right after the 2007 MTV Video Awards, Hinds was involved in an altercation that resulted in a significant head injury that, for years, was rumored to have involved System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian – one that multiple sources have since dispelled.

“He, I guess, was kind of running around this casino and ended up just pissing off the wrong person,” says Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor.

“In his very drunken states, he would be a habitual line stepper. He crossed the line with somebody, from what I was told. This person said, ‘Don't do that to me,’ and he did it and got punched, and I think he fell over and hit his head, and I think that was what did the most damage.

“It was really, really, really scary, and we thought we might lose him then.”

“Yeah, we thought the band was over,” adds co-guitarist Bill Kelliher. “He's crossed the line; he's gone too far. He was really fucked up for a long time.” Hinds’ fellow band members even thought that the brain damage was going to be “irreversible” and “substantial.”

However, it also seemed like his recovery served as an intense period of inspiration for Hinds, who, according to Kelliher, was “playing acoustic guitar a lot” and had written an impressive number of songs.

“[We were thinking], man, maybe this is a good thing. Then, Crack the Skye happened, and it was like, wow – he came [up] with all these songs and riffs and ideas, and it was like this rebirth.”

“Every riff and song and composition that he brought in at that time, I was in absolute awe of it,” continues bassist Troy Sanders.

“It was next-level Brent; it was peak Brent, and if someone like Brent was really excited about something, it was on. All three of us, we [were] glued to him. That led to this magical, spiritual-like moment that became Crack the Skye.”

Released in 2009, Mastodon’s fourth studio album became one of their highest-selling albums to date – and marked a significant sonic shift for the band that many consider their masterwork.

“It was a very exciting time, looking back on it,” reflects Kelliher.

“It was a big jump for our band to go from Blood Mountain to Crack the Skye. I remember all of us saying we want to make a classic album that you can pull off the shelf in 20 years from now, 30 years from now, and go, ‘This record stands the test of time.’”

Mastodon recently released Your Ghost Again, their first song without Hinds. The track introduces new guitarist Nick Johnston, and serves as a taster of the band's album, slated for release later this year.

The group's The Poisonous Weapons Tour kicks off on September 16 in Orlando, Florida.

Mastodon have released their first single since the passing of former guitarist, Brent Hinds, and it finds the band grieving his death in a powerful manner.

Last year was a tumultuous period for the Atlanta Grammy winners, with Hinds’ tragic death coming just months after Mastodon parted ways with the band’s co-founder after 25 years.

Your Ghost Again, is the lead single from their forthcoming ninth album, Poisonous Weapons, and the first to feature their new guitarist, Nick Johnston.

The track is Mastodon at their best, hurtling through breakneck time signature changes with violent vivacity while exorcising heavy, cathartic emotions. Hinds isn’t physically on the track, but his memory is present and his spirit echoes through it.

“I kept seeing him out of the corner of my eye in the studio, where he would normally be with his guitar,” drummer Brann Dailor explains in a video posted to social media. “It kept catching me off guard, you know?Your Ghost Again is about how your mind plays tricks on you, especially soon after someone dies, and you’re in the places where they always were.”

Mastodon addressed Hind’s untimely passing after their first show since his death, but otherwise the band has remained largely quiet on the subject. They have their reasons.

“[This song] means a lot to me, and so I hope that that can translate to the fans that are grieving Brent,” Dailor says. “I understand that, from a fan’s perspective, we never really addressed it. We just couldn’t; it was too much.

“I know Brent’s not there, and I know it’s weird, and it’s hard, and some people might be like, ‘Well, I don’t want to listen to it because Brent’s not there, and I’m hurting about that,’ but we are too. I’m still unpacking it.”

Following a one-show stand-in from YouTuber and Mastodon superfan Ben Eller, the band recruited prog fusion ace Nick Johnston for the position.

Guitarist Bill Kelliher had previously confirmed that Johnston will feature on the new album and that the pair have been writing like crazy. Touring keyboardist João Nogueira is also part of a new-look lineup.

Mastodon will also tour the US with support from Deafheaven and Alcest later this year, with dates in September and October culminating on October 24 at Sick New World, Dallas.

See Mastodon for more.

What is it?

It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for Canadian virtuoso Nick Johnston. As well as celebrating the 10th anniversary of his remarkably popular Schecter models and launching a project with King Crimson/Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, he was recruited by prog metal giants Mastodon as their new lead guitar player.

With the original members of the band having now confirmed Johnston’s involvement on their upcoming ninth full-length, it made sense for the legato supremo to release a new signature that reflected his role in one of the most important heavy bands of the last two decades.

Gone are the SSS and HSS pickup configurations, making way for two meatier humbuckers that are perfect for sludgey down-tuned riffing and a body that’s finished in Atomic Mercury – an unmistakable nod to the Silverburst look associated with the band.

In the official video promoting the release, Johnston explained that he “wanted something that reflects this new era of my career and who I’m playing with” while also confirming that “this will be my main guitar for the foreseeable future”.

Right then, time to get heavy.

Specs

• Price: $1299 | £1329 | €1639 

• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string electric guitar 

• Body: Alder

• Neck: Wenge/Nick Johnston C-shaped
• Fingerboard material/radius: Ebony/14"
Scale length: 25.5 inches/650mm 
Nut/width: Graph Tech XL Black Tusq/42mm
• Frets: 22, jumbo, stainless steel
• Hardware: Schecter Nouveau Locking Tuners, Schecter Nouveau Tremolo with Music City Bridge, Three String Tree String Retainer

• Electrics: 2 x Nick Johnston Signature Atom-Buckers pickups, Master Volume, Master Tone, five-way Superswitch
• Weight: 8lb.13 / 3.99kg

• Left-handed options: No 

• Finish: Atomic Mercury

• Case: No

• Contact: Schecter

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

The short run of Silverburst Les Paul Customs during the late 70s eventually became the stuff of legend, with players like Adam Jones of Tool believing – perhaps even erroneously – that the chromed aluminium in the metal-flake paint “does something to the tone or the resonance or the polarity somehow”.

This Schecter approximation of that storied finish certainly looks very close, though it won’t have any of the special paints that supposedly affect tone, or develop a greenish hue over time like the Gibson originals.

What you do get, however, is an impressively solid guitar that rings true and will do as commanded all night long with no backups required.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

Weighing just under nine pounds, with a thicker wenge neck instead of the thinner maple found on the regular Traditional models, this is a guitar that feels notably substantial.

But it’s still every bit as balanced and playable as I’d expect from a Nick Johnston signature, with the distinctly flat 14” radius ebony fingerboard giving it more of a modern edge in terms of performance.

The action out of the box seems just about right as a middle ground – a medium range 1.60mm from low E / 1.35mm from high E. Of course, you could bring it down a little – and I would, personally as I prefer a lower action for speed. As it is, it’s as suited to riffing as it is noodling, which makes perfect sense given the recent developments in Johnston’s career.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Interestingly, for the first time ever, there are no single-coil sounds to be found on this Nick Johnston model whatsoever.

And perhaps that’s the point here – every one of his signatures thus far has sonically taken influence from the Fender world, from last year’s 10th anniversary HSS series to the Telecaster-inspired PT range debuted in 2022.

If you want that vintage flavour, well, it’s already out there, which helps explain why this latest iteration celebrates his new band life exclusively as a humbucker player.

For this test, I plugged this test model into a Marshall JCM 25/50 2555X Silver Jubilee reissue, with a Boss Super Overdrive SD-1W bringing some extra heat going in and a TC Electronic Hall Of Fame adding reverb via the effects loop. The Atombuckers are highly articulate and musical, with more of a vintage flavour than your typical Schecter guitar.

They might not be as high in output as the Mojotone, EMG and Lace pickups the band have used in the past, but they can still comfortably handle all of your favourite Mastodon riffs from Blood And Thunder and Oblivion to Black Tongue to Ember City.

The volume and tone controls are highly reactive and extra lively thanks to the 500k pots, allowing users to fine-tune their sound on the fly – providing options for blues, rock, metal and even jazz tones.

Admittedly, it’s not quite as versatile as a Nick Johnston HSS model, but that’s almost the point.

Verdict

It’s easy to see why this guitar has been getting so much attention – certainly, joining forces with one of the biggest names in metal will always help steal headlines, but finding a twin humbucker guitar that looks and sounds as good as is far from easy.

Some might even say it is impossible. Extra features like the locking tuners, metal ring inlays and 500k pots add to that degree of professionalism, and the tremolo system can be easily set up to warble like Jeff Beck and Michael Lee Firkins with zero tuning issues.

In fact, this is yet another upgrade that separates it from the Nick Johnston models of old, behaving similarly to aftermarket speciality products like the VegaTrem.

There might be some players out there who would prefer a different finish or options for single-coil sounds, but it’s worth remembering that this instrument was specifically designed to be Johnston’s workhorse in Mastodon. There's no reason why it can't be the same muse for many others.

Guitar World verdict: The Nick Johnston Traditional HH is a difficult guitar to fault – ultimately, you’re looking at a hard-rocking monster that is as alluring to the eye as it is the ear. And while it’s tonally more straightforward than the HSS models, it’s still a feature-rich all-rounder that will suit just about any kind of humbucker player.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Schecter and Nick Johnston

• Best metal guitars 2026: hell-raising electrics for shredders on any budget

Mastodon guitarist Nick Johnston has turned his once-traditional Schecter signature into a full-bore metal guitar as his first anniversary with the band fast approaches.

The Canadian maestro played his first shows with the Atlanta prog metallers last March, following the parting of ways with original guitarist Brent Hinds, and a one-show stint with Ben Eller.

Johnston’s signature guitars have, unsurprisingly, been a key feature in his Mastodon live rig, and now he’s fully embraced his new role with the latest version of his namesake electric guitar, the Nick Johnston Traditional HH.

As its name suggests, it pulls away from the orthodox Strat-inspired recipe Johnston usually runs with by utilizing twin humbuckers via his new Signature Atom-Bucker models, which replace the SSS and HSS configurations of its previous iterations.

There's also been a slight tweak to its tonewood trio, with the alder body and ebony fingerboard – capped with 22 Jumbo stainless steel frets for the first time, and metal ring inlays – now joined by a wenge neck in place of roasted maple. Part of that is down to Johnston’s change in aesthetic, having ditched his longstanding passion for vintage-inspired colorways.

“This is the first instrument that I'd be playing heavier music on, and I wanted something that reflects this new era of my career and who I'm playing with now,” he says.

“The Silver Burst is a color synonymous with the band,” Johnston adds, referring to Bill Kelliher's fan favorite ESP LTD signature. “We were talking one day about how cool it would be continue that tradition. This will be my main guitar for the foreseeable future.”

Other specs include Schecter-branded locking tuners, a GraphTech nut, a truss rod adjustment wheel at the base of the neck, and a Schecter Nouveau hardtail bridge.

“It's important, as a musician, to keep evolving, and when you follow that path, so much excitement comes with it,” Johnston continues. “This guitar is the next step for me; it's the great unknown in a lot of ways, and there's a reason this guitar has stood the test of time for over a decade.”

The Schecter Nick Johnston Traditional HH is available now for $1,299.

See Schecter for more.

In related news, Mastodon’s other guitarist, Bill Kelliher, has revealed that Johnston will feature on the band’s next album, all but confirming his permanent status in the group.

Drummer Brann Dailor, meanwhile, is furious that their former guitarist Brent Hinds, who died just months after leaving the group, was omitted from the Grammys’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment.

The 2026 Grammys took place last night (February 1) and proved to be something of a guitar music love-in. From Justin Bieber wielding a 1988 Yamaha RGX 612S, to Turnstile winning both Best Rock Album and, perhaps more controversially, Best Metal Performance, pop stars and quintessential rock bands alike were out in full force this year, flying the flag for the instrument.

The Ozzy Osbourne tribute (or should that be tributes?) took center stage across the weekend. Machine Gun Kelly and Jelly Roll both honored the Prince of Darkness at record executive Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammys gala on Saturday night – with MGK opting for 2007's I Don’t Wanna Stop and the country star giving a heartfelt rendition of 1991's Mama, I’m Coming Home.

The award show’s own tribute took place on the actual Grammy stage, with an all-star lineup that included a Les Paul-laden Slash and Ozzy producer Andrew Watt brandishing an SG, Duff McKagan on bass, and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith on drums.

Post Malone – who collaborated with Ozzy on Take What You Want and It’s a Raid from Osbourne’s first new album in a decade, 2019’s Ordinary Man – took up vocal duties on an abbreviated rendition of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs, a version that visibly left the Osbourne family fighting back tears.

Aside from the Prince of Darkness, this year's In Memoriam segment kicked off with a voiceover from Bruce Springsteen, paying tribute to Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson: “The last of the Wilson brothers may be gone, but he leaves behind so many great songs, and good vibrations.”

John Mayer also paid his respects to Dead & Company bandmate and Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir, also in a voiceover: “He understood songwriting to its core, having written and performed some of the most enduring music in American history.

“Bob was a messenger, not only for the music he made with the Grateful Dead, but for the tapestry of influences that birthed it … Bob has left us, but the songs he sang will remain a road map for a better, more meaningful life. See you down the road, Ace.”

Neo-soul pioneer D'Angelo was honored by a host of artists and contemporaries: Lauryn Hill – marking her first Grammys performance since 1999 – Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, and Jon Batiste.

And while guitar stars, including the likes of Ace Frehley were included in the segment, Mastodon fans pointed out that Brent Hinds was noticeably omitted, with Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert and Zappa Plays Zappa bassist, Pete Griffin, taking to social media to call out the institution: “Shame on @grammys for not including my brother (and fellow Grammy winner) Brent Hinds in their ‘in memoriam’ segment.”

The omission seemed particularly odd, given Hinds had been nominated for no less than six Grammys, and won one in 2018 – Best Metal Performance for Sultan's Curse – during his tenure with Mastodon.

Yungblud, Ozzy’s mentee and part of the new vanguard leading rock into the future, won his first-ever Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for his career-making rendition of Changes at Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning concert.

“To grow up loving an idol who helped you develop your identity, not only as a musician, but as a man, is something that I’m truly grateful for,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“But then to get to know them and to form a relationship with them, and to honor them at their final show, and receive this because of it, is something that I and I think we are finding a bit strange to comprehend.

“We fucking love you, Ozzy,” he continued. “We would all like to thank Sharon, Jack, Kelly and Aimee [Osbourne] for this opportunity, and everyone at the Back To The Beginning show. Six generations of rock musicians came together in the name of our genre, in the name of Sabbath and in the name of Ozzy Osbourne.

“I deeply love this genre, it’s all I’ve ever known. I want to dedicate it to everyone in the guitar shop that I grew up in, and everyone in a guitar shop or in a bedroom with a dream. Rock music’s fucking coming back – watch out pop music, we’re gonna fucking get ya.”

And speaking of rock music's comeback, Turnstile bagged Best Rock Album for last year's triumphant album, Never Enough.

Accepting the award, frontman Brendan Yates commented, “The community we found through punk and hardcore music has given us a safe place to swing in the dark and land somewhere beautiful. So to our family, our friends, our partners, our peers, and to Baltimore, thank you. We love you.”

Perhaps more surprisingly, the genre-blending band also managed to win Best Metal Performance for Birds, beating the more metal through-and-through acts Dream Theater, Ghost, Sleep Token, and Spiritbox.

More standout guitar moments came by way of Bruno Mars, who, together with K-Pop star Rosé, delivered an overdriven rendition of their global hit APT.

Armed with a black Les Paul – as opposed to his signature Fender – Mars added some extra grit, as well as a squealing guitar solo, to the pop-punk-inflected track as the duo, who were nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, opened the show.

And it very much seemed like Justin Bieber went full-on Mk.gee with a stripped-down, guitar and looper performance of Yukon – from last year's album Swag (which, fun fact, included the contributions of both Mk.gee as well as his frequent collaborator Dijon).

Bieber’s guitar of choice was a left-handed purple 1988 Yamaha RGX 612S that definitely stood out on stage – an off-kilter choice that continues the trend of pop and indie stars à la Kesha and Phoebe Bridgers opting for ’80s and ’90s guitars more typically associated with metal or hardcore, whether for aesthetics or tone (or both).

Here's the full list of winners and nominees in the big four categories – and the guitar-adjacent ones:

Song of the year

Billie Eilish - Wildflower

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Doechii – Anxiety

Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT.

Bad Bunny – DtMF

Hunter/x – Golden

Kendrick Lamar feat SZA – Luther

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Record of the year

Kendrick Lamar feat SZA - Luther

Bad Bunny – DtMF

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Doechii – Anxiety

Billie Eilish – Wildflower

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Chappell Roan – The Subway

Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT.

Album of the year

Winner: Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos

Justin Bieber – Swag

Sabrina Carpenter – Man's Best Friend

Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Leon Thomas – Mutt

Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia

Best new artist

Olivia Dean

Katseye

The Marías

Addison Rae

Sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

Best pop solo performance

Lola Young – Messy

Justin Bieber – Daisies

Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild

Lady Gaga – Disease

Chappell Roan – The Subway

Best pop vocal album

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Justin Bieber – Swag

Sabrina Carpenter – Man's Best Friend

Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful

Teddy Swims – I've Tried Everything But Therapy Pt 2

Best pop duo/group performance

Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity

Huntr/x – Golden

Katseye – Gabriela

Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT.

SZA With Kendrick Lamar – 30 For 30

Best traditional pop vocal album

Laufey – A Matter Of Time

Laila Biali – Wintersongs

Jennifer Hudson – The Gift Of Love

Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels?

Lady Gaga – Harlequin

Barbra Streisand – The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2

Best rock performance

Yungblud ft Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II – Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning

Amyl and The Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That

Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine

Turnstile – Never Enough

Hayley Williams – Mirtazapine

Best rock song

Nine Inch Nails – As Alive As You Need Me To Be

Sleep Token – Caramel

Hayley Williams – Glum

Turnstile – Never Enough

Yungblud – Zombie

Best rock album

Turnstile – Never Enough

Deftones – Private Music

Haim – I Quit

Linkin Park – From Zero

Yungblud – Idols

Best alternative music album

The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World

Bon Iver – Sable, Fable

Tyler, The Creator – Don't Tap the Glass

Wet Leg – Moisturizer

Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

Best alternative music performance

The Cure – Alone

Bon Iver – Everything Is Peaceful Love

Turnstile – Seein' Stars

Wet Leg – Mangetout

Hayley Williams – Parachute

Best metal performance

Turnstile – Birds

Dream Theater – Night Terror

Ghost – Lachryma

Sleep Token – Emergence

Spiritbox – Soft Spine

Best country solo performance

Chris Stapleton – Bad As I Used To Be

Tyler Childers – Nose On The Grindstone

Shaboozey – Good News

Zach Top – I Never Lie

Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo

Best country duo/group performance

Shaboozey & Jelly Roll – Amen

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton – A Song To Sing

Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson – Trailblazer

Margo Price & Tyler Childers – Love Me Like You Used To Do

George Strait & Chris Stapleton – Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame

Best country song

Tyler Childers – Bitin' List

Shaboozey – Good News

Zach Top – I Never Lie

Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo

Chris Stapleton – A Song To Sing

Best contemporary country album

Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken

Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns

Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

Eric Church – Evangeline vs The Machine

Miranda Lambert – Postcards From Texas

Best R&B performance

Kehlani – Folded

Justin Bieber – Yukon

Chris Brown feat Bryson Tiller – It Depends

Leon Thomas – Mutt (Live From NPR's Tiny Desk)

Summer Walker – Heart Of A Woman

Best African music performance

Tyla – Push 2 Start

Burna Boy – Love

Davido feat Omah Lay – With You

Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – Hope & Love

Ayra Starr feat Wizkid – Gimme Dat

Best Latin pop album

Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera

Rauw Alejandro – Cosa Nuestra

Andrés Cepeda – Bogotá (Deluxe)

Karol G – Tropicoqueta

Alejandro Sanz – ¿Y ahora qué?

Best música urbana album

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

J Balvin – Mixteip

Feid – Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado

Nicki Nicole – Naiki

Trueno – Eub Deluxe

Yandel – Sinfónico (En Vivo)

I met Brent Hinds a few years ago at a Mastodon gig. For some reason, he was standing next to me at the public bar, waiting in line to buy a drink, rather than staying out of sight backstage, so I introduced myself as a writer for Guitar World’s sister magazine, Total Guitar, and bought him a beer and a shot.

We talked briefly before he headed backstage, but I couldn’t quite figure him out. My impression was that he was a bit of an introvert, perhaps not that good with new people – someone who saved his flamboyance for the stage.

In his personality, Hinds – who died August 20 in a traffic collision in Atlanta at age 51 – was rather like the music of Mastodon. Their eight studio albums are epic, progressive and thought-through, but none of the music is easy to digest or understand, making the elevated commercial position they hold damn-near miraculous. Mastodon never recorded a substandard album, either. From day one, they were a force of nature.

A large chunk of Mastodon’s brilliance and success can be attributed directly to Hinds. Sure, his partnership with guitarist Bill Kelliher – also a phenomenal musician, who focused more on heaviness and riffs while Hinds tended more toward solos and weird textures – was among the most accomplished in metal.

But Hinds’ own songwriting and performing was unique to itself; he blended genres deliberately but effortlessly, denying that he was anything as limited as “a metal guitarist” in GW and elsewhere.

Hinds was born in Helena, Alabama, in 1974 and listened to country musicians as a kid, later namechecking Johnny Paycheck and Jerry Reed, in particular the latter’s guitar playing.

He attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts and later moved to Atlanta, where he joined bassist Troy Sanders’ band, Four Hour Fogger. The two musicians later formed Mastodon with Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor, who they’d met at a High On Fire show, initially performing as a quintet with singer Eric Saner.

A demo led to a deal with Relapse, and when Saner quit, an unusual setup developed in which lead vocals were alternately delivered by Sanders, Hinds and Dailor; a debut album, Remission (2000), attracted immediate attention and Mastodon rapidly built a profile.

March of the Fire Ants was an immediate fan favorite, demonstrating the group’s unorthodox but compelling set of influences – think Metallica and Rush meet Isis and Neurosis, plus Hinds’ love of country guitar – and a fanbase swiftly coalesced.

The ambitious concept album Leviathan (2004), based on Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick, has become a 21st-century milestone for its progressive-metal mastery, appearing in several best-of-the-decade polls.

High-profile tours with Slayer, Lamb of God and Slipknot took the Mastodon message to the public and, after a compilation called Call of the Mastodon, a step up to the Warner label took the band even further.

High points that remember from Mastodon’s early-2000s trajectory include Colony of Birchmen from Blood Mountain (2006), featuring Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age; the psychedelic inspirations of Crack the Skye (2009), featuring Hinds’ amazing hybrid picking on Divinations; tours with Metallica and Dethklok; and their soundtrack to the 2010 movie Jonah Hex.

Curl of the Burl from The Hunter (2011) nabbed a Grammy nomination, Mastodon toured America with Opeth and Ghost in 2012, and your kids leaped off their cinema seats in excitement that year when a blast of Island was heard in Monsters University.

The upward trend continued with Once More ’Round the Sun (2014); appearances by Hinds, Dailor and Kelliher as undead adversaries in Game of Thrones in 2015; Emperor of Sand (2017), on which Hinds’ pentatonic mastery is on display on Roots Remain; and an EP called Cold Dark Place – inspired, said Hinds, by the end of a relationship.

“I wrote some pretty dark, beautiful, spooky, funky, ethereal, melancholy music, which also sounds like the Bee Gees a little bit,” Hinds said with typical sly humor. A 2019 cover of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven came from a similar place of sadness – the death of manager Nick John – and Mastodon’s most recent LP, Hushed and Grim, appeared in 2021.

Hinds didn’t talk much about his personal life, although we do know the title track of The Hunter was written for his brother Brad, who died on a hunting trip in 2010.

Occasionally he alluded to past trauma (“There’s hurt and anger that have afflicted us through our lives… the only way we can deal with it is to have these songs that go out to our fallen brothers and sisters”) and he also discussed a Xanax addiction with GW in 2022.

“I used to have constant anxiety about getting in a bus accident or a plane crash,” he said. “And then big crowds of people give me anxiety. So I’ve lived with anxiety for 20 years, and I was hooked on Xanax for 15 years, and I had to wean myself off of it a little bit at a time because it was compromising my breathing…

“One time I couldn’t get it and I had two seizures. So I finally weaned myself off. It took years, but recently I discovered that you need to be anxious and fucking deal with it and that keeps you on your toes and motivated to keep doing shit. Now I try to feed off the anxiety and play guitar.”

Despite Hinds’ issues, his guitar partnership with Kelliher was among the most creative of metal’s last two decades, but that’s not to say the two men operated as one; indeed, their creative processes differed radically.

“We’re opposite sometimes,” Kelliher told GW in 2024. “When I write songs I’ll spend months piecing them together, whereas Brent says, ‘Let’s jam in the studio.’”

Those differences often paid huge dividends, he told us. “Once in a while, he’ll hear something in what I’m showing him and he’ll come up with his own interpretation. And sometimes he’ll do something that will totally surprise me. Like, I’ll put a bridge in there and I assume he’ll play a solo over that.

“Then he’ll come in the next day and play his part and when I come back in, I’m blown away when I listen back because he put the solo somewhere entirely different, like over a midsection, which I thought would be instrumental. I’ll be like, ‘Whoa, wow! I wouldn’t have put it there, but that’s cool. That sounds killer.’ When it works, it’s a very cool thing to hear because it shines a whole new ray of light on the song.”

Still, those differences in personality and creativity didn’t exactly make it easy for Kelliher, as he diplomatically told GW.

“When Brent writes stuff – and I’ve told him this before – it’s like he’s writing as if he was the only guitar player in the band, because it’s just wild,” he said.

“So I’m trying to learn it and trying to play it over and over. I’m like, ‘Dude, this is really hard.’ He’ll go, ‘Oh no, it’s not hard. Your stuff is hard.’ I’m like, ‘Well, your stuff is hard because it’s almost like you’re playing a guitar solo the whole time.’”

He continued: “It’s very hard for him to teach me stuff and tell me what he’s doing. He doesn’t have any patience for sitting down and showing me what to do. When he plays, I have to video record his exact finger positions on my phone. And then I’ll learn it. But it changes a lot, too.

“I’ll work really hard and learn something one way and then by the next practice he’s changed it, which he can do. It’s his riff until we record it.”

Hinds understood that his own playing was complex, telling GW, “I like to sprawl out in a song. I think living in the city and being cramped around people causes these unconscious decisions for my songwriting.

“The only case scenario I have to really spread out is in a song. Having the kind of sound I have, when I play and get into it, I get kinda lost, and before I know it 13 or 15 minutes have passed.”

The complicated nature of Hinds’ compositions was in itself a challenge, Kelliher said. “There’s a song on Blood Mountain, Capillarian Crest, and when it gets to the midsection he’s playing completely crazy stuff. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not even going to try to play that because I’m going to give myself an aneurysm if I try to learn it.’ And then I got to the point where he was doing something really complicated and I went, ‘Okay, I’m never going to play something exactly like you because we’re different kinds of guitar players.’”

Gear-wise, Hinds was a Flying V guy to the core, often playing a silverburst model made by the Gibson Custom Shop, although he also played Les Pauls and SGs. Epiphone made him a signature V when Gibson failed to do so. “I’m pretty disgruntled with the Gibson people,” Hinds told us in 2016. “But Epiphone, if I could give them all a hug or a Valentine’s card, I would!”

The Hinds V is a tough instrument out of necessity; one of his most memorable GW quotes was, “I emphasized to them that I’m gonna wank, spank, slobber, bleed, bend, crunch and crush all over this fucking thing, and the guitar’s gonna need to be able to handle the monster behind it.” He also owned a pedal company, cunningly named Dirty B Hinds.

Mastodon was, despite their prolific output, just one outlet for Hinds. He released a split double album in 2011 from not one but two projects, Fiend Without a Face and West End Motel, and the following year formed a supergroup called Giraffe Tongue Orchestra with members of the Dillinger Escape Plan, Jane’s Addiction and the Mars Volta.

Another all-star project titled Legend of the Seagullmen, featuring Tool drummer Danny Carey, came in 2018.

Hinds either quit Mastodon or was fired from the group five months before his death. The official statement announced that they had “mutually decided to part ways,” a non-explanation that neither he nor the other band members subsequently clarified, as is so often the case in this legally sensitive era.

The group replaced him firstly with YouTuber Ben Eller and then with Nick Johnston, who did a sterling job at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show, Back to the Beginning, in Birmingham, England, on July 5.

Sadly, Hinds’ last words on the subject of Mastodon were bitter ones. In June he wrote (on Instagram), “I won’t miss being in a shit band with horrible humans” and later added in response to a live video from 2012: “My guitar sounds great, but Troy and [Dailor] sound absolutely horrible. They are way out of key. Embarrassing and they kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am.

“But what about who they are? They are two people that can’t sing together live or anywhere else in the world. Everything they try to sing in the studio is manipulated by Autotune because they’re incapable of singing in key.

“Only I know who they really are,” he continued. “They are the biggest fans of themselves... I’ve never met three people that were so full of themselves. It’s disgusting.”

Kelliher rose above all this, writing in tribute, “We had our good and bad times, just like in any relationship… I didn’t think you’d be taken from us like this, [with the] absolute loss of a true, one-of-a-kind guitar wizard extraordinaire. You were a brother, we were a family, you were a wild man not to be tamed.”

A sad ending to a unique trajectory, then, and equally sadly, not the first or the last time that genius has proved a terminal obstacle to creative collaboration.

Hinds’ wild-card nature was summed up in the words of Shirley Manson of Garbage, who wrote: “I am utterly devastated to learn of your death… the world is so much less wild and free and beautiful without you in it. Rest easy my brother. Keep me a seat at the bar, will you?”

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

A former bandmate of Brent Hinds has revealed the existence of a trove of unreleased solo material that was written and recorded by the late heavy metal guitar great.

In August, Hinds was killed while riding his Harley Davidson in a fatal motorcycle accident at the age of 51, prompting an outpouring of tributes from the wider guitar world. A few months prior, Hinds had left Mastodon – the outfit with whom he put his singular guitar style on the music map.

It was a style that took country music and other far-reaching influences into heavier waters, and one that took metal guitar into uncharted territory. And, according to Duane Trucks – a former bandmate of Hinds – more of that music exists in the form of an unreleased solo record that Hinds had created before his death.

“Brent’s got an entire album that hasn’t seen the light of day,” Trucks says in the new issue of Metal Hammer. “He sent me the whole album of tunes and it’s cool as shit.”

Trucks, who played drums in Hinds’ psychobilly side project, Fiend Without a Face, adds of the guitar great’s influence and legacy, “You rarely meet someone with so many facets who does things in such an honest, vulnerable way.

“He really fucking meant what he was playing. It was not a put-on. He wasn’t just doing this for a cheque.”

Speaking to Guitar World in 2022 about his unique approach to metal guitar, Hinds reasoned that his style had been shaped in such a unique way because he didn’t consider himself a metal guitarist in the first place.

“I’m not a metal guitarist,” he said. “Sometimes I stumble upon a metal riff and I’ve been influenced by [post-metal] bands like Isis. I get it where I can fit it, but I’m an oddball when it comes to the metal scene.

“I love country. My favorite country singer/songwriter is Johnny Paycheck and my favorite guitar-playing country artist is Jerry Reed. So I try to incorporate some country licks here and there. And sometimes I’m clever enough to find out where they can go in a tasteful manner.”

Last week, Mastodon – who recruited YouTuber Ben Eller and prog virtuoso Nick Johnston in the interim following Hinds’ departure – seemingly confirmed their new permanent guitarist after Bill Kelliher named the player who’d be featured on their next album.

Visit Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Metal Hammer.

Mastodon look to have ended speculation over the identity of their new full-time guitarist by confirming that their next album will feature parts written and recorded by Nick Johnston.

The Canadian prog shredder joined the band as a touring guitarist earlier this year, following the shock departure of founding riff-wizard Brent Hinds.

The announcement came just days before they were due to play at the Tool in the Sand festival in the Dominican Republic, with YouTuber and Mastodon superfan Ben Eller drafted in as a last-minute stand-in.

Afterwards, the band’s other guitarist, Bill Kelliher, told Guitar World that they wouldn’t be rushing to find a replacement and revealed what the Atlanta Grammy winners were looking for in their next guitarist.

Fans didn’t have to wait long to see who was next in line, with Schecter signature artist Nick Johnston tapped up for their tour with Periphery and Coheed & Cambria.

However, it seems he’s here to stay, with Kelliher revealing that Johnston has become involved with the writing process for the follow-up to 2021 double album, Hushed and Grim.

“Even before Hushed And Grim was finished, I still had extra songs, and then I just kept writing more and more and more,” he tells Blunt Mag. “So now we’ve got, like, 20-some ideas.

“I own a studio, so we’ll demo the stuff at my house, and we'll bring it to my studio with my engineer. Then we bring in Nick and João [‘Rasta’ Nogueira], the keyboard player, and we start jamming the songs and say, ‘You wanna add something? Please add whatever you want in here.’”

He adds that the material that has been written thus far is “mostly Brann [Dailor, drums/vocals] and me.” Yet, he reveals he's outwardly looking to both Johnston and Nogueira for contributions. He also hints that Johnston is part of the long-term picture.

“It still needs the touch of the other guys, but there are also these whole new songs that Nick is bringing in,” he develops. “So it’s a combination of both. It won’t be until the next record, after this one, I think, where it really will be more Nick being in there. He’s gonna be on the new record, for sure, yes. He’s writing like crazy. I’m writing like crazy.

“We’re so full of energy. We just don’t wanna get lost. I’m, like, ‘Let’s concentrate on the songs that we have that we had before Nick joined and get those out with their help.’ It’s a little lopsided still, because he’s only just joined the band. But it’s still gonna be fucking awesome. I’m so excited. Everything that we’ve been demoing is incredible.”

As things stand, there has been no official confirmation of Johnston’s position in the band beyond what we’ve seen him do on stage, but Kelliher’s words seem to all but confirm his permanent place in the band.

The band's former guitar player Brent Hinds tragically passed in a motorbike accident in August. Brann Dailor led the tributes to the man they wrote “beautiful music” with for a quarter of a century.

Talking to Guitar World in 2022, Hinds said he was the “oddball” of the metal scene, highlighting country players who have had the biggest influence on his one-of-a-kind playing style. Johnston has big shoes to fill, but it sounds like there is harmony in the Mastodon camp, something the band have been desperate for in recent months.

A new police report has been released concerning the tragic death of Mastodon co-founder Brent Hinds, which states that the guitarist was at fault in the motorcycle crash that took his life on August 20.

Preliminary reports suggested that the driver of an SUV failed to yield while making a left turn at the intersection of Memorial Drive SE and Boulevard SE, consequently colliding with Hinds.

However, according to the newly released crash report, the investigators also found that Hinds was speeding – going between 63 and 68 mph, roughly twice the speed limit at the crash site.

“After conducting time distance calculations of the Motorcycle and assessing the changes in velocity of the BMW it was deemed that Hinds was traveling between 63 and 68 mph. Video of the intersection was used for the calculations. The video clearly depicts the crash. Hinds was at fault for the crash,” reads the investigator's statement.

The same report also includes what appears to be conflicting statements by one of the witnesses and the driver of the SUV. The driver asserts that “she was positive the light was green” when she made the left turn, while one of the witnesses told the police that it was red “when he looked to the light when everything happened.”

Brent was “breathing and moving with visible injuries to his head, arms, and torso” when the police arrived, ultimately “perishing from his injuries” at the hospital.

This past weekend, a memorial walk was held in Atlanta in honor of Hinds, with longtime Mastodon bandmates Bill Kelliher – who shared his own personal tribute to Hinds – and Brann Dailor among those who gathered to celebrate the life of the influential guitarist.

The band also honored Hinds onstage at their first live performance since his death.

Several details surrounding the fatal motorcycle accident on August 20 that led to the death of former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds have been revealed.

In a police report filed by the Atlanta Police Department, new details have emerged that state Hinds was riding a Harley Davidson on the night he was hit by a BMW SUV. The driver reportedly “failed to yield while turning left [at the intersection of Memorial Drive SE and Boulevard SE, near downtown Atlanta] and collided into the male victim.”

As per newly released witness statements, the driver of the SUV was “positive the light was green” when she turned and remained at the scene until police arrived. However, a witness told responding officers that the light appeared to be red and that, while Hinds was “driving fast,” the driver of the SUV did not have the right of way and failed to yield in time.

The police report confirms that when the responding officer arrived on the scene, Hinds was still “breathing and moving with visible injuries to his head, arms, and torso,” and ultimately perished due to these injuries at the hospital.

While details of his funeral have not yet been publicly announced, the lauded guitarist's obituary states that a “celebration of life will be held in Atlanta at a later date” and that, “in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alabama School of Fine Arts.”

As for Mastodon, the band recently honored Hinds onstage at their first live performance since the guitarist's death. Bill Kelliher, Hinds former guitar foil, also shared a personal tribute to Hinds.

Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher has made his first statement following the tragic death of his former bandmate Brent Hinds last week in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 51.

“It’s been hard to get a grip on my emotions this week,” Kelliher wrote on social media. “We had our good and bad times just like in any relationship. 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, absolute loss of a true one of a kind guitar wizard extraordinaire.

The statement continues, “Keeping up with you taught me a lot. You were a brother, we were a family, you were a wild man not to be tamed, you could f*ck up bowling ball with a feather.

“You weren’t perfect but you were always DIRTY-B!! Your vagabond/gypsy/wild child lives on through your music, I will miss your crazy ass Manimal.”

Brann Dailor, Mastodon's drummer, publicly addressed Hinds' death at the Alaska State Fair on Friday, August 22, delivering a speech that focused on the group's relationship with Hinds and his long-standing legacy.

Furthermore, the band posted a public statement on social media, saying they are “heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many.”

Hinds, one of Mastodon's co-founders and co-leaders for a quarter of a century, played a pivotal role in pushing the boundaries of metal guitar and cementing the band as a trailblazer in the genre.

Following his passing, tributes have poured in from all corners of the guitar world, honoring his life and further cementing his far-reaching legacy.

Mastodon have paid tribute to their former guitarist, Brent Hinds, at their first show since his passing, with drummer Brann Dailor praising his talents and the legacy he’s left behind.

The guitarist, who in March parted from the band he co-founded 25 years ago, died in a motorcycle accident last week, sending shockwaves through the rock world. He was 51.

“We lost someone very special to us, one of the most beautiful, creative people that we've ever come across,” Dailor told the crowd at the Alaska State Fair on Friday, August 22, with an image of Hinds displayed on a screen above him. “We loved him so, so, very much. We had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship. It's not always perfect, it’s not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end.”

There had been animosity over the nature of the split, with Hinds saying he was forced out of the band only a few weeks ago. Youtuber and Mastodon fanatic Ben Eller took Hinds' place for the band's show at the Tool in the Sand festival, just days after his departure was confirmed. Since then, prog fusion maestro Nick Johnston has assumed his role.

But during his speech, Dailor focused on the group’s relationship with Hinds, and, with his voice breaking several times, it’s clear how much his death has shaken the Mastodon camp.

“We really loved each other, and we made a lot, a lot of very beautiful music together,” Dailor continues. “I think that that’s gonna stand the test of time, evidenced by you people here tonight. So, we will continue to play Brent’s beautiful, beautiful music that he helped us make.”

Several Hinds-written songs, including Ghost of Karelia and Steambreather, littered the band's 16-song setlist. It ended with a cover of Black Sabbath’s Supernaut in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

“We formed this band together and traveled the world together, slept in a van together, laid our heads down on beds of fucking kitty litter. [We] got way too drunk to remember anything the next day about a thousand, million times over and over again with the love that we shared and the beauty, all the audiences that we played for, all the stages we stepped on.

“I don't know,” Dailor then said. “We're just at a loss for words. We're absolutely devastated and crushed to lose him and to be able to never have him back again. But you guys made it okay for us to come on stage and do this tonight. So that was for fucking Brent, okay? Thank you guys so much.”

In the wake of his passing, the band said they were “heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many.”

On Monday, August 25, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher offered up his own statement on Instagram, writing, “It’s been hard to get a grip on my emotions this week. We had our good and bad times just like in any relationship. 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, absolute loss of a true one of a kind guitar wizard extraordinaire. Keeping up with you taught me a lot. You were a brother, we were a family, you were a wild man not to be tamed, you could f*ck up bowling ball with a feather.

“You weren’t perfect but you were always dirty-b!! Your vagabond/gypsy/wild child lives on through your music, I will miss your crazy ass Manimal.”

Tributes have also come pouring in from elsewhere, showing the mark he left on the people he met, and those who fell in love with his music and virtuosic, one-of-a-kind guitar playing.

Lamb of God's Mark Morton described him as “a bottle rocket of creative spirit and emotion” in a wounded, heartfelt post, and Marcus King asked St Pete not to judge him too hard as “his heart was golden.” Meanwhile, actor Norman Reedus revealed the pair had gotten matching Lemmy tattoos on the day the Motörhead maverick died as he reflected on their longtime friendship.

The guitar world has lost one of its most authentic, wildly unique, and inimitable spirits.

Earlier this week, Brent Hinds died following a fatal motorcycle accident in Atlanta. In the wake of such sudden and tragic news, the guitar world has taken to social media to pay tribute to Hinds, honoring the music and memory of one of metal guitar’s most singular players and unique characters.

In a post from Mastodon – the band with whom Hinds played for a quarter of a century – the group wrote, “We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief. Last night, Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident.

“We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many. Our hearts are with Brent’s family, friends, and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect everyone’s privacy during this difficult time.”

Their sentiments were echoed by a wave of Hinds’ peers and friends, with Mark Morton penning an especially emotional tribute that highlighted the late guitar great’s character as well as his musical output.

“Brent Hinds was a bottle rocket of creative spirit and emotion. He would absolutely crack me up with his meandering, stream of consciousness banter,” he wrote. “Brent was a motherfucker on six strings. He heard things that nobody else heard… so he’d bring them to life so that we could all hear them too.”

“He was an enigmatic human being who played by no one’s rules and was one of the greatest guitarists of our generation,” offered Converge. “Knowing him was a privilege. Anyone who ever met him had a story about it afterwards because he truly was one of a kind.”

Matthew Hughes of Banker Guitars – a close friend of Hinds’ with whom he worked, wrote, “It’s gonna take some time for me to fully process the loss of my friend, and I’m not sure that I ever will.

“Brent Hinds was one of the most uniquely gifted people I’ve ever known, there is no one who heard or interpreted music in the way that he did. His guitar playing was always balanced on the edge of chaos, but its roots were firmly planted in country and blues.

“He told me once that after he was gone, he just wanted to be remembered for bringing country music into metal. I think that is an undeniable truth for anyone who has ever listened to Mastodon.”

Marcus King – another close friend of Hinds who played regularly with him – shared a collection of photos of the two together, alongside a powerful tribute that read, “Brent Hinds became one of my best friends the moment we met and a brother soon after.

“Brent stood beside me when I married my wife. I’ll always be thankful to have lived at the same time as such an incredible person and musician. St. Peter dont judge him too harshly, his heart was golden.”

More tributes to Brent Hinds can be found below.

Brent Hinds has died at the age of 51 following a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred earlier this week in Atlanta.

News of Hinds’ death was reported by Atlanta News First, which initially confirmed an individual had died as a result of the accident on Wednesday (August 20) night. A report from Fulton County medical examiner’s office later identified Hinds as the deceased.

According to the police report, the accident took place at around 11:35pm on Wednesday night. Hinds was killed while riding a Harley Davidson when the driver of a BMX SUV failed to yield while making a turn at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Boulevard.

“Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive male who was involved in the collision,” the report reads. “The male appeared to be operating a Harley Davidson during the time of collision. The investigation remains active at this time.”

News of Hinds’ sudden and tragic death has been met with an outpouring of tributes, with the likes of Zach Myers and Adam Jones all honoring the memory of one of metal’s most singular guitar players.

Born in 1974, Hinds is best known for his work with Mastodon, which he co-founded in 2000 with Bill Kelliher, Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor. Through his work with the band – with whom he recently parted ways – Hinds established himself as one of the standout metal players of his time.

His former Mastodon bandmates have expressed their “unfathomable sadness and grief” over the news.

“We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many,” they posted on social media.

Brent Hinds has once again broken his silence following his surprise departure from Mastodon, claiming that his exit was by no means amicable.

Earlier this year, Mastodon announced that they had “mutually decided to part ways” with Hind, though reports of a not-so-mutual split emerged months later when Hinds wrote in an Instagram comment, “I won’t miss being in a band with horrible humans”.

Hinds has now returned to social media with another explosive message concerning his former bandmates, claiming Bill Kelliher and the rest of the Mastodon members kicked him out of the band.

In a response to a video of Mastodon performing Crack the Skye in 2012, Hinds wrote (via Billboard), “My guitar sounds great, but Troy [Sanders, bass and vocals] and prawn [drummer and vocalist Brann Dailor] sound absolutely horrible. They are way out of key. Embarrassing and they kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am.”

As for his former bandmates themselves, Hinds reserves some choice words, adding, “But what about who they are? They are two people that can’t sing..together live or anywhere else in the world. Everything they try to sing in the studio is manipulated by autotune because they’re incapable of singing in key.”

Hinds then doubled down on his previous sentiments concerning the Mastodon crew.

“F–k these guys,” Hinds continued. “Only I know who they really are. They are the biggest fans of them self’s [sic]. I’ve never seen anyone in my life look in the mirror more than Troy Sanders. He thinks he’s God’s gift to anything. I’ve never met three people that were so full of themselves. It’s disgusting.”

It is now the second time Hinds has come out and claimed that his exit from Mastodon was not as mutual as the band first announced. That messaging starkly contrasts with the words of Hinds’ former guitar partner Bill Kelliher, who – although accepted that they had grown apart – implied they parted ways on good terms.

Speaking to Guitar World about Hinds’ exit, Kelliher commented, “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, Motorhead, 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.”

After Hinds’ exit, Mastodon first turned to YouTuber Ben Eller, and then fusion virtuoso Nick Johnston, to fill the position. Johnston recently spoke to Guitar World about his experiences stepping up for the role.

Gojira are behemoths of the metal scene – and, during an appearance that can only be described as history-making at last year's Olympic Games, the band firmly cemented their influence beyond the metal realm on the global stage.

And for the gearheads, guitarist Joe Duplantier dazzled audiences with a custom ESP electric guitar specially curated for the occasion: an ESP XJ-1 – boasting an all-chrome aesthetic, EverTune bridge, and a DiMarzio Fortitude bridge humbucker – that made metal (and music) history.

At the time, keen-eyed fans were quick to speculate over Duplantier's decision to play an ESP on that occasion, especially considering he has long been established as a loyal Charvel artist.

“It’s funny, people talk about instruments almost like marriage,” he quips in a new Guitar World interview.

“‘How could you? I thought everything was going well!’ It’s not like that, okay, can everybody relax?! I love Charvel and I’m proud of the signature we made. Nothing went wrong. But I’m just a dude who wants to have fun and try new things."

Indeed, Duplantier has been wielding Charvel's Tele-style San Dimas models for over 10 years – a run which has also included several signatures over the years, including his latest, the Joe Duplantier Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH Mahogany.

“At the end of the day, from Fender to Gibson, I just love guitars. I’ve actually had a relationship with ESP for years. Hetfield personally hooked me up with them back in the day. He actually picked up the phone saying, ‘Dude, have you tried an ESP?’”

Duplantier clarifies that he still uses his signature Charvel “and will continue to do so”.

“I just wanted to experiment in other fields,” he divulges. “It feels like I’m expanding and ESP has a lot to offer. I’m not cheating on anyone, I want all the instruments! The Metallica connection was a big part of it. Bill from Mastodon loves ESP, and I’ve played his guitar a bunch of times. I’ve talking to [Head Of Artist Relations] Tony Rauser about making something different from what I’ve done before.”

These changes also come from a place where he's finally accepting his role as more of a frontman.

“I used to go on stage with dark shirts, jeans, and guitars, looking like a black hole. I don’t know if it’s a midlife crisis, but enough is enough, I want to shine on stage,” he adds with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll design a mirror guitar, so I can blind people with the spotlight!”

Last year, ESP sealed the deal by confirming Duplantier as a signature artist, with their announcement coinciding with Gojira's appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Guitar World's full interview with Joe Duplantier will be published in the coming weeks.

Having cemented his name over the past decade as one of the most respected instrumental rock guitarists of his generation, Nick Johnston is someone many Guitar World readers will already be familiar with. And right now the Canadian is buzzing from some of the biggest achievements of his career to date.

He’s just unveiled a line of Schecter signature models commemorating the 10th anniversary of his partnership with the company, bringing key elements of the Custom Shop such as the wenge neck and USA pickups to the more affordable Diamond Series.

He’s also launching a new project with Porcupine Tree/King Crimson drummer Gavin Harrison – their debut full-length Early Mercy has just been released.

But the juiciest development for the legato-loving virtuoso has thrust his name out of the instrumental underground and into the glaring limelight of the mainstream. For the last few months, he’s been living the rock and roll dream after being recruited by prog metal heavyweights Mastodon, after they parted ways with Brent Hinds.

Though YouTuber Ben Eller was drafted to fill in for their performance at Tool’s Live In The Sand festival, Johnston has been stage right for every show since. He now finds himself two tours in, with the general consensus being that he’s a perfect fit.

“It’s turning out to be an unforgettable summer,” smiles Johnston, talking to GW from his home studio on a rare day off in his increasingly busy schedule. “We played to 110,000 people yesterday in Quebec City. After the Sabbath show, I don’t there’s ever going to be anything more intense. It was a proper trial by fire, with the pressure of five million people streaming. Anything after that gig is a bonus!”

Mastodon began their set at Back to the Beginning with fan favorites Black Tongue and Blood And Thunder before serving up an earth-rumbling rendition of Black Sabbath’s Supernaut. It was no ordinary cover either; they enlisted Danny Carey, Mario Duplantier and Eloy Casagrande – three of the most respected drummers in metal – to join in for an all-star jam.

For Johnston, the first to admit he’s more used to performing in front of humble audiences at guitar clinics than gracing the world’s biggest stages, July 5th was an absolute whirlwind experience.

“That day was wild,” he says, still in a state of disbelief. “I almost forgot who and where I was for a moment. Supernaut is such a great song. For my solo, I ended up exaggerating all the trills to pay my respects to Tony Iommi.”

What did you get up to afterwards – did you get to meet any legends?

“Other than Rob from Metallica, who was really cool, I didn’t meet too many people. I was keeping to myself. I’m still just the new guy! I got to bed at a decent time. I don’t want anything affecting my performance or to feel like I’m wasting anyone’s time. It’s not worth it.”

Well, these are the biggest gigs of your career. You’ll naturally want to sound every bit as good as you should sound.

“I know I’m being judged right now. There are people with their arms crossed, as if to say, ‘Lemme see about this guy!’ I read comments saying, ‘You’ve got nothing on Brent’ and it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m doing my best here!’”

It feels like you’re a great pick for Mastodon – like Brent, you keep it bluesy with a lot of hybrid picking.

“The parts are so interesting. They’re always doing the unexpected, creating tension through harmonic shifts. I’ve been a fan since Leviathan. They write things no-one else would think of. I tried to absorb that into my DNA. My lead approach is similar, because I don’t play straight three note per-string diatonic lines.

“I use chromatics and open strings that have no particular business being in that key to create tension or percussion. If you listen to Brent’s playing, he does a lot of that, but in a more bluegrass way. There’s definitely overlap.”

A lot of progressive metal can sound futuristic. Maybe it’s those pentatonic ideas that help Mastodon sound more earthy and, ultimately, human?

“I’m someone who came from blues like Jeff Beck and SRV, while most of my generation was more into Dream Theater and Meshuggah. Because I’ve been writing instrumental music, there’s always been a focus on melody. Solos are a chance to elevate the song. That’s also how Mastodon tend to work.”

What are your current favorites on the setlist?

“We usually open with Tread Lightly, which has some great riffs. There’s a cool solo moment at the end, lifting it up one more time. Ember City is another favorite. Ghost Of Karelia is great – anything from that era is awesome. Steambreather has those big drop A riffs which sound huge. You shouldn’t be able to do that with a six-string, especially my Strat-style Schecter!

“I’m now at a point where I’m not worrying. I feel free. If I hear Bill [Kelliher] doing a pick slide or pinched harmonic, I’ll try to match or harmonize it. I might play around Brann [Dailor]’s vocals with a little lead underneath. Every show feels unique but the songs are always the way they should be.”

I love the fact you got Schecter to make you a Silverburst model to match everyone else on stage.

“It’s different for me, with no single-coils. I can’t believe how quick they turned it around – I had that guitar within a couple of weeks. There were songs where Troy [Sanders] and Bill were playing Silverbursts and I’d be there with my new purple signature, one of the 10th anniversary models. I figured it would look cool with everyone matching.”

You’ve never used many pedals until now. Tell us about your new Waza Craft collection.

“At 17 I had a Boss DD-3, SD-1 and TU-3. Then I spent years plugging straight into Plexi-style amps and I didn’t need any pedals. When I started thinking about what to use in Mastodon, because certain sections need to jump out more, I thought I’d reach out to Boss. I got the DS-1W, SD-1W, DM-2W, CE-2W, BP-1W and TU-3W.

“The DS-1W is running all the time into the second channel of a Friedman BE-100 Deluxe, so it’s not too gainy. For leads I switch onto channel three. The other pedals are there if I need more grease. I might use the CE-2W for the arpeggios on The Motherload. I recently tried a Blues Driver and got blown away, so I’m ordering one of those next.”

You’ve worked with Gavin Harrison before, but Early Mercy is the first album you’ve written together. It’s more minimalistic than your solo releases.

“It’s a weird psychedelic album inspired by ’70s fusion stuff like Return To Forever, Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Especially in terms of long-form melodies, like you hear on [1973 Return To Forever album] Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy.

“I wrote some music and sent it over saying, ‘How’s this?’ And Gavin was like ‘Nah, I don’t want to use that, I had nothing to do with it.’ To get the ball rolling he gave me folders of odd-time drum loops. I’d drag them into my DAW to start building.”

It must be interesting to write to loops rather than on a piano.

“That’s why some of these songs are so long. It was a different compositional approach. It felt like Gavin and I were playing as two lead instruments, as opposed to a guitar album with Gavin drumming or vice versa.

“It’s the most experimental thing I’ve done, but I don’t think anyone’s going to be shocked, because everything I do ends up different. I never revisit the same idea twice.”

The first single, Sorcerer, has some interesting rhythmic motifs…

“That came from a drum loop that was in 10/8. The closing track When The Flesh Was Cast Away also has this melody which came from Gavin’s accents. I knew exactly what to write. It was obvious where to go, because of the musical information he’d given me.

“Gavin’s at this Jedi level of musicianship. It’s all natural; he’s in full command and expresses himself as a true artist. Now I get to be in a band with him!”

Similar things could be said of Brann.

“Brann is a living legend by this point. Every time I see him play, it’s shocking. You can’t take your eyes off him because he’s so compelling. It’s like watching an octopus do all these crazy fills. He has so much energy.”

How exactly did you land such a life-changing gig?

“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. One day Brann came along to one of our coffee hangs and we hit it off.

“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 – this army of absurd players, which sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud.

“Later on, Brann told me I’d be the first person he’d call if anything ever came up. That’s what he did! We’ve become really close over the last few months.”

• Harrison/Johnston’s Early Mercy is out now.

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.

Although Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher is one of metal’s premier riff writers, he remains in awe of Black Sabbath. Moreover, he’s in awe of being asked to be a part of the July 5 Back to the Beginning event.

“I’m just going to take it in, man,” he says. “I’m privileged to be in a band that’s been asked to be on such a metal experience.”

It’s been a whirlwind for Kelliher and Mastodon, who, back in March, announced the “mutual” departure of Brent Hinds, meaning Mastodon will be sporting a new lead guitarist – most likely Nick Johnston – come July 5.

Still, Kelliher marvels at the fact that the original four members of Mastodon held it together for so long, which makes the lessons learned from Sabbath – who have had trouble doing the same – bittersweet.

“They taught us that you’re never too old to rock,” Kelliher says. “They’ve withstood the test of time. They’ve been a band for over 50 years, since the late ’60s. That’s a long time, man.”

What led to Mastodon getting the call for Back to the Beginning?

“I’m not exactly sure who mentioned us, but I mean… we’re Sabbath-worthy! [Laughs] We toured with Sabbath during Ozzfest in 2005. And they were fans of Mastodon, but I’m not sure if they had anything to do with it. I’m just happy to go. I’m not asking any questions!”

What was it like touring with Sabbath? Did you rub elbows with the band?

“Those guys are pretty well-padded, you know? They’re kinda like fine china at this point. They’re not rubbing elbows with the common folk too much. [Laughs] But I remember sitting down with Bill Ward a couple of times, and he had nice things to say about us.”

You didn’t get to talk with Ozzy, Geezer or Tony?

“I believe I met Ozzy at one time for a second – but I think both of us had a few substances in us. [Laughs] The only time I spoke to Mr. Iommi was when we were accepting an award in London, 10 or 12 years ago; he was accepting an award, too.”

What did Tony have to say?

“We were all standing there and were going to perform a couple of songs. He was about to accept his award, and it was dark behind the stage; as he was getting ready to walk out, instead of being like, ‘Hey, man, you’re my favorite guitar player, let’s get a picture,’ I was like, ‘Watch out for that cable running across the floor.’ [Laughs] He was like, ‘Oh, yeah. Thanks, dude.’ That was my interaction.”

Do you regret not saying more – or not getting that photo?

“I’m sure he gets plenty of crazy, weird bands all over him. I don’t ever really like to meet my heroes, you know? I like to think of them as the way they are in my head, like these gods. I don’t want to be disappointed when I meet them.”

How has Iommi impacted your playing?

“They’re the quintessential heavy metal band. They’re like the original fucking metal band, really, in my eyes. His playing influenced just about every metal riff you’ve heard. Whether you want to admit it or not, he created a lot of those iconic harmonies.”

Tony is about as unique a player as it gets. What’s his secret?

“It’s not the proficiency of the playing. It’s more about writing a great riff that sticks in your head and is catchy. A lot of them are simple, but believe it or not, it’s harder to write a three-chord rock song than to write something super-arpeggiated with weird time signatures all over the place.”

Do you have a favorite Sabbath riff?

“Supernaut. I can’t imagine writing that at home and being like, ‘I can’t wait to take this to practice to show the other guys,’ and then showing up and being like [in a British accent], ‘Hey, mates, I got this cool fucking riff. Check it out!’

“It fucking checks all the boxes. It’s very upbeat but dark and evil at the same time. It’s got a great swing to it. Swing is another thing that metal guitar players don’t think about.”

What’s the greatest challenge in trying to cover Tony’s parts?

“A lot of people emulate him. He’s not over-the-top with his guitar solos, really fast or technical. He’s right in the middle. He created sludge metal with those slowed-down, heavy-ass riffs.

“It’s not hard to be like, ‘That kind of sounds like Black Sabbath’ when you’re writing riffs. I mean, it’s hard not to; I don’t know; he just used pentatonic scales in a really evil way and chose his notes wisely.”

Have you discussed what Sabbath song you’ll play at the show?

“I want to play Supernaut! But I don’t have all the details. We’re still in the dark about a lot of that. There’s a lot of bands playing, and there’s only so much time to let Sabbath do their thing… Metallica will probably play a few songs, so we may only get to play one song, which is fine.”

What does it mean to you to be a part of this event?

“It’s a very special occasion. Those guys are getting up there – we all are – so for them to get back together and do this one last show as the original four dudes is monumental.

“It’s great. When we were invited to do it, I was kind of beside myself, like, ‘Really? Wow.’ We’re going to be up there with some really fucking huge bands of our genre that we looked up to. I’m very humbled. It’s super-special that we got asked. It speaks volumes.”

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Former Mastodon electric guitar player Brent Hinds has seemingly taken to social media to call out his old bandmates – even going as far as calling them "horrible humans".

The exchange happened on Instagram, when Hinds commented on a post that celebrated Mastodon’s 2014 album, Once More ‘Round the Sun, with the caption, “11 more trips ‘round the sun since this was released!”

Hinds comment has since been deleted, but it said, “I want [sic] miss being in a shit band with horrible humans.”

It’s safe to say the unexpected interjection has sparked a lot of debate in the comment section. The fact it was deleted has fuelled even more speculation, with fans commenting, “Where’s Brent’s comment all over the news?” and “Are they now just deleting comments regarding Brent Hinds?”

Hinds' exit from the group was announced by the band on March 7, with a statement shared on social media reading: “Friends and Fans, After 25 monumental years together, Mastodon and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways. We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors.

“We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of Mastodon. As we move forward, all 2025 touring plans will remain intact. We look forward to seeing you on the road.”

The departure was announced just days before the band’s performance at Tool's festival in the Dominican Republic – with Ben Eller, a YouTube guitar educator and long-time Mastodon expert, drafted in as Hinds' last-minute replacement.

Since then, Guitar World has spoken to Mastodon’s other guitarist, Bill Kelliher, about what led to the departure. While he didn’t share the exact details, he asserted that, “We’re not going anywhere. We’ve been around a while; this is all I really have. I live and breathe it.

“It was 25 long years. Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart and they get interested in other things. It was time to part ways. And we wish nothing but the best for Brent in his endeavors – chasing his dreams and doing what he likes to do. We look forward to a new chapter of Mastodon.”

Brent Hinds shows no sign of taking a pause, as the guitarist donned a beaten-up Tele and a cowboy hat for his first show sans the metal giants, with his psycho-billy surf project, Fiend Without A Face, on March 21.

The narrative surrounding Mastodon’s newly vacant electric guitar spot has taken a fresh twist, with Nick Johnston becoming the latest stand-in following Brent Hinds' departure.

In early March, the Atlantan prog metallers announced they had parted ways with founding guitarist Hinds. The news broke just days before Mastodon's appearance at the Tool in the Sand festival in the Dominican Republic.

Three days later, YouTuber Ben Eller was on stage with the band, having learned 17 songs in double quick time specially for the set. Though he went into the show expecting the worst, Eller was blown away by the warm reception his involvement got from the Mastodon community.

However, Eller has now been drafted out for the band’s latest run of shows, as Bill Kelliher continues his search for their next full-time recruit.

Enter Nick Johnston – a prog-minded instrumentalist shredder who has been conquering the guitar world with his signature Schecter Strat-a-like, and who has cemented his reputation as one of the finest guitar talents of his generation.

Owing to the apparent stylistic differences between Johnston's own music and Mastodon's back catalog, it makes for an interesting pairing indeed.

Johnston's first major solo album was 2016's Remarkably Human, and it put his tasteful but intricately virtuosic sound on the map, after he featured on Polyphia's Champagne. two years earlier.

He also guested on Periphery's Clear EP that same year, playing on The Parade of Ashes. Johnston has since played on Intervals and Scale the Summit tracks, and he released another album, Child of Bliss, last year.

Given Johnston's sheer virtuosity and versatility, Mastodon's selection – despite the genre gap – is incredibly astute, and going off footage of the band's performance at the Sonic Temple Festival on May 9, he certainly has the chops for the gig.

Dissecting his sonic DNA with Guitar World, Johnston has cited the likes of Pat Metheny, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Jeff Beck as key influences, and has previously spoken about how writing on a piano first can make his guitar playing more interesting.

“When you take away the guitar, your usual tricks and licks are gone. There is no comfort zone,” he says. “I find my guitar lives these days more like the icing on the cake. My favourite songwriter is Pat Metheny and he’s talked about it too, choosing to mainly compose on piano. You can really hear someone’s sense of harmony when you pull the shapes away.”

There will be factions of the Mastodon fanbase sad to see Eller, who smashed his one-off show with the band despite a mishap with a stage wedge, no longer involved. But there's no denying Johnston's suitability for the role, either.

Eller himself, meanwhile, has voiced his support for the appointment. Posting a photo of himself with Johnston and Kelliher on Instagram, he says, "Starting to think Bill has a thing for hunky brunettes. My friend Nick Johnston is a hell of a cool guy."

As with Eller, the extent of Johnston’s involvement is shrouded in mystery, but it would be a surprise if he doesn’t at least see out their current tour with Periphery and Coheed & Cambria.

The future of the band, and who will come to fill Hinds’ spot permanently, remains to be seen, with Keliher happy to take an exhaustive approach to get the right player for the job.

“I’m as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon, he told Guitar World. “I’m not ready to give it up yet. So, we’re going to keep looking”

Hinds, meanwhile, has wasted no time in getting back on stage, and he has plenty more shows lined up.

Brent Hinds has played his first show since parting ways with Mastodon earlier this month, and three of his bands are set to play together next month as he keeps himself busy with life away from the progressive metal giants.

Hinds' Fiend Without A Face project, described on their Bandcamp page as “psychobilly surf music with a little country twist,” played 529 in Atlanta, Georgia on March 21, as the guitarist looks to create some distance between himself and Mastodon. It's been a whirlwind month for all involved.

Mastodon posted an official statement on March 7, announcing the end of Hinds’ 25-year tenure in the band, just days before they were due to perform at the Tool in the Sand festival in the Dominican Republic.

In a surprise move, YouTuber and Mastodon fanatic Ben Eller was drafted in for the show, having been asked to “learn 17 Mastodon songs immediately”. Mastodon had already reassured fans that all 2025 tour dates would be fulfilled.

Eller said he went into the show expecting a backlash, considering Hinds’ deep-rooted history with the Grammy-winning act. That left him “unprepared for the level of positivity and kindness,” he received from the fan base, as Mastodon got its post-Hinds era off to a flyer – save for Eller going “ass-over-teakettle” after an incident with a stage wedge.

Hinds, meanwhile, donned a cowboy hat and a wonderfully beaten-up Telecaster for his new-era-kickstarting show. As footage shows, the performance leans heavily into the country stylings he's slowly introduced into Mastodon's repertoire in recent years with tracks like Jaguar God and The Beast.

Three of his bands – West End Motel, Fiend Without A Face, and Dirty B & The Boys – will join together for a show at The Garden Club in Atlanta, GA on April 18th.

Mastodon’s remaining guitarist, Bill Kelliher, likened their relationship with Hinds to a marriage, saying, “Sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things,” while admitting “It’s amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us”.

Going off Hinds' immediate schedule, it certainly looks like the talented guitarist is stepping away from metal with his trio of other projects.

Kelliher, meanwhile is unsure on Eller’s future in the band, revealing they will continue looking for the perfect replacement. He's also underscored the vital credentials he's seeking from the next permanent member.

The band have tour dates with Periphery and Coheed & Cambria in May, and have just announced a string of UK and European shows around their appearance at Black Sabbath’s blockbuster farewell show in July.

Whoever steps up to the plate, Kelliher is certain they will be “lightyears ahead of me” when it comes to lead playing. Matching his riff work will be a far taller order.

When Brent Hinds left Mastodon on March 7, 2025, fans wanted to know one thing: what happened? Bill Kelliher recently offered a few hints, telling GW that “it was time” and the relationship had run its course.

Since the band played a set in the Dominican Republic two days later, fans have wanted to know another thing: will fill-in guitarist and esteemed YouTuber Ben Eller be Hinds’ permanent replacement?

Eller isn’t at liberty to confirm or deny, saying: “It would be an immense honor to tour with the band… we’ll have to wait and see.”

After learning an entire set of hyper-complex Hinds solos and riffs in a short span, it stands to reason that Eller, at the very least, will be with Mastodon when they hit the road with Coheed and Cambria in May.

Of being thrown into the fray, Eller says: “Bill hit me up and asked if I would be good to learn a 17-song set quickly and sub on a gig, and I was happy to take on the challenge.

“This experience has meant the world to me. I’m so grateful to Troy Sanders, Brann Dailor and Bill for trusting me to play the music, and to the fans for their positivity and kindness.”

How did you first meet the guys in Mastodon?

“I became a massive fan when I saw the video for March of the Fire Ants 20-something years ago. I started learning as much of their material as I could, just for fun. Some of my first YouTube videos were covers of their tunes. There were zero accurate tabs for Mastodon songs online; I was trying to help people learn their stuff the right way.”

Bill told GW that you guys kept in touch over social media.

“A couple of years ago, he emailed to say how much he enjoyed my channel, and the Stuff Mastodon Does video I made. We've stayed in touch ever since. He's as much of a gear nut and riff-chaser as I am; we’re constantly sending each other bands, pedals, amps and stuff to check out.”

Given the situation’s sensitivity, were you initially hesitant to take the Mastodon gig?

“I went into this looking at it as one of the coolest things I could ever get to be a part of – but also knowing that the backlash could be brutal, especially given how important Brent has been for the history of the band.

“I was absolutely unprepared for the level of positivity and kindness I received from the fans after the gig. I cannot believe how accepting and wonderful they’ve been. it’s overwhelming!”

Did you feel confident that you could do it?

“I felt like I could handle it. I’ve been swimming in their music for so long now that it just makes sense to me at this point. Brent is one of my favorite players ever so it all felt very natural.

“I wouldn’t say I tried to play most of his solos note-for-note, album-perfect; but I aimed to hit the signature licks in each one, and tried to put my spin on the rest in a way that suited the songs. My voice doesn’t sound anything like Brent’s, but I was excited to add vocal harmonies as much as I could.”

Once you decided to do it, what was the preparation process like?

“Several days of insanely intense listening, transcribing and practicing! If I wasn’t practicing the songs, I was listening to them nonstop. My process is to to play along with the song, and if I make a mistake, I start over. By the time I make it all the way through the song, I’ve played it through a dozen times.

“It’s a method that really locks tunes into my brain. I mainly use my ears, but I also looked at live videos of the band to help me figure out parts. And, of course, I was blowing Bill’s phone up! Given the density of their material, there were a lot of questions about who was playing what and all that. He was a big help.”

Which songs proved to be the toughest to master?

“Megalodon is an absolute obstacle-course of techniques – hybrid picking, aggressive metal riffage, crazy chicken-pickin’ breakdown, the double picking... it’s got it all. I tell people: ‘If you want to learn one song that will teach you everything you need to know about Mastodon, it's that one.’

“I frequently play it for fun, though, so it didn’t take too much polishing. There were a lot of songs in the setlist that I’d never learned, though, like Ghost of Karelia from Crack the Skye. That one proved to be a challenge; it’s got tons of odd time signatures, weird structure and a lot of backup harmony vocals.”

What does your rig look like for the shows?

“I brought along three guitars, one for each of the tunings we were using. They were all strung up with the same custom gauge sets Dunlop made for me (10-13-17-30-42-56), so they could be used in any of the tunings in case of a string breaking.

“I used my Dunable USA Minotaur for the D standard songs, my Dunable USA Cyclops for the drop C stuff, and my Suhr Alt T for the low A tuning they use. I use Dunlop TIII .88 picks. I kept the effects pretty simple with my Dunlop wah pedal, Boss tuner, AllPedal Love Machine fuzz, Horizon Precision Drive, and MXR/EVH Phase 90.

“I had the incredible Fractal Audio VP4 in the loop for my noise gate and delay. That thing rules – it’s the core of all my boards. Like Bill, I love Friedman amps. My old BE-100 is my favorite one ever, but it happened to be in the shop getting re-tubed, so Bill loaned me his.

“That was all running through backline Marshall 412s. A real MVP was my guitar case by Quantum – that thing kept all three guitars mint as they were being shipped via cargo. Not a scratch on them.”

Did the show go as planned?

“The show was a blast! The energy from the band and the crowd was incredible. You’ve gotta be prepared to be surprised, though. We were all having some trouble with interference affecting our in-ear monitors – but the show must go on, even if you can’t hear anything!

“I took a spill during Spectrelight, which was pretty hilarious. Bill, Troy, and I were rocking it at the front of the stage, and I took a step back, only to clip my heel on a monitor wedge. I went ass-over-teakettle!

“I’ll never forget the sight of my boots in the air against the clear night sky! But what can you do? Make a joke of it before anyone else can spring up, give a thumbs up, and keep going with a busted ass.”

What can you say about what the future holds?

“I’m thrilled to track my first solo album this year. I wrote most of the material last year and I can’t wait to share it. And, of course, I’ll be cranking out more videos on my YouTube channel, keeping up with my Patreon community, and melting faces wherever I can find them.”

• For more from Eller, head to YouTube.

In recent interviews, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher had been talking about new music – a subject Brent Hinds hadn’t been covering while, going by his social media posts, he was on his own trip. So perhaps the announcement of Hinds’ departure from the band shouldn’t have been the shock it was for many.

Kelliher, Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor said they and Hinds had “mutually decided to part ways,” adding: “We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter.”

Speaking to Guitar World, Kelliher refuses to be drawn on details, but vowed: “We’re not going anywhere. We’ve been around a while; this is all I really have. I live and breathe it.”

On the subject of a new guitarist, he says the trio were looking for “someone who’s easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play. And they’ve got to have the right stage clothes as well: black t-shirt, tight jeans!”

The band’s attitude is one of “onward and upward,” he continues. “I’ll continue writing, looking forward to new Mastodon material and the Coheed and Cambria tour coming up. I like being out there on the road. Hopefully, people will enjoy all the new music we’re working on. That’s all I can really hope for.”

What’s the status of Mastodon with Brent Hinds’ departure?

“It was 25 long years. Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart and they get interested in other things. It was time to part ways. And we wish nothing but the best for Brent in his endeavors – chasing his dreams and doing what he likes to do. We look forward to a new chapter of Mastodon.”

You pivoted quickly, with YouTuber Ben Eller filling in at your most recent show.

“When we knew what was going down, and we had this show in the Dominican Republic, we had to find someone really quick who we could trust to play the songs.

“Ben and I have been friends for many, many years on the internet. We met at a Mastodon show 20-something years ago when he was a young dude and he was a fan. He showed me an old picture of us loading the van back in the touring van days, when we played Knoxville when he was a young kid, and he’d got a selfie with us!

“I’ve been watching his videos and giving him some tips on certain Mastodon parts that he didn’t quite get. He would hit me up, like, ‘How do you play Falling Torches? It’s kind of muddy in the mix.’ So we’d been sending videos back and forth. To me, he was obviously the first choice to play at least that show.”

How did the band and Ben prepare for the show?

“We had a couple of practices, maybe four. That guy’s got a mind like a trap, man – he remembered all the stuff. He did a terrific job. I mean, no-one can ever replace someone like Brent, who’s a very special guitar player. But I feel like Ben did the best he could, and we were all super-stoked.”

Mastodon has more shows planned, which you’ve said won’t be canceled. Will Ben fill in for those shows and the foreseeable future?

“We have a tour with Coheed and Cambria coming up in May, and we’re going to fulfill that. And we’re going to finish up our new record. I’m not sure what our future is with Ben. Maybe we’ll try a couple of other people out. It’s too early to say.”

Will the new record feature contributions from Brent or is it just you, Brann, and Troy?

“It’ll be the three of us. It’s stuff the three of us have written together.”

The decision to change lineup must have been difficult.

“It’s amazing we made it 25 years with the four of us. Traveling the world, trying to stay the course, having everybody agree – that we managed to do it this long, I feel like that’s a feat in itself. And yeah, you could never replace any of us because it’s the sum of four parts.

“But that doesn’t mean there’s not someone 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.”

What can you say about the legacy of Mastodon’s first 25 years?

“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, and touring with our heroes like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motorhead and Tool. I cherish all of that.”

What are you looking for in a guitar partner and bandmate?

“You gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Living together in a little bus for fucking months at a time – it’s got to be someone who can do that. There’s more variables than just, ‘Oh, this person is a great guitar player.’

“We’ve got to be able to have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, 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.

“I’m as serious as a heart attack about Mastodon. It’s my life. It’s all I really know. I’ve got all my eggs in this basket. So we’re going to keep looking and we’ll find the right person when the time is right and ready.”

Does Brent’s departure mean you’ll be playing more leads and less rhythm guitar?

“We’ll have to see. My lead guitar skills are decent enough – but whoever we get is going to be light years ahead of me. So it depends on the part and the song and if there are certain leads that I write that I want to play.

“If the other guitarist is like, ‘Hey, I wrote this,’ and I like it better than what I wrote, we’ll use his part. I definitely write for the best of the song and what’s best for the band.

“I don’t get my feelings hurt when someone’s like, ‘That riff is not that great.’ It’s like, ‘Okay, I’ll just write another one or change it.’ That goes for leads as well. So, as long as it’s what’s best for the song, it doesn’t matter who plays it. As long as it fits, it’s awesome.”

Have there been any updates to your stable of signature gear?

“ESP just sent me a prototype of a reverse Sparrowhawk. I’m not sure if that’s going into production; they just did a one-off for me for now. Victory Amplification and I are working together on a new Bill Kelliher signature model, which has been going on for a few years now.

“I’m not sure when and if it’s going to come out, but it’s kind of like the Super Kraken MKII. I’m going to have a couple because I use that amp along with my Friedman Butterslax in combination.

“But there’s a couple of tweaks with the Victory that I’d like to see. And I may be doing a guitar pedal – like a distortion pedal, with High Wind Pedal Company.”

Is it exciting to be embarking on a new chapter with Mastodon?

“It’s just one day at a time and getting out there. I don’t look too far into the future, you know? When I do, I get kind of lost and lose sight of today. So I just try to keep my head in the game.”

• Mastodon are on tour starting in May.

Ben Eller has spoken to Guitar World about his surprise live performance with Mastodon, after the esteemed YouTuber was drafted in last minute to replace the outgoing Brent Hinds.

It’s been a frantic week in the Mastodon camp. First, the band announced that founding member Hinds had departed, and two days later, YouTuber Ben Eller was filling his boots during their Tool Live in the Sand set.

Eller was tasked with learning “17 Mastodon songs immediately” as the prog metal outfit committed to seeing out their live dates.

Eller may not be a regular live performer but his work as a Youtuber and Mastodon obsessive, which often sees him dissecting the band’s complex and nuanced guitar work, made him an ideal fit for that show.

His future in the band may be shrouded in uncertainty, but that didn’t stop Eller from enjoying his moment in what could prove to be a significant footnote in the band’s history – even if he was wary about the reaction his inclusion would get.

“A couple of years ago, Bill [Kelliher, guitarist] reached out to me via email, saying how much he enjoyed my channel and the Stuff Mastodon Does video I made,” Eller tells Guitar World of how their friendship first blossomed.

“We've stayed in touch ever since. He's as much of a gear nut and riff chaser as I am, so we're constantly sending each other bands, pedals, amps, and stuff to check out.”

Asked if there was any hesitance in accepting Mastodon’s call for help, he goes on: “I went into this looking at it as one of the coolest things I could ever get to be a part of, but also knowing that the backlash could potentially be brutal, especially given how incredible and important of a player Brent has been for the history of the band.

“I was absolutely unprepared for the level of positivity and kindness I would receive from the fans after the gig,” Eller continues. “I cannot believe how accepting and wonderful they've been; it's overwhelming!”

Even for someone as well-read in the lore of Mastodon as Eller, being gig-ready in record time would have been a tall order for most players. Reflecting on the show, Eller has plenty of fond memories.

“The show was a blast,” he recalls. “The energy from the band and the crowd was incredible. Like any live show, you've gotta be prepared to be surprised, though. We were all having some trouble with interference affecting our in-ear monitors, but the show must go on, even if you can't hear anything.”

Speaking to GW last week, Bill Kelliher remained coy on Eller’s future in Mastodon, and asserted the band will search far and wide to find Hinds’ replacement.

“I’m as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon,” Kelliher noted. “It’s my life. It’s all I really know. I’ve got all my eggs in this basket – and I’m not ready to give it up yet. So, we’re going to keep looking, and who knows? We’ll find the right person when the time is right and ready.”

As things stand, it’s unclear whether Eller will still be in the fold for any of Mastodon's upcoming dates, or if a full-time successor will have been crowned by then. It’s possible that the band could take inspiration from Smashing Pumpkins, whose open audition received 10,000 applications to fill their vacant guitar spot last year.

Kelliher has also reflected on Hinds' exit, saying, “It’s been a fun, wild fucking ride, that’s for sure. We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams.”

It’s been a rollercoaster week for Mastodon fans. Last Friday, right before the metal stalwart’s set at the Tool in the Sand Festival, it was announced that Brent Hinds had left the band.

Esteemed YouTuber and Mastodon mega-fan Ben Eller was drafted to replace the band’s co-founding guitarist of 25 years to play the gig, but at the time of writing it is still unclear whether Eller’s appointment is temporary or permanent.

In a new interview with Guitar World, Mastodon’s remaining electric guitar player Bill Kelliher stays coy on that particular topic, but he does offer some key insights into what the band will be looking for when it comes to selecting Hinds’ full-time successor.

It sounds simple enough, really: “Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play – and can play well,” he says.

Expanding on his point, Kelliher goes on, “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,” he adds. “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.”

Ultimately, it sounds as though the search for Hinds’ successor will come down to a few key points: how good they are as a guitar player, how good they are as a person, and how seriously they are ready to commit themselves to the Mastodon way of life.

“I’m as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon,” Kelliher says. “It’s my life. It’s all I really know. I’ve got all my eggs in this basket – and I’m not ready to give it up yet. So, we’re going to keep looking, and who knows? We’ll find the right person when the time is right and ready.”

Whether that will be Eller or someone else, Kelliher remains tight-lipped: “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.”

Bill Kelliher has opened up on Brent Hinds' surprise departure from Mastodon, after the band's co-founding guitarist announced he would be stepping away from the metal stalwarts after 25 years of service.

The news came just days before the band were set to feature at Tool’s namesake Tool in the Sand festival in the Dominican Republic. In a surprise move, well-respected YouTube guitar educator and long-time Mastodon obsessive Ben Eller was drafted in, having been tasked with learning 17 songs “immediately”.

Now that the dust has settled on a mic drop moment that has sent shockwaves through the metal community, Guitar World caught up with Kelliher – Mastodon's remaining guitar player – to get his response.

Speaking about the legacy of Mastodon’s first 25 years with Hinds, Kelliher said, “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, Motorhead, 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.

“You know, it’s amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us,” Kelliher then confesses. “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.”

Yet, sentimentality aside, Kelliher has an eye on the band’s future, both immediate and long-term.

“That doesn’t mean there’s not someone else out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction,” he pivots. “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.”

It’s unclear how big of a role Eller will play in the band. Mastodon will hit the road with Periphery and Coheed & Cambria in May, and it is currently unclear if he is in line for those shows or whether a full-time successor will have been appointed by then.

Kelliher remains cryptic for now, adding that “we look forward to a new chapter of Mastodon”.

That next chapter doesn't look to be too far away. Speaking to Guitar World last year, he revealed that writing for the follow-up to 2021’s double album Hushed & Grim is already underway.

Mastodon shocked the guitar world last week when the progressive metal heavyweights announced that founding guitarist Brent Hinds had left the band.

Now the story has taken a fresh turn: the band recruited well-respected YouTube guitarist Ben Eller for their set at the 'Tool in the Sand' festival over the weekend (March 9).

The news of a mutual parting of ways after 25 years came on the eve of the event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with the group reassuring fans that “all 2025 touring plans will remain intact” despite Hinds’ departure.

Considering how important dual guitar parts are to Mastodon’s thick, sludgy sound, questions were raised about whether Bill Kelliher would go it alone for the upcoming shows, or if a replacement was lying in the wings. It turns out Eller was drafted in for the job, with video footage from the event showing him professionally weave through the band’s twisting guitar parts.

It seems there was at least a little coordination involved from the Mastodon camp, seeing as Hinds’ departure was announced just before the show. That apparently gave enough time for Eller to be sworn in, but the timeline seems a tight one.

“Can you learn 17 Mastodon songs immediately?” bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders had told the crowd of Eller’s involvement mid-set; clearly, he didn’t have any time to lose.

The band opened with Pain With an Anchor, with classics like Megalodon, Ghost of Karelia, and Blood & Thunder later featuring.

A little mystery still lingers around the Mastodon camp and, surprisingly, at the time of writing, Eller’s social channels are suspiciously quiet. So, is Eller a stand-in or Hinds' permanent successor? Mastodon are due to hit the road with Periphery and Coheed & Cambria in May and will also feature at Black Sabbath’s blockbuster farewell show this summer. We likely won't have to wait long to find out.

Eller is perhaps best known for his 'This is Why you Suck at Guitar' video series. Like so many metal guitar players, he first first fell in love with Metallica, before discovering guitar virtuosos à la Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Eddie Van Halen. He has over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Several of his videos have seen him deep-dive into Mastodon's guitar work and what makes it so brilliant. He previously stated that the band's tectonic plate-shaking Leviathan record “instantly became one of my favorite records of all time” when he first heard it in 2004. As such, his intimate knowledge of the band's material and the dizzying array of nuances therein has made him a shrewd choice, if only in the short term.

“We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared and we wish [Brent Hinds] nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors,” Mastodon's statement read. “We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of Mastodon.”

Speaking to Guitar World last year, Kelliher discussed how his and Hinds’ playing styles oppose one another. Often across the band’s history, that’s proven to be a winner – Kelliher’s precision playing and Hinds’ more erratic, country-inspired stylings bring a lot of flavor to the band’s collective broth.

“We’re opposite sometimes,” he admitted. “When I write songs, I’ll spend months piecing them together, whereas Brent says, ‘Let’s jam and write whatever on the spot in the studio.’

“That sometimes works for me, but I generally want to be organized and try out every possible avenue of where the songs can go.”

Mastodon have parted ways with Brent Hinds, the band announced on social media today (March 7). Hinds co-founded the metal band with guitarist Bill Kelliher, bassist Troy Sanders, and drummer Brann Dailor in 2000.

Writing on Instagram, the band said, “Friends and fans, after 25 monumental years together, Mastodon and Brent Hinds have mutually decided to part ways.

“We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors. We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of Mastodon.

“As we move forward, all 2025 touring plans will remain intact,” the statement continues. “We look forward to seeing you on the road.”

Neither the band nor Hinds provided a specific reason for the departure.

Mastodon are scheduled to perform this weekend (March 7-9) at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The band have a full scheduled American tour beginning in May, and a run of European festival dates scheduled for this summer.

In a 2024 interview with Guitar World, Bill Kelliher said that he had begun writing riffs for a new Mastodon record, which would serve as the follow-up to the band's first double album, 2021's Hushed and Grim.

“I’m feeling really good about everything because I have a lot of ideas,” he said at the time. “But my ideas always sound homogenous at first, so I have to trust my instincts that they’ll get to a point where they actually sound different. It’s baby steps right now, especially coming off a grand double album.”

In the same interview, Kelliher reflected on his and Hinds' different songwriting approaches, saying, “We’re opposite sometimes. When I write songs I’ll spend months piecing them together, whereas Brent says, ‘Let’s jam and write whatever on the spot in the studio.’

“That sometimes works for me, but I generally want to be organized and try out every possible avenue of where the songs can go.”

Though they’re two very different bands – the former a precision thrash force with a penchant for groove, the latter a Southern-fried psych trip of percussive prog – both shot to prominence in the early ’00s while redefining the American metal landscape. Sure enough, they’ve been prolific vanguards for heavy music ever since.

This summer, they’re looking back to their gloriously pummeling past through the joint Ashes of Leviathan arena tour – a 20th-anniversary celebration of Lamb of God’s powerfully political Ashes of the Wake and Mastodon’s massive-sounding Moby-Dick tribute, Leviathan.

In true happenstance, both now-iconic albums managed to come out the same damn day: August 31, 2004. Lamb’s lead guitarist Mark Morton and Mastodon rhythm riffer Bill Kelliher explain, however, that their careers had been inextricably linked well before then.

It was in 1998, specifically, when Richmond, Virginia’s Burn the Priest – Morton’s proto-Lamb project – happened to crash into producer Steve Austin’s recording studio in Clinton, Massachusetts, to track their venomously grinding self-titled debut. Kelliher, a native of Rochester, New York, had also recently arrived in town to play bass in Austin’s noise-core group, Today Is the Day – which then also featured drummer (and fellow future Mastodonian) Brann Dailor.

Kelliher recalls Austin Enterprises being smooshed into an old building with “an antique store on one side and a fucking donut shop on the other.” Morton recalls Burn the Priest being supremely excited to be there, though the producer’s tiny working space got cozy, to say the least.

“We were all sleeping there because we didn’t have a budget to stay anywhere else,” Morton says of the heavy metal slumber party, both he and Kelliher noting that everyone got chummy over drinks once sessions wrapped for the day.

“I have a great picture of me, Brann and Mikey Brosnan – who had a label called Legion Records, and was putting out the Burn the Priest CD at the time – on the couch the week we were there.”

Kelliher continues: “That was our home. Brann slept on the couch; I slept on a little flip-and-fuck mattress. There was a tiny fridge. No shower. A dingy little bathroom. It was fun at the time… We had no idea what was coming down the pike.”

It’d be a few years before the musicians met again, though they were on each other’s respective radars. Burn the Priest became Lamb of God in 2000, which is when they picked up Morton’s partner in crime, guitarist Willie Adler.

Kelliher caught wind of the name change, recalling seeing that his friends were “catapulting” into greater recognition following the release of 2000’s New American Gospel and 2003’s As the Palaces Burn – impressive, extreme-metal statements that that led to Lamb of God signing with major label Epic ahead of making Ashes of the Wake.

Kelliher was likewise on an incline. He and Dailor wound up in Savannah, Georgia, after leaving Today Is the Day in 2000, and it’s in the Peach State where they linked up with bassist Troy Sanders and wildcard chicken-picker Brent Hinds to form Mastodon.

While the sludge-chunkiness of 2002 debut album Remission set the stage for greatness, Dailor shuttled the band to new heights after proposing they base their progressively twisted sophomore collection around 19th-century American novelist Herman Melville’s most famous epic.

“We were all sitting at the bar in a hotel in Belgium,” Kelliher says of the conversation. “Brann was out of his mind – we’d had a few drinks or whatever – and he was like, ‘Guys… I just read this book, Moby-Dick, and I have all these crazy ideas for our next record.’ People started taking us seriously [once Leviathan came out].”

“I have always looked to Mastodon – and their really unbridled, unrestrained creative ambition – as a source of inspiration,” Morton says in a general tangent.

“I think I can say this… [but] from a distance, it sometimes looks uncomfortable for them, because there’s an identity push-and-pull. ‘Are we a metal band, or are we a doomy band, or are we this artsy Rush band?’ The answer is yes to all of those things. As a fan and as a friend, that sometimes looks a little restless [for them], which I think is good. Because if you’re not restless… then you’re stagnant.”

While set to dip into some summertime nostalgia, Mastodon and Lamb of God won’t be resting on their creative laurels for long. Both acts are in the primordial stages of making their next records (Mastodon last released Hushed and Grim in 2021; Lamb of God’s latest is 2022’s Omens).

Nevertheless, Kelliher and Morton got together with Guitar World to dish on legendary riffs, the sambuca and baloney sandwich days, and how both groups of heavy metal pirates are still journeying toward a great unknown.

Looking back on the era, Bill, do you feel like Mastodon’s songwriting leveled up from Remission to meet Brann’s Moby-Dick concept?

Bill Kelliher: “The first two Mastodon records – Remission is the first full-length, but there was the Lifesblood EP before that – were kind of a mish-mash. Brent and Troy had their songs, me and Brann had our songs, and we kind of put them together. But by Leviathan, I felt like we started locking in together with the songwriting.

“And the songs were getting more complex, more thought-out. We were getting more intricate with the note choices. And then we really felt connected to that Moby-Dick concept. I felt like we were Captain Ahab in search of the white whale.

“I could totally relate to the story. It’s not about capturing the whale; it’s about the thrill of the hunt. And we were a bunch of dirty pirates! Our ship was this giant, stinky white van, and we went port to port to play our music. We were in search of whatever the white whale could be, metaphorically… It could be a success.”

Mark, how do you remember the transition for Lamb of God between As the Palaces Burn and Ashes of the Wake? Since there was only a year between those albums, were the Ashes songs already in the tank?

Mark Morton: “It was really terrifying, because we had just done Palaces, a record that happened naturally. We had time to write those songs in our practice space as ideas popped up.

“We got signed to Epic pretty shortly after Palaces dropped, which was life-changing. Epic doing what they do, they wanted a record. They had just invested in this extreme-metal band, the scene was bubbling up and becoming a thing…”

“So we had to turn around and go right back into writing. I remember being aware of how intense that situation was. It had this cloud of pressure about it. I’d just expended all of these creative ideas on this other album.

“What it taught me, though – and it’s something I hang onto today – is to trust your artistry and wherever that creative flow is coming from. Maybe don’t accept everything as good just because it’s coming to the surface, but when your intuition tells you something is valid, run with that. Don’t be scared to believe in the ideas you have. But I didn’t have the choice of overthinking anything… We had to run with the ideas that were coming. And that wound up becoming Ashes of the Wake.”

These records kick off with all-time bangers from both of you. Mark, Laid to Rest is one of the defining stomps of the Lamb of God catalog. What do you remember about putting it together?

Morton: “I don’t remember so much about putting it together, except that I had this riff rattling around in my head. And it turns out, part of what I was hearing was a song from Testament called Into the Pit, because the riff is remarkably similar. The song structure is very different and goes to different places, so it’s not a direct lift.

“But it makes sense, because Testament was a really huge influence for me. It’s rooted in my love for ’80s Bay Area thrash. I’ve definitely told Eric Peterson a time or two that I probably owe him dinner.”

Bill, Blood and Thunder is the beast that tees off Leviathan; it’s still a big part of your sets. That first percussive riff just pumps you the fuck up.

Kelliher: “That’s our Ace of Spades kind of song that we have to play every night, whether we want to or not. It’s interesting you ask about that riff, though. Brann came up with that. He doesn’t play guitar, and he’s about as good at guitar as I am on drums – which is to say, terrible – but he comes up with a lot of riffs, and puts them into my hands.

“The thing is, he thinks of rhythms differently than I would. He was playing the beat to it [after explaining the riff], but we kept getting off time. He was like, ‘No, dude, it doesn’t go ‘ban-na, ban-na, ban-na’ it goes ‘BANT, ban-na, ban-na.’ That simple little change… It was like learning new math.

“This was jagged, angular and weird, but all of a sudden it clicked. That song just exploded. It got onto Guitar Hero back in the day. It’s the very first song on Leviathan, [but] when we do our live shows it’s usually the last song, because it’s a headbanger and kind of our most popular song.”

What were either of you using on these records, gear-wise?

Kelliher: “I’d had two guitars stolen in 2003 over in Europe, so I had just bought an ’82 Les Paul custom Silverburst, which I still have. I used that for everything, because that’s the only guitar I had. I think Brent only had one guitar, his goldtop Les Paul. We were in Seattle at Studio Litho with [producer] Matt Bayless. For Blood and Thunder, I used my JCM800 2210, dual-channel, which I’d used since I was a kid.

“I also used Brent’s JMP to double the guitars. I had either an old-school BK Butler or Chandler tube driver, like the big wedge box. It’s not like today where I’ve got over 100 guitars, 50 amps, every pedal you can imagine and modelers. When I go into the studio now, it’s like I’m a kid in a candy store. It was much different back then.”

Morton: “I would have used a ’75 Les Paul goldtop that had been routed out for PAFs. I think I had a Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker in the bridge, which is what I would’ve been using mostly. I also had a Jackson Swee-tone, which is a weird spin on a neck-through. Kind of a Dinky-shaped, two-humbucker thing. I played that for a lot of that era, too. Those would have been the two main guitars.

“Amp-wise, it would have been a Boogie Mark IV, which I still use quite a bit, but [Ashes producer] Machine did a lot of re-amping on that record. Honestly, I’ve never loved the guitar sound on that record. I liked the guitar sound going into Ashes of the Wake, but the guitar sound coming back when it was mixed and mastered…

“I’m still not really a fan of it. It’s just not my sound. It’s kind of sandy and gritty. When I’m dialing in a tone, it’s more reflective of my personality on the guitar. A tighter gain structure. Not as grainy and sharp.”

Bill, did you and Brent catch the white whale on Leviathan, in terms of tone?

Kelliher: “I wasn’t unhappy with the guitar tone on the record. I think it’s fine… I have to agree with Mark, though. A lot of times when I go into the studio where someone else is in control, I’m never happy with how the guitars sound when they come out of the speakers. Like, ‘That’s not my tone. Go put your ear up to the fucking amp.’ I record bands all the time, and I don’t run it through anything except a microphone; that’s when it sounds the best.”

Morton: “The thing to consider is that any competent producer can come in and capture my tone just like I like it, but a producer [has] other agendas to consider. They have to carve out space for the other guitar player or the bass player. There is a science toward making space with frequencies in the mix… sometimes that can stomp on what I might think is the perfect guitar sound.

“Machine wasn’t super familiar with the band, so I think there’s an aspect of trying to get the best overall result in the most efficient timeframe. What inevitably happens is a lot of producers already know how they’re going to wrap the signal paths, because they have a tried-and-true system.

“That winds up changing the personality and the sound [of the band]. I’m not attacking Machine – we went on to work with him again [on 2006’s Sacrament – ed.] and rectified a lot of those issues – but I think a lot of times you’re on a strict schedule, and you’ve got to get this record done. Sometimes that winds up with guitar players like Bill and myself not being thrilled with the tone that wound up printing on the record.”

This might be a good point, Mark, to analyze the tone and feel of several different players on your record. How did you go about putting together Ashes of the Wake’s thrash-strumental title track, which ended up rolling out four distinct solos from you, Willie, Testament’s Alex Skolnick and Megadeth’s Chris Poland?

Morton: “We had kind of gotten away from the New American Gospel style of writing, which was just landscapes of riffs stitched together. By the time we’re at Ashes of the Wake, we’re considering the way a song moves – what’s the chorus; what’s the bridge; how are these things working together – from a succinct, listenability kind of approach. That particular song didn’t have a lot of that going on, though. [Laughs]

“Willie, my partner in the band, definitely has a less conventional approach to songwriting. He’s more like, ‘I don’t care what part it is that happens next.’ There’s a beauty to that, but sometimes it can be difficult to write lyrics to that. So that song had that feel to it – ‘Why don’t we just leave it instrumental?’ Then the idea was to put these solos on it. It was a nod to some of our influences. And having Chris Poland and Alex Skolnick on the same tune is cool!”

Was the idea of going toe-to-toe with your heroes intimidating?

Morton: “Probably! I remember feeling relieved that I got to go last, because then you kind of know what you’re up against. I’m not the most adept lead player. I’m a blues guitarist, really. I got a few licks... I’m pretty sure I worked them all into that solo.”

This is a tour where you’re playing the album front to back, which potentially opens up Ashes of the Wake to getting guest solos from Brent, Bill or even Kerry King, who’s opening a few dates. What’s everyone here thinking about that?

Morton: “It’s an open invitation to those guys, but my guess is they’ll be eating frozen yogurt or watching a movie [during our set].”

Kelliher: “Touring in your 50s, you’re getting on the bus and watching some Netflix.”

Morton: “Yeah!”

Kelliher: “I’m not much of a soloist either. I’ve been in bands where I was the only guitar player. I had to play solos, but I never took any guitar lessons. I grew up on punk rock – Greg Ginn from Black Flag; Dead Kennedys – and they were sloppy. That fit my style. When I solo, it’s simple, bluesy stuff. Less Kerry King. I can get up there and do a Chuck Berry solo in the middle of it, though… sure. [Laughs]”

Hearts Alive is one of Leviathan’s most complex pieces. It’s the weightiest song that the band had put together at that point – at nearly 14 minutes, it’s still the longest song in your catalog. What was it like writing that kind of an epic?

Kelliher: “Brent had found a book called something like 500 Guitar Chords and was learning all these different chords to put together in the opening riff. It was such a departure from a song like Blood and Thunder. They’re on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of songwriting.

“With what Mark was saying earlier about Mastodon, we don’t really fit into one category. I love that about our band! Today we’re a metal band, tomorrow we’re a Southern rock band or a doom band. There are bluesy licks; there’s country licks, metal-ized; there’s punk rock riffs. It’s what keeps our heart beating.”

Brent’s solo on Hearts Alive is also one of Mastodon’s biggest….

Kelliher: “I don’t think there was much soloing on Remission. It’s a lot of rhythmic stuff; that’s kind of who we were, you know? I think [Hearts Alive] was a chance for him to open up, let loose, go crazy and show off his skills. And it was epic! He’s always great when he’s laying down his solos. They’re soulful. You can feel them. There are a lot of weird notes that he bends into, and it’s like, ‘Where are you going? Oh, there it is!’ He’s a unique player.”

Looking back at your first big summer tour together, are there any memories that stick out from the Unholy Alliance trip with Slayer in 2006?

Morton: “I’ve always felt a kinship with the Mastodon guys. The camps have always gotten along really well. Maybe Bill has more specific memories… I lost a lot of years starting around that era.”

Kelliher: “I don’t remember a lot of those days either. I used to drink quite heavily, which I stopped doing years ago. I just remember hanging out with the Slayer dudes and drinking a lot of ’buca with Kerry King. Just riding the wave, man, and having a good time with everybody. But honestly, my brain has been fried for so many years that I can’t remember specific things because it was mostly a blackout night every night. It’s much different these days!”

So, we have this Ashes of Leviathan tour celebrating these two monumental albums. What are the defining aspects of these records for you?

Morton: “It was a pivotal record for the band. For me, creatively, it gave me a little bit of confidence. As a songwriter, I was thrown into the fire because of the timing of it all. To see it connect the way it did, I was able to take a breath [afterwards] and say, ‘Alright, cool… now we get to do this again and we can take more time with it.’ We hit a stride around that point that we remained in for some time. In that sense, [Ashes of the Wake] was us reaching altitude.”

How did Leviathan change things for Mastodon, Bill?

Kelliher: “At the time I was in the middle of it, it was just a regular day, going out and playing those songs. But we were very proud of the record. My mom would still be bugging me in 2004, like, ‘You need to go to college, get a degree [and] get a real job.’ I was like, ‘No, mom, it’s cool. I’m in the van and getting baloney sandwiches on 100 bucks a night. I love it. And I’m 30!’

“But when we were in Rolling Stone for Leviathan and they were giving us accolades like, 'There’s much more to these neanderthals than just sludge metal – they read books,’ it gave us some credibility. That really helped us stick out as not just another metal band.

“A song like Hearts Alive was also the gateway into the next record, Blood Mountain. It’s just an upward-and-onward thing. Looking back at Leviathan, that’s really where our career moved up a notch. It’s a defining moment in our history. The best-selling record it seems like, too.”

Beyond this trip, what are the next steps for either band?

Kelliher: “I’ve been writing a shit-ton. If I spend a day and write 10 riffs, maybe one of them is good, and that’s OK! It’s what puts me at peace and keeps me on track. So right now, we’re at the tip of the iceberg [for the next record] – laying all the riffs out, putting them to click tracks and arranging. We’re interviewing producers. We’re talking about collaborations with other people.”

Morton: “There’s nothing to announce at this point. Willie and I write a lot of riffs, and sometimes we’ll bounce stuff off each other to know what the vibe is.

Maybe this is a sign of things to come from Lamb of God and Mastodon, in terms of these paired-up album tours. Blood Sacrament has a nice ring to it, for instance. Maybe this is what you do together every couple of summers…”

Kelliher: “Hey, if it works… why not?”

• See Ashes of Leviathan Tour for dates and ticket details.

The old adage “never meet your heroes” usually rings true. However, for Mastodon's Bill Kelliher, meeting guitar heroes like Metallica's James Hetfield and Slayer's Kerry King were key moments in his career that pushed him to improve his guitar playing. 

“It was funny when I first met Hetfield, who's been an idol of mine. It was in Portugal or some big festival we were doing, and I shook his hand,” Kelliher says on The Rockman Power Hour podcast. “I was like, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar.’ And he was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘Like, you know what I'm talking about. You paved the way for me.’”

Meeting Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo was another surreal moment for Kelliher. “When I met Kirk and Robert, they were walking around together and they saw me, and they came running over and they're like, ‘Hey, man, what's up? Can we get a picture with you?’ I was like, this is a joke. Like, I should get pictures. Yeah, you guys are Metallica. I'm just fucking Bill from Mastodon. That's awesome. It was wild.”

Rubbing shoulders with his heroes was also important for Kelliher to realize that he needed to take his instrument more seriously. One incident, in particular, served as a true wake-up call. 

“Watching Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman warm up before a show and I'm walking around drinking a beer. ‘What are you guys warming up for? Know your fucking songs,’” he recalls. 

“And then I realized there's something to this. I started practicing guitar way, way fucking more. I was like 'You're a guitar player. You're in this really big fucking band. You should be better, like you should spend your time not drinking and playing more guitar. Get better at your craft.’”

Kelliher has previously spoken about his experiences meeting Metallica and their diligent practice routine. In a 2021 interview with Guitar World, he recalled, “Metallica practiced for three hours a night before playing onstage for another two. Meanwhile, we were sitting around drinking beer and picking our noses!”

Mastodon will be heading out on a co-headline tour with Lamb of God this July. The co-headline tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of the two band's 2004 albums Leviathan and Ashes of The Wake respectively. The tour kicks off on July 19 at Grand Prairie, Texas, with Kerry King supporting on select shows. 

Troy Sanders plays bass. He also sings. Not only that, he is the frontman of Mastodon, a band that is quite possibly the most exciting musical force of the heavy rock persuasion operating today.

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, the foursome – Sanders plus guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor – have recorded eight albums to date, all packed with densely-layered sound that manages to be intimidating and catchy at the same time.

As a bassist, Sanders formed a style as unique as Mastodon itself. He’s a pocket player first and foremost, but he also breaks it up with commanding power chords. His tight fingerstyle is equally adept at heavy-bottom reinforcement and matching complex unison guitar lines with grooving counterpoint. So much so that he was featured in our list of the 20 greatest bass solos of all time.

So, the million-dollar question: how does Sanders hold down the majority of Mastodon's vocals while also laying down the bass parts? Restraint is the key, he told us.

“As the bass player in a heavily guitar-driven band, I don't need to be in the spotlight any more than I already am. I try to get some feel when the time is right, but because we have two guitar wizards and a mountain range of a drummer, my role doesn't usually need to be any more than just rocking out.”

“We have a vocal tag-team between Brann, Brent and myself; we bounce ideas off each other to see what the strongest one is. Then it takes loads of practice and repetition, because playing bass and singing is a lot like rubbing your belly and patting your head. There are two different rhythms going on at once! I just try to be as tasteful as possible on the bass. Then I go into vocal mode.”

Asked how being lost in a 'fog of rock' on stage can sometimes affect his bass playing, Sanders muses: “I lose perspective. I know my bandmates are playing super-well, but sometimes it's just so massive that it takes me the entire set to know what's really happening.

“That should make me concentrate harder, but I kind of levitate into this mental dreamscape and I probably make more mistakes than ever! I’m just so glad that we can still do it and that it's the same four guys. 

“Relationships are difficult to sustain, whether it's a friend or a girlfriend or whoever, so I'm proud of the fact that we've stayed close for so long. It never ceases to amaze me that we're still able to do what we do.”

Asked about the tools of his trade, Sanders points his signature Fender Jaguar bass. While plenty of bass players love a bit of Jaguar, from Colin Greenwood of Radiohead to Stefan Olsdal of Placebo, you'll be hard-pressed to find someone with their actual name on the headstock.

“I was in Kansas City, Missouri, and my younger brother Darren found a Jaguar bass in a store and bought it for me. I'd been playing loads of different basses, so he thought it would be nice for me to try a Jaguar. I played it and fell in love with it. A year or two later the kind folks at Fender approached me, and they told me that they were interested in doing a signature bass. I was blown away!”

Sanders didn't take long to make up his mind. “We started going back and forth with signature Jazz and Precision basses. I told them I was really digging my Jaguar a lot, and they were interested in doing one of those, as there's only a small number of Jaguar signature basses. I told them that sounded perfect.”

Sanders joined forces with Fender once again in 2023 to create a signature Precision Bass. “My favorite feature is the worker bee icon on the back neck plate – which is inspired by Mastodon's Remission album because it symbolizes our work ethic and dedication.”

Bass distortion is also a subject close to his heart. “I own a lot of different distortion pedals, and I bring out a different one for every tour. My go-to is called a Tall Font Russian, made by a small company called Wren & Cuff in California. It's based on the old Big Muff: in fact, I once A/B'ed them together and I couldn't tell the difference. I also have a Rottweiler distortion, made by TC Electronic, and then my classic Russian-made Big Muff. Those three are my go-to distortions.

“I know it's ridiculous that I still go to stores and want to buy pedals just to see what they sound like. On the other hand, it's cool that the fire is still burning in me, that I still want to want to jam with my bandmates and that I look forward to writing new songs and going on tour. I hope that fire continues to burn.” 

In 2021, Mastadon released its most ambitious record yet, the 86-minute epic Hushed and Grim. At its core was the same depth and power we've come to expect from the supercharged, hard-riffing duo of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher.

Few rock harder and heavier the the pair, who are often labeled as lead and rhythm respectively. Across the band’s eight-record catalog, which includes the classics Leviathan (2004), Crack the Skye (2009), and Once More 'Round the Sun (2014), Hinds’ leads are surely searing – but it’s Kelliher’s soul-filled approach that’s defined Mastodon most.

“We’re opposite sometimes,” Kelliher tells Guitar World. “When I write songs I’ll spend months piecing them together, whereas Brent says, ‘Let’s jam and write whatever on the spot in the studio.’ That sometimes works for me, but I generally want to be organized and try out every possible avenue of where the songs can go.”

He reports that he’s already working on riffs for the next Mastodon record. “I’m feeling really good about everything because I have a lot of ideas. But my ideas always sound homogenous at first, so I have to trust my instincts that they’ll get to a point where they actually sound different. It’s baby steps right now, especially coming off a grand double album.

“I want to get back to songs more like Pushing the Tides, where the songwriting is very guitar-driven. We don’t do simpler stuff that much; there's a lot of 10 and 15-minute songs in our catalog. And that’s cool – they’re great and I love to play them. But that’s not the trip I’m on now. I’ve been tuning to Drop C a lot, so we’ll see where that takes me.”

Your latest ESP signature guitar, the Silver Sunburst Royal Shiva, dropped ahead of NAMM. What was the inspiration behind it?

“For Crack the Skye back in 2009, I wanted a guitar with nine strings, with three high strings doubled up. Back then, my guitar was by First Act, a custom double cutaway; I really liked the way it sounded and played. I also liked the weight of it, which was maybe 12 or 13 pounds – it was really thick.

“Fast-forward to around 2020 and I was like, ‘Man, I’d like to have a guitar like that, but with only six strings.’ I just wanted something I could play, so I worked with ESP to make one just like it, only with six strings.

“I sent them the First Act guitar, and they sent it to Japan to have all the specs mapped out, aside from the original nine strings. They basically made an exact copy of it, and I love it.

“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.”

Why do you prefer such heavy guitars?

“I don't know… I don’t trust a light guitar! Well, I shouldn't say that – it’s more that I like a guitar that feels solid. I know I’m getting older, and running around the stage with such heavy guitars isn’t great for my back and shoulders, but I like ‘em heavy.

“I tried SGs and Flying Vs, and they might look cool and sound good, but it’s like playing a piece of Styrofoam.”

One of the prettiest features of the Royal Shiva is the double cutout, which gives you plenty of access.

“I don’t play a lot of stuff up high, but there are definitely some benefits to being able to play up there. And you definitely can with this guitar.”

What sets ESP apart for you?

“I like the fact that fresh out of the box, they’re in tune and intonated well – they’re ready to go right away. Honestly, I never really have to set them up. When ESP sends one to me – which they do often because they’re such a great company – they’re always what I need.

“I was never a big fan of weird, crazy metal-shaped guitars with spikey ends and stuff like that. When I joined up with ESP the first thing I said was, ‘Can I design my own guitar?’ Literally, the first couple of prototypes were on the mark. ESP just makes good products; even the LTDs are fucking great out of the box.”

Are the pickups singular to you?

“Yeah – they’re called Hellbenders, which is derived from an old song. I started working with Mojotone because they’re a small company, not too far from where I live, and had been sending me pickups for years. I always loved them and said, ‘Man, these are sleepers. These are great pickups.’

“So when it came time to move on from my old endorsement and I needed pickups, I called Mojotone, and they sent me a bunch to try out. I liked their Black Magic pickup because of the sharpness and clarity, and I could catch all these attributes with just that one pickup.

“I like pickups with a bit more mid-range and high-end because the Freidman Butterslax amps I use are very bass-heavy. I needed to pick up each string equally. I need that mid-range because even my clean tone has dirt and grit with some sustain.”

Are the Hellbenders custom wound to your specification, or a direct offshoot of the Black Magic series?

“They’re a bit of both. I might have even sent them some other pickups by other companies and said, ‘I like the responsiveness of this.’ But they’ve told me the Hellbenders are specific to me – even though I don’t know all the specifics!

“There’s some alnico and ceramic mumbo jumbo that I don’t fully understand, but my ears tell me they sound great. We went through five or six prototypes before settling on what’s in the Royal Shiva.”

You mentioned your Friedman amps, which were considered while putting together the Royal Shiva. What’s the secret sauce in your current combination of amps, pickups and guitars?

“The secret sauce is clarity. I’m not trying to be a precise player, but I’m always trying to maintain a sense of soul. Growing up, I never took lessons; I listened to bands like The Ramones and Black Flag, which were a little sloppy. All those guys were writing songs, and they weren’t Berklee School of Music guys – they were just playing fucking power chords. They were a little sloppy, kinda like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.

“So when choosing amps to pair with this stuff, I look for crunchy, chewy, soggy and crisp tones. A lot of people use too much distortion and scoop out the mid-range – the older I get, the less distortion I want from my amps.”

So the Hellbenders on the Royal Shiva allow you to drive the amp harder and create distortion through breakup, rather than relying on pedals?

“Yeah, because I use high-gain amps. They’re very tight, with a lot of bottom end. But I’ve also incorporated some Victory VX100 Super Krakens. The mixture gives a wall of sound that has enough bass and low end through the Freidman.

“And then I get a lot of high-end from the Victory. It’s crisp – if you were playing speed metal and speed picking, you’d be able to hear each note. The combination of those two amps gives me a sound that’s unique to me.”

Have you put that setup to work in writing some new riffs for Mastodon’s next record?

“Oh, yeah, definitely. But how it’ll all sound has yet to be determined. It’s always hard to see the forest through the trees, so to speak. Until vocals start happening, it’s just a bunch of big riffs that are weird and off-time. It’s a lot of weird shit that needs to be pieced together, but that’s the process.

“I’ll record a bunch of riffs while on tour and put them on my phone. Once we’re off tour I’ll dump them out and see which ideas can be friends. It’s rare for me to sit down and write an entire song in one sitting.

“What makes Mastodon songs unique is that one riff could be from 12 years ago and paired with a riff I just wrote. Some riffs have to wait years for their time to come out to play. That’s how it's always been.”

Will the Royal Shiva make its recording debut on the next record?

“Definitely. I feel like the thicker the guitar, the better. That guitar is thick, and it resonates better than others. So I’ll use that for sure – but there will be others.

“When tracking I like to use a guitar with a humbucker, like a Les Paul or the ESP, and then I’ll double it with a guitar by ESP, an LTD called the Ron Wood. It has a single coil, bringing the overall guitar tone out to me.”

You're in the early stages of writing, but what’s next for Mastodon?

“Hopefully we’ll be touring at some point in 2024. But for sure, it’s record-writing time, so that’s what I’m focusing on right now. I did a lot of traveling in 2023, so I just want to sit at home, dig in, and write the best record we can write. The goal is always to top the last one.”

• Hushed and Grim is on sale now. Watch the Mastodon website for tour dates.

ESP recently released Bill Kelliher’s latest signature model, the Royal Shiva. The arrival of the LTD iteration of his personal ESP Custom Shop Silverburst had been hotly anticipated both by fans of Mastodon – and fans of unusually thick electric guitars.

Indeed, the guitar itself was teased back in 2021, and while the double-cut Yamaha SG/First Act body shape caught the eye, it was the sheer denseness of the starkly finished guitar that really stole the spotlight: that thing was absolutely huge.

But while we mere mortals would look at that guitar and shudder at the thought of the damage it would do to our backs, Kelliher instead sees it as an essential part of the playing experience.

Now, in an upcoming Guitar World interview, Kelliher takes a deep-dive into his new signature guitar and the origins of the instrument that first inspired it.

That guitar, which itself was based on a 13lbs First Act Custom Double Cutaway nine-string model, was built by ESP back in 2020, and was produced to replicate the First Act’s exacting weight.

“I sent them the guitar, and they sent it to Japan to have all the specs mapped out, aside from the original nine strings,” Kelliher explains. 

“They basically made an exact copy of it, and I love it. 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.”

Asked why he operates with this approach, Kelliher responds, “I don't trust a light guitar. Well, I shouldn't say I don't trust it; it's more that I like a guitar that feels solid. I know I'm getting older, and running around the stage with such heavy guitars isn't great for my back and shoulders, but I like 'em heavy. 

“I tried SGs and Flying Vs, and they might look cool and sound good, but it's like playing a piece of Styrofoam.”

Bill Kelliher isn’t the only high-profile riffsmith to favor guitars that err on the heavy side. Tool’s Adam Jones, for example, shares a similar affection for heavy instruments.

However, while Kelliher is happy to add a bit of body thickness to the equation to achieve his desired density, Jones takes a more particular approach towards wood choices.

Indeed, as Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian noted recently, the Silverburst aficionado had Gibson searching for “the heaviest woods” possible while building his Les Paul Custom, due to the fact “he wants the heaviest guitars” the company can “humanly make”.

Visit ESP to find out more about the LTD Royal Shiva.

NAMM 2024: ESP has finally released Bill Kelliher’s latest long-awaited signature guitar in the form of the LTD Royal Shiva.

Early initial sightings of the double-cut Eclipse-style model can be traced back to 2021, when the Mastodon riffmeister gave fans a sneak peek of the wild silverburst-esque six-string during promo for his signature STL ToneHub plugin.

At the time, Kelliher confirmed a prototype of some sort was indeed in the works, and shared a few telling details: namely, it would be very, very heavy – up to 13 lbs, specifically.

It would seem the prototype Kelliher was playing around with – with its deep grooves and thick body ergonomics – eventually became a one-off ESP Custom Shop model purpose-built for the man himself, rather than for a wider ESP artist series release.

Speaking in an upcoming interview with Guitar World, Kelliher discussed how that original Royal Shiva was in fact inspired by his nine-string First Act Custom model, which he sent to ESP in order to have a dedicated six-string version built in 2020.

“They basically made an exact copy of it, and I love it,” he revealed of his initial custom model. “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.”

Fast-forward to 2024, and the model has finally been given the wider release it deserves in the form of an LTD version, which is based on that very same ESP Custom Shop model.

That means it has the attention-grabbing double-cut Eclipse-style body, which is composed from mahogany with a maple cap. There’s been no official word on whether the LTD matches the sheer weight of its ESP counterpart, but one thing’s for sure: it certainly looks thick enough to meet the mark.

“I like a guitar that feels solid,” Kelliher admitted in his upcoming GW interview. “I know I'm getting older, and running around the stage with such heavy guitars isn't great for my back and shoulders, but I like 'em heavy.”

As per the Mastodon maestro’s exacting specs, the 25”-scale LTD model also has a three-piece U-shaped mahogany neck, topped with a 12”-radius Macassar ebony fretboard adorned with large mother-of-pearl block inlays. 22 extra jumbo frets and a 43mm bone nut can also be found.

Another notable appointment can be found in the electronic department, which boasts Kelliher’s Mojotone Hell Bender pickups – a set of signature humbuckers that arrived this time last year, and lined up to be among the most versatile metal pickups on the market.

These sonically versatile humbuckers are given extra flexibility thanks to an intuitive control layout that comprises push/pull volume and tone pots. That means both the neck and bridge humbuckers can be coil-split.

Finishing touches include LTD locking tuners, TonePros Locking TOM bridge and Tailpiece, and white body binding. It’s also worth giving that glorious Silver Sunburst finish – which spans the entire body and neck – another shoutout.

The Royal Shiva is available to preorder now for $1,999.

Head over to ESP to find out more.

For all things NAMM 2024, head over to our guide to the latest NAMM 2024 news.

Mastodon’s resident riff architect Bill Kelliher recently linked up with Guitar World and Mojotone to take us through all things electric guitar, from his tone journey, biggest gear mishaps and favorite instruments – and he did so in the most unlikely place.

Because as well as dishing up his six-string wisdom – and showcasing the brute force of his signature Mojotone Hellbender pickups – Kelliher also demonstrated his favorite sweet potato hash recipe.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the video (aside from the superb culinary skills on display) is Kelliher’s admission that his dad “didn’t believe in distortion”, and that he had to formulate his own round-about rig to harness high-gain tones as a young guitarist.

As an aspiring player, Kelliher was first bought a Starforce Kramer Eddie Van Halen copy and then a Traynor combo amp that didn’t have distortion. Naturally, the then-15-year-old asked his dad for something with a little extra oomph.

His requests were met with opposition – as a hi-fi business owner of 35 years, Kelliher Senior wasn’t too fond of the sound-altering effect.

“I was like, ‘Dad, I need distortion,’” Kelliher recalled. “And my dad being in the hi-fi business told me, ‘Well, Billy, us in the hi-fi business are trying to rid the world of distortion. We want a crisp, clear sound coming out of our speakers and our hi-fi gear. He didn’t believe in distortion.”

So, in order to overcome the tonal setback, Kelliher improvised: “I had to figure out how to get distortion,” he explained. “I had an old Sony receiver that was from the late ‘70s, I had two Advent speakers, a turntable, I had this little MXR EQ… 

“I figured out how to plug my guitar into the EQ, into my tape deck, hold down the Record and Play button – so it was in Record mode, so it would pass the signal, but there wasn’t even a tape in there – press the Pause button and run signal through that.

“I got this crazy distorted sound that wasn't unlike Greg Ginn of Black Flag,” Kelliher continued, “and that was my dude that I was looking up to at the time.

“I don't know how I figured out these things but when you’re a kid and you want something, and you have ambition to get it, you make it happen.”

Kelliher doesn't divulge what his father thought of his round-about distortion setup, but we imagine he would have been rather impressed by his son's electrical ingenuity – if not the tones.

To find out about Kelliher's biggest gear mishaps, his remarkable guitar collection, and, erm, how to make Sweet Potato Hash, watch the full conversation in the video above.

And for more info on his signature Hellbender pickups, hit up Mojotone.

NAMM 2023: ESP has dropped a mega-haul of signature guitars at this year’s NAMM, including a new Olympic White take on James Hetfield’s Signature Series Vulture, plus new models for Gary Holt, Bill Kelliher, Stephen Carpenter, Nergal and Javier Reyes.

At the top of this reassuringly large list is James Hetfield’s LTD Signature Series Vulture, which looks resplendent in its new Olympic White finish.

“Metallica fans around the world have seen James onstage playing his ESP Custom Shop version of the Olympic White Vulture,” says Matt Masciandaro, ESP’s president and CEO.

“This is a case where popular demand for a guitar was overwhelming, and we’re glad to finally make it available to ESP players.”

As with the existing black Vulture, it features a mahogany body shaped to emulate the iconic Metallica ‘M’ logo. There’s a three-piece mahogany neck with a Gibson-like set neck construction and 24 3/4" scale-length. You’ll also find a Macassar ebony fretboard with a Vulture inlay at the 12th fret and it comes loaded with a set of Hetfield’s signature EMG JH Het Set active humbuckers. 

Hetfield might pull the focus, but as mentioned, he is by no means the only artist granted the honor of a signature from the ESP umbrella this year. Let’s have a look at the rest… 

LTD Bill Kelliher Vintage Sunburst BK-600 and Sparrowhawk 

The Mastodon man already has three signature LTD guitars out there and now two of them – the BK-600 single-cut and the Sparrowhawk (an offset that borrows a little inspiration from the non-reverse Firebird) are available in this new Vintage Sunburst finish. 

In addition, they have both been overhauled to include a set of Kelliher’s signature Mojotone Hellbender humbuckers – as opposed to the previous Seymour Duncan Distortions.

LTD Gary Holt GH-SV

The thrash legend and Exodus linchpin has a new “very pointy” (his words) signature model, the GH-SV. It uses a neck-thru-body build, though you can’t see that because, as well as being very pointy, it’s very black. 

That finish is accented with a nice blood red trim and red pickup covers over its direct-mount EMG 81/89R active humbuckers. 

The neck has a 24 3/4” scale-length (setting it aside from Nergal’s new HEX Vs, below) and 22 frets ‘extra jumbo’ stainless steel frets. There’s also a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo and Grover tuners. 

LTD Signature Series JRV-8

Looking not-unlike an overfed Strat, the JRV-8 is an eight-string take on the classic S-style body shape, built for Animals As Leaders’ guitarist Javier Reyes. It has a 27” baritone scale and uses a bolt-on build, pairing an alder body with a five-piece maple and walnut thin contour neck. 

ESP notes it is a rare example of a production model featuring an official eight-string double-locking Floyd Rose vibrato. 

The HSS pickup layout is also pretty interesting, offering a combination of Fishman’s Fluence Single Width 8 pickups on the middle and neck alongside the guitarist’s own Fluence 8 String Javier Reyes Classic Open Core at the bridge. The Fluence pickups have three selectable voices, so there should be plenty of sonic flexibility on offer here.

LTD Volsung-200

Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen is a man who favors utility in his instruments and his new Volsung-200 shaves off some of the weight and frippery of ESP’s SG-like Viper build. 

It features a straightforward set-neck build, LTD hardware and ESP Designed humbuckers. The only added complexity is that it features an extra volume knob (Viper’s usually only have one shared volume pot), enabling individual control of the pickups’ output.  

LTD HEX-6 / LTD HEX-200

Nergal, frontman of Polish metal giants Behemoth, has two new Vs making their debut at this year’s NAMM. First up, the HEX-6, which has a neck-thru-body build and a 25.5” scale-length. You’ll also find a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers in there, plus a TonePros Locking TOM bridge. 

The HEX-200 offers a more affordable take on the build, cutting the production costs with a bolt-on neck and using ESP Designed pickups in the place of the Fishman set.

LTD SCT-607 Baritone

Finally, Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter has reprised the black finish for his T-style seven-string guitar. A baritone build, it has a neck-thru-body construction and Carpenter’s Fishman Fluence pickups, plus a TonePros TOM bridge.

So that’s about it on the ESP signature front this year, a typically generous haul – and that’s not even counting Kirk Hammett’s new LTD-KHV guitars, which were announced last month.

For more information on all the brand’s Signature Series gear, head to ESP.

Fender has joined forces with Mastodon's Troy Sanders to create a new signature Precision bass guitar.

The swanky Silverburst bass is loaded with unique visual and sonic appointments – among them a custom-voiced preamp, Tim Shaw-designed custom pickups, and a small handful of Sanders/Mastodon-themed graphics.

You can watch Sanders take it for a spin below.

For starters, the four-string features an alder body with a 34", custom ‘70s P-Bass "C"-shaped maple neck that sports a 9.5" radius slab rosewood fretboard adorned with 20 Medium Jumbo frets, White Pearloid Block inlays, and a synthetic bone nut.

Sonically, the four-string is outfitted with a pair of Tim Shaw-designed custom pickups – a Troy Sanders Single-Coil Jazz Bass pickup at the bridge, and a Troy Sanders Split-Coil P-Bass unit in the middle. Sounds can be tweaked by a master volume knob, a pan pot pickup selector, and a custom-voiced active preamp armed with treble and bass controls. The bass also features an active/passive toggle switch. 

Hardware-wise, the Sanders P-Bass boasts a four-saddle HiMass Vintage bridge and standard open-gear tuning machines. Custom appointments include a Mastodon “Remission” logo on the neck plate, an “Emperor of Sand” 12th fret inlay and Sanders' own signature decal on the back of the headstock.

“The Troy Sanders Precision Bass is beyond anything I could've ever imagined – I am humbled and grounded every time I see it,” Sanders said in a statement. “Fun fact, the Silverburst color scheme became my favorite as both Mastodon guitarists have been rocking them since day one. During our formative years, their idea was for me to get one also so we could be in Silverburst unison on stage. 

"My favorite feature is the worker bee icon on the back neck plate – which is inspired by Mastodon's Remission album because it symbolizes our work ethic and dedication. I can’t wait for players globally to get their hands on this P-Bass and shred!”

The Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass comes with a deluxe gig bag, and is available now for $1,499.

For more info on the instrument, visit Fender.

Mastodon guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher recently endorsed UK amp manufacturer Victory. The news has now been followed by a video ad from the brand in which the guitarist takes on the role of ‘Super Sheriff’ Dirty B. Hinds and arrests local players for tonal crimes.

While you’d be forgiven for thinking Hinds rates pretty low on the list of metal players who’d find work in the forces, he takes on the role with some gusto. And also a taser.

As such, the COPS-style parody clip shows him rolling around Atlanta in his Sheriff Hinds County vehicle, confiscating amps from bewildered guitarists and tackling “audio perverts”, complete with voiceover. Choice sample: “The perp realises he’s getting the harshest punishment of all – listening to a total stranger dick around on guitar.”

Usually, Sheriff Dirty B. Hinds generously offers to replace the illegal gear with a Victory Sheriff guitar amp. The clip also makes clear that he is not actually affiliated with any real law enforcement agency, though that won’t stop him from “aggressively distributing the Victory Sheriff amp”.

The clip also features a couple of cameos that eagle-eyed/eared players might spot, in the form of Royal Thunder’s Mlny Parsonz and the band Order of the Owl.

Both Hinds and Kelliher have endorsed Victory Amps’ newly revamped Sheriff line, in particular, with Hinds opting for the VS100 Super Sheriff head and Kelliher favouring the Sheriff 25.

If Dirty B. Hinds’ law-making mayhem has caught your attention, head to Victory Amps for more information on the Sheriff Series.

UK guitar amp specialist Victory Amplification has announced two new additions to its Sheriff amp series – both of which appear to have caught the attention of Mastodon’s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher.

The new Sheriff 25 and VS100 Super Sheriff build on the line’s British rock voicings, replacing the existing Sheriff 22 and Sheriff 44 models.

But more on the specifics later on, because the bigger story appears to be the new models’ endorsement by both Mastodon guitarists.

Kelliher was seemingly confirmed by Andertons boss man Lee Anderton, who shared a photo of Bill next to a stack of Sheriff heads and thanked Victory for setting up an interview.

Hinds, meanwhile, could be spotted over on Victory artist relations Alex Auxier’s Instagram account, accompanied by a VS100 Super Sheriff and the caption, “Something is happening here and I’m so stoked to show you.”

Media agency Newmerica were also tagged in the post – its latest image shows Brent Hinds in a car branded with “Sheriff Hinds County”, so it looks like we can expect another madcap Brent promo video in the near-future.

The Mastodon men’s signing is notable given their previous signature amp releases – Kelliher has long been faithful to his Friedman Butterslax head, while Brent Hinds released his own low-power Orange Terror head. We’re intrigued to see how far the relationship with Victory goes, and whether new signature gear could be in the offing.

Tonally, it makes sense that the pair would make the jump. While the Sheriff features a lower-gain Plexi-esque vintage channel, it also offers a JCM-inspired ’hot rod’ option that is likely to appeal to metal guitarists of all stripes.

As for the new offerings, the Sheriff 25 is available as a 25-watt head ($1,449/£1,199) or 1x12 combo with Celestion G12H anniversary speaker ($2,229/£1,899).

The VS100 Super Sheriff, meanwhile, comes as a head only, and delivers a pair of modes per channel: clean and crunch, as well as gain and more gain.

Two versions of the VS100 will be released: a wooden sleeve model ($2,369/£1,999) and a wide-body wooden head ($2,499/£2,099) to pair with Victory’s 4x12 cabinets.

Other features include a Presence control and Bass Focus switch, as well as a rotary knob for Bass Focus on the amp’s rear.

Naturally, there’s also an onboard FX loop, footswitchable channels and modes, plus bias test points and a wealth of speaker outputs. And as with all of Victory’s gear, the amps are designed and hand-built in the UK.

For more information on the new models, head over to Victory Amps.

While we’re on the subject of Mastodon gear, we’re still waiting on Bill Kelliher’s ESP double-cut Silverburst signature model, although he did release his latest set of signature pickups, the uber-versatile Mojotone Hellbender, last month.

Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher has teamed up with North Carolina pickup and part manufacturer Mojotone for a new set of signature pickups, the Hellbenders. 

The humbuckers are reportedly named after a “shitty ass car” the guitarist owned prior to his musical success (and also a type of salamander) and are described by the makers as “raw and menacing… with a capacity for the most visceral riffs intertwined with an articulate and open side for lush clean tones.”

This seemingly disparate tonal range is accomplished by some clever design. Firstly, each humbucker uses two different wire gauges, which increase the dynamic range on offer and make for a smoother, more convincingly single-coil style sound when used in a coil-split circuit.

Secondly, there are two different types of magnets used across the set, with the neck unit using Alnico II and the bridge unit using Alnico V, meaning each pickup has a distinctive voice. 

Mojotone has also blended ceramic magnets alongside the Alnico magnets in each unit, which it says creates a tighter attack and a boost in sustain and output when paired with an overdrive.

“Mastodon covers a wide array of sounds and tones,” comments Kelliher. “I needed a pickup that can pull off the gauntlet of tones needed for the band while leaving room to inspire new sounds.”

The Mastodon man already had some history with Mojotone’s Black Magic and Tomahawk pickups and has now has the satisfaction of adding his own set to their catalog.

It’s not Kelliher’s first pickup collaboration though. The Hellbenders will take their place in Kelliher’s rig alongside his two signature Lace humbuckers, the excellently-named Divinator and Dissonant Aggressors. 

The Mojotone Bill Kelliher humbucker set is available now in uncovered black and aged nickel configurations for a price of $261.95. Head to Mojotone for more information.

It’s the strangest thing but Kate Bush is having a moment. She might have been enjoying the quiet life, away from the limelight – tending the garden, leisurely lunches, sudoku – but when you have enjoyed the recording career she has sometimes the limelight seeks you out. 

So it was when the Netflix sci-fi/horror smash-hit Stranger Things cherry-picked Running Up That Hill for a bravura set-piece in season four. It worked gangbusters, a sprinkling of musical pixie dust to heighten the drama, reportedly at Winona Ryder’s request. No spoilers here; you’ll just have to watch it. 

But it did something rare, creating a pop-cultural moment that transcended genre TV, spreading across TikTok like pond weed, sending the single to the top of the streaming charts in the US and UK as a new generation got turned on to the enigmatic English chanteuse.

Everyone loves Kate Bush, right? You could look like a member of the Steppenwolf road crew class of '69 but as soon as Wuthering Heights comes on you start dancing like Willow from The Wicker Man, as though you’re onstage at the end-of-year show with the amateur theater group, all fluid movement and a blur of chiffon. 

Bush’s taste for the theatrical and her capacity for endowing a pop song with a sensual, literary depth is perhaps what makes her so timeless, still in regular rotation on radio and an enduring inspiration for today’s bands looking for a cover.

Running Up That Hill is a strange one from a guitar perspective because it holds a fascination despite being driven by a Fairlight CMI cuckooing away atop a propulsive beat. 

The late Alan Murphy’s guitar only coming to the fore via overdubs near the song’s denouement. And yet it hasn’t stopped guitarists the world over reinterpreting it anew. Some covers work better than others. But be it on acoustic guitar or with electric, played in alt-rock, heavy metal, indie or folk, the the following covers demonstrate how Running Up That Hill is infinitely adaptable. 

First Aid Kit

It's quite difficult to top that intro, isn't it? The whir of the synth, then that rolling beat that makes you feel like you're, well, running up a hill. Good on First Aid Kit's Klara Söderberg, then, for creating a fingerpicked acoustic arrangement of the song that doesn't try to one-up those instantly recognizable bars, but captures that same kinetic excitement nevertheless. 

The pitch-perfect harmonies on this live cover – recorded at the Rock Werchter festival in 2018 – sure don't hurt, either.

Mastodon, Emma Ruth Rundle, Yob and Old Man Gloom with Gwarsenio Hall

Running Up That Hill has become an internet phenomenon in its own right, likewise this version that saw Emma Ruth Rundle join Gwarsenio Hall and members of Mastodon, YOB and Old Man Gloom for a YouTube cover to lift the misery that was June 2020. 

Created from their respective homes during the COVID-19 lockdown – when setting up shop in front of a camera was the closest musicians could come to performing live – the cover appeared on the metal-themed Two Minutes to Late Night YouTube chat show, and found Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher trading a host of harmonized lead licks with host Gwarsenio Hall (aka comedian Jordan Olds), while Rundle used her dulcet tones to recreate Bush’s now-viral vocal lines.

Simon Neil with Roddy Hart and The Lonesome Fire

Recorded professionally at a benefit concert in Glasgow in early 2021, again, during another Covid lockdown when Celtic Connections was delivered remotely – this rendition of the Bush classic finds Simon Neil giving a visceral vocal performance, while the band and their backing musicians give the track a stellar rock reimagining.

Here, John Martin is on electric guitar, favoring a Bigsby-equipped Gibson ES-335 to ground the song and give the synth a run for its money. Though perhaps on this occasion the role is to support Neil and get out of his way.

Maybe Biffy should add this to their roster of cover songs. Simon Neil is definitely more comfortable channeling Kate Bush than he is Cardi B.

Placebo

Brian Molko and co are often credited with creating the defining cover of Running Up That Hill, originally including it on their 2003 album Covers (issued as a bonus release with their record Sleeping with Ghosts). 

Their take is a glistening ‘00s update. It is powered by a pulsating heartbeat bass line that, alongside Molko’s trademark quivering vocal, evokes the sense of a protagonist on life support, bargaining with supernatural forces. 

The guitars are sparse, more of a textural backing to a mix heavy on piano and dramatic, breathy vocals. It’s majesty was arguably somewhat undermined following its association with Wrestlemania 26’s promos for its Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels showdown [see below], but it too got some airplay on a television hit when it was picked up by The O.C.. It was also used in the 2009 vampire plague movie Daybreakers.

Within Temptation

Proving the versatility of Kate Bush’s original composition, Within Temptation put a symphonic metal spin on the track with their 2003 cover, with Robert Westerholt stacking punchy guitar powerchords underneath a grandiose orchestral section and choir, and Sharon den Adel fully embracing the overheated gothic opera of it all.

It was no surprise that the track was a bankable crowd-pleaser, charting in the Dutch Top 10, and remaining a staple of the band’s setlist in the years following its release. But has rarely been played since 2008. Perhaps now is the perfect time for Within Temptation to bring it back into rotation? 

The Wombats

Okay, so we have had the pristine indie-folk of First Aid Kit, Placebo’s similarly TV-friendly take on the song and Within Temptation fully leaning into the track’s histrionic largesse, now here comes the Wombats with a performance inspired by the present pop-cultural moment and commissioned by Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version YouTube covers series.

The English indie trio take away the bombast of the original. The electronic pulse is dialed down, making space for the acoustic, electric and bass guitar and a three-part vocal harmony. 

“I first heard Kate Bush driving in a van, on a cassette tape [traveling] across the south of Spain to my cousin’s wedding when I was 10 or something,” says Dan Haggis, who steps out from behind the drum kit to play acoustic sing on this. “It was that and Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel that was on my mum’s cassette. That’s how we used to discover music. 

“Now you sit there on the bus with your phone, and you’ve got all this amazing music across history at the touch of a button, and those amazing songs will rear their heads again because they are fucking great.”

It’s worth noting here that the song is not the only thing making a resurgence in this video. Guitarist/vocalist Matthew Murphy is playing a Coronado II, a reissue of a mid-60s Fender oddity that had a semi-hollow thinline design to compete with similar models from Gibson, Epiphone and Gretsch. It’s either too weird or too cool for school. We can’t decide. This cover works, though.

Car Seat Headrest

The Virginian indie band included a version of R.U.T.H. on their 2021 EP MADLO: Influences, which collected together and covered material that inspired 2022 full-length Making A Door Less Open. 

Their take is characteristically lo-fi, giving Bush’s rich and synth-y original a bit-crushed brush-off, interlaced with some funky-but-undressy clean guitar. 

Compared to the British pop icon’s desperate pleas, frontman Will Toledo’s ‘deal with god’ feels more like an idle thought, a daydream documenting a ‘what if’ moment. Special points are awarded for the funky breakdown, which should not work, but absolutely does.

And finally... Kate Bush ft David Gilmour

Okay, it is not a cover so we cannot officially include it in the list, but we can’t talk about the guitar reimagining Running Up That Hill without mentioning this classic ‘80s collaboration. 

Here we have David Gilmour, the maestro beyond compare for guitar solos that defy the laws of gravity and time, notes just hanging there in suspension, and here the Pink Floyd guitarist is playing against type and engaged in the frantic reveries of Kate Bush’s most-famous song.

Of course, the black Fender Stratocaster was put it to pasture by then, retired from regular rotation. Instead, Gilmour reaches for a headless Steinberger – a mid-‘80s classic that found its way onto Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987. 

This performance, from the same year, is immaculate. Everyone is on point. The material brings out the best in Gilmour. Bush’s voice defies the cardiovascular reality of performing onstage. Tony Franklin on fretless bass is godlike. No wonder his hair is standing on end.

The concept of the double album has always been suspect. How many truly great double LPs can you name? Songs In The Key Of Life, Electric Ladyland, ‘The White Album’ perhaps, but beyond those, you’re stepping into “Why not take the best 10 songs and make it a single album?” territory.

However, the double album’s murky history hasn’t deterred Atlanta metal quartet Mastodon from the format, with their new release, Hushed And Grim, extending to 15 cuts. Fortunately, when we meet bassist Troy Sanders, he knows exactly what the pitfalls of a double entail.

“We know it’s a lot to absorb!” he chuckles. “There’s a lot of drums, and a lot of guitars on there – and even for our biggest fans, an hour and a half of a new record is a lot. Hushed And Grim is basically six years’ worth of albums for us, because we release an album every three years, so a double never seemed like a reality.

“We always tossed around the idea, though, and in March of 2020, when everything shut down, we were towards the end of our last record and touring cycle, Emperor Of Sand, which came out in 2017. That feels like such a long ago now... 

“Anyway, usually we’ll go back home after a tour and collect new ideas for songs, record them and release them on the traditional cycle, which has been healthy and fabulous for us for 20 years. But when everything got cancelled because of the pandemic, we were like, ‘If those tours aren’t going to happen, how soon can we start diving into new material?’ Within a few months, we realized we had close to 30 song skeletons ready to go.” 

Jamming on the new songs, the four musicians – Sanders plus guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher, and drummer Brann Dailor – soon realized they had the proverbial nice problem to have: too much material.

“We got to song 15,” says Sanders, “and we said, ‘Okay, we need to pump the brakes for a second.’ We decided to hone in on those 15 songs and pick the nine or 10 best ones out of the bunch – but I couldn’t think of one song to cut, much less six. We were all deeply attached to each one of the 15.

“Brann and I were sitting there, talking about it, and I remember saying, ‘Dude, I don’t even know one song to cut. I like them all very, very much.’ And Brann said, ‘Tell me one reason why we shouldn’t do a double album.’” 

Instead of supplying the traditional answer – “because doubles are too long and no-one will buy it” – Sanders and his band opted to stay optimistic in the face of received commercial wisdom.

“You know what? In this time of short attention spans and EPs and singles, let’s just flip it and do a double album,” he reasons. “Hushed And Grim feels like a complete body of work, and what’s really important is that the material on this record ranges from odd to slow to dark to moody. It’s not a double album of in-your-face, heavy-as-hell Mastodon. That would just be overload, to even the most hardcore fan.” 

You’d think with 15 tracks to play with, there would be room for a bass solo – and fans of Sanders’ deft playing will be delighted to learn that there’s one tucked away in the back end of the first single, Teardrinker. You might miss it, though, because it sounds a bit like a synth or heavily treated guitar.

“When we were writing the song,” says Sanders, “the guitar players wrote two bridge parts that would be perfect for guitar solos, one on each of them. We were listening to them, and trying to figure out which part would be better for each guy, and I jokingly said, ‘I’ll just put a bass solo on the first one, and one of you guys can do a guitar solo on the second.’ Everybody giggled, and that was it. 

“Well, the next morning, I went to the studio early before everybody got there, and I tracked a loose bass solo on that first bridge part. When the guys showed up, I said, ‘Hey, I recorded that bass solo that I was talking about,’ and played it back to them. They all liked it, so now we had something that turned from a silly joke to an interesting moment that I’d never done in Mastodon before.

“Any time we can find new musical territory like that, it’s exciting for us, because we don’t want to ever repeat the same song twice, or have a similar album to the previous one.” 

Find that solo, listen to it and then come back – Sanders is about to tell us how he got its cool, silky tone. “It was my custom distortion, which is a Wren & Cuff Elephant Skin, and the old Morley wah pedal. I’ve always considered pedals as your collectibles – you know, your toys! – but the only time I really have a lot of fun with them is in the studio, because we have the time. 

“Live, my effects are very simple – it’s just a tuner, my distortion, the Morley wah and either a TC Electronic or an Aguilar chorus, which I swap in and out. So it’s four pedals. I’m a pretty simple person. That’s the way I am with jeans and shoes, too – it’s about comfort.”

As for basses, Sanders has a signature Fender Jaguar, which is still his go-to bass. “It’s been my dream bass for a good six or seven years. Fender stopped production on it, but I was happy that they gave it that long of a run. I think I was given 10 of them – but I gave quite a few of them away. I also use a Warwick when we tune down to A, because it handles it better than any other bass I’ve ever had.”

Stability and reliability in bass gear is important in this case, we suggest, because Sanders is required to play fast, complex parts while singing. He ponders this: “Well, I’ve always been a simple bass player. I’m definitely not flashy. That’s worked very well with Mastodon, because with two wizard guitar players and a beast of a drummer, there’s not much room to do anything except play the part, which I’ve loved doing. Over the past 10 years, I’ve probably put more focus on being a better vocalist than a bassist.”

• Hushed And Grim is out now via Reprise.

Even now that live music has come roaring back, the all-star virtual covers featured on Two Minutes to Late Night – YouTube's finest heavy metal-themed talk show – remain essential viewing. 

For the show's latest star-studded video, Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor was recruited to lead a cover of the Judas Priest classic, Screaming for Vengeance. Decked out in Priest frontman Rob Halford's trademark uniform of studded leather pieces and aviator sunglasses, Dailor adeptly and faithfully handles Halford's operatic vocals.

Armed with a custom yellow Ibanez RG550, Nili Brosh, meanwhile, leads a three-headed electric guitar attack behind Dailor that also includes Anthrax's Jonathan Donais – who plays his Legator JD-6 signature guitar – and, of course, Two Minutes to Late Night's Gwarsenio Hall.

Come for Dailor's amazingly accurate Halford impression, but stay for Brosh and Donais's top-notch Tipton/Downing homage – light-speed call-and-response passages, fantastic guitar harmonies and all. 

The Screaming for Vengeance band is rounded out by veteran metal drummer Gene Hoglan and Municipal Waste/Cannabis Corpse/Iron Reagan low-end ranger Philip "Land Phil" Hall on bass guitar.

Though Screaming for Vengeance – the title track to Priest's hugely successful 1982 album – is a formative metal tune, Two Minutes to Late Night's covers are certainly not limited to songs from that genre.

Previous episodes, for instance, have seen Marty Friedman join forces with members of Mastodon and Baroness to give Fleetwood Mac’s You Make Loving Fun a shreddy makeover, and members of Deftones, Killswitch Engage and In Flames transform Björk’s Hyperballad into a mammoth chug-fest.

For more covers, and full episodes of Two Minutes to Late Night, stop by the show's YouTube channel.

Over the past two-decades-plus, Mastodon have established themselves as one of the best post-2000 progressive, psychedelic metal bands. Born with an equal love of Melvins, Metallica, Rush and Neurosis, the Atlanta-based quartet have blown minds with their bleak, angular rhythms, abrupt tempo changes, meandering atmospherics and psychotronic imagery. 

And, like the best prog-rockers, Mastodon have crafted multifaceted concept albums that have journeyed through haunting fantasy and sci-fi scenes. They based 2004’s Leviathan on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. 

Two years later, Blood Mountain addressed the plight of a man stranded in a mountain range inhabited by terrifying creatures. In 2009, they wrote Crack the Skye about the cosmic visions of a comatose mind-traveler. 

And in 2017 they crafted Emperor of Sand around the story of a doomed man fleeing a death sentence in the scorching desert.

“When I do music, I do this thing to escape – pull a Houdini on myself and try not to think about things that are negative as fuck,” says lead guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds, from behind the wheel of a car he’s driving to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. 

“I hate thinking about the horrible things that are going on in the world, and I hate knowing that they’re going on. So we’ve just created another space as an escape for ourselves and our fans.” 

On one level, that’s true. Mastodon’s music is complex and challenging, meandering through an escapist realm of sludgy riffs and atmospheric passages. The band’s eighth studio release, Hushed and Grim, Mastodon’s first double album, is both otherworldly and visceral. It’s also the group’s most musically diverse release to date. 

There are tumbling, trenchant metal cuts (Pain with an Anchor), expansive blues-embellished epics (The Beast), tribal and haunting soundscapes (Dagger), bereaved keyboard-laden songs (Skeleton of Splendor) and angsty, poppy numbers (Teardrinker). 

Yet, as much of a sonic journey as the band’s albums have been, Mastodon’s music has frequently stemmed from pain, helplessness and loss. Crack the Skye surfaced from mental images Hinds had after an assault in 2007 that left him in a coma and close to death; the record also addressed the tragic overdose of drummer Brann Dailor’s sister Skye. 

The title track of 2011’s The Hunter is an homage to Hinds’ brother, Brad, who died of a heart attack in 2010 while hunting. Mastodon’s 2017 record Emperor of Sand confronted the hopelessness and fear of mortality that was driven home after bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders’ wife was stricken with cancer (she has been in remission for years) and guitarist Bill Kelliher’s mother died of the disease. 

Tragically, the time Kelliher spent writing Hushed and Grim was also filled with misfortune and pain. Between the time the band finished Emperor of Sand and started working on the new album, their longtime manager Nick John died of pancreatic cancer, tour manager Bob Dallas passed away from an undisclosed illness and Kelliher’s wife was stricken with a rare disease (amyloidosis) and had to undergo intensive treatment. 

“I’ve realized that everything we do is from the heart, and a lot of it all stems from real pain and emotion from the death of loved ones and the sickness of friends and family, Kelliher says. 

“For some reason, we’ve been pulling our best stuff out of the most depressing emotional wreckage that happens in everyone’s lives. But I feel like our fans can connect with that.

“Everyone can connect with pain and suffering and losing someone. In a big way, Mastodon is the elephant in the room. We gravitate toward the sadness of life and write about it, and our fans gravitate toward that. And I think being able to relate to the kind of real-life sadness in our music gives them comfort.” 

The band’s deft combination of genuine melancholy and cathartic fantasy make Mastodon’s music too authentic and emotionally expressive to ever sound life self-indulgent prog-rock. 

Hinds and Kelliher are gifted guitarists, but neither is driven by a desire to show off. Their playing is more of an unveiling of their personalities. Hinds can be socially awkward and gets verbally tongue-tied, so he expresses himself through his multi-textural, variegated playing. And Kelliher is a chill dude who vents frustration and anger through artistic riffs and sheer volume. 

Though both players are unique and capable of reaching stratospheric heights, they don’t play for themselves. They play for the songs, and if that means deferring to their bandmates’ ideas, they have enough confidence in their musical and compositional skills to step down and let someone else shine. 

This is especially true for Kelliher, who has become Mastodon’s primary songwriter but who often gets overlooked since he’s not one of the band’s three singers (Hinds, Sanders and Dailor). 

“Brent’s the quote-unquote lead guitarist, and he sings, so of course he gets all the attention,” says Kelliher with a shrug. “And he’s a wild man, which makes him, even more, the center of attention. So I mean, whatever. I don’t mind standing in the back and not getting all the accolades. It’s fine with me. Everyone in my band knows who does what, and I’m totally cool with my role. And I love what we do.” 

A few days before Mastodon’s first dates to support Hushed and Grim, Hinds and Kelliher openly discuss the effects of writing in Covid-mandated isolation, their reservations about making a double album, the way their notably different guitar styles mesh – and the creative inspiration of suffering.

The songs on Hushed and Grim are eclectic and developed, ranging from rumbling and riffy to serene and almost delicate. Did you make an effort to create an album more sonically diverse than those on Emperor of Sand? 

Hinds: “Nah, man. I just like to do lots of things. I play in different bands aside from Mastodon and they’re all different. I never want to repeat myself, so I wasn’t thinking of that last album at all when we did this. 

“For this record, we wrote at home because we were bored and there wasn’t much going on because we were in lockdown. So you’re stuck at home all the time with yourself and your thoughts. So this was more of an internal exploration for me. 

“You look inward to the inward journey, and I would play so much guitar that it would just sweat blood and guitar all day long and I would come up with all sorts of different stuff, and it all found its place here and there.”

Kelliher: “I’m always playing and writing anyway. I’ve got volumes of voice notes and Pro Tools sessions of me just riffing out. When we got off the Emperor of Sand touring cycle two years ago, I was almost welcoming Covid because it was like, ‘Okay, well, now we have a bunch of time off and we don’t have anything on the horizon. It’s time to take a well-needed rest from all the touring on the last record and write the next record.’

“And we were well prepared. We already had skeletons for a lot of the songs. And I was totally cool with going into my studio in my basement and trying all kinds of stuff to make some new songs. So, I wrote a bunch of the new album and Troy wrote some songs, which was a first, and Brent wrote two.”

Did you start writing with the intent of putting out a double album? 

Kelliher: “We wrote about 25 songs, but 10 weren’t completely finished. So we went in with the 15 that were closest to being done. We were going to record 12 and use 10 for the record. We planned to do a rough demo of everything and pick out which 12 were the best. But we wound up recording all 15. We’ve never been a double-album kind of band. 

“We’ve always joked that doing a double album is a curse, and how you don’t want to do a double album or else your band is going to fall apart. But unless you progress and try things differently each time, what‘s the point? 

“And I just felt like every song is fucking awesome. At one point we thought of putting 10 songs on the album and doing a five-song EP later, but the songs all sounded like they needed to be together. They were in the same vibe and they’re all related, like brothers and sisters. So we just said, ‘No, we can just split up the family. Let’s do a double album.’”

Hinds: “I would prefer this more just to be an album instead of a double album. I would have cut some stuff out, but whatever. It is what it is. We’ve got all this time on our hands and Troy broke his songwriting cherry on this and wrote four really nice songs that showed a lot of growth and pushed the boundaries into a double album.”

Brent, how do your songs differ from Bill's? 

Hinds: “A lot of times my stuff is really long. I like to sprawl out in a song. I think living in the city and being cramped around people causes these unconscious decisions for my songwriting. The only case scenario that I have to really spread out is in a song. Having the kind of sound I have, when I play and get into it, I get kinda lost, and before I know it 13 or 15 minutes have passed.”

You have a rockabilly side project (Fiend Without a Face) and you’re a big fan of country music. Do you think you bring those influences into Mastodon? 

Hinds: “I’m not a metal guitarist. Sometimes I stumble upon a metal riff and I’ve been influenced by [post metal] bands like Isis. I get it where I can fit it, but I’m an oddball when it comes to the metal scene. I love country. My favorite country singer/songwriter is Johnny Paycheck and my favorite guitar-playing country artist is Jerry Reed. 

“So I try to incorporate some country licks here and there. And sometimes I’m clever enough to find out where they can go in a tasteful manner. I had been working on the first riff of Peace and Tranquility for a while because it was a departure outside of what I normally write. 

“I was listening to Animals As Leaders and I got inspired by them to write that first bit. And then all the other stuff fell into place after I had my medicine.”

Bill, have you always been a metal player? 

Kelliher: “I don’t know. I grew up on a lot of punk rock, and when I’m writing songs, I usually take the punk or garage rock formula – verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, end. 

“I always loved the Ramones and bands that wrote a sick riff and then they’d go away from it before they’d bring it back around again. That’s been my formula for a while. With this new record, I did delve into some new territory. 

“Sickle and Peace has some Stanley Jordan-type guitar playing. It was almost an accident. I was playing in that style and Brann went, ‘What is that?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’m just messing around.’ He said, ‘That sounded cool,’ and he started humming what I had been playing, and then I wrote it from that.”

Do you and Brann frequently work on songs together? 

Kelliher: “We work really well together. When he and I get together down in my studio at my house, I feel like I shine because he brings out the best riffs in me. Just like with Emperor of Sand, we spent a lot of time building the foundation of Hushed and Grim. 

“I’d start playing something and a lot of times, if I got stuck, he’d start humming something that would go with what I did, and the two parts would fit together really well.”

Can you write with the whole band or is it easier to work when it’s just you and Brann? 

Kelliher: “It was really hard to do that because of Covid, but it’s tough when you get all four guys in the room and we try to agree on one thing. For me, the writing process is a lot easier when I get together with Brann and we just spitball ideas and say, ‘This is cool for now as a placeholder. Maybe we’ll change something later.’ 

“And then later I’ll put everything under a microscope and over-analyze every riff and every part of the song and change things that need to be changed. But that’s what makes it great.”

Do you work on a song until it’s done and then move onto the next one? 

Kelliher: “I never just write one song all at once. Everything happens in pieces. I’ll write a song or a riff and then another riff. And then sometimes the song has to go on the back burner for a couple months until I can come up with something that jives with what I’ve already done.”

Did you mess around with a bunch of different gear? 

Kelliher: “There were a couple main guitars that I favored a lot. I used my ESP Sparrowhawk a lot. And I used my Friedman Butterslax [100-watt, three-channel amplifier head] and a Marshall JCM800. 

“And we used old-school analog pedals. I had a Friedman BE-OD Deluxe [overdrive] and an MXR Sugar Drive pedal I really like.”

Hinds: “I just use what I got – Gibson Flying V, Les Paul, SG and my signature V. And I got Marshall JMPs and my Diezel 12-gauge [cabinets]. My friend let me borrow his '50s Fender tiny 30-watt combo amps, and I played most of the guitar solos on those. 

“We had two of them slaved together, which sounded cool. And I used some KHDK pedals, but I came out with my own pedal company, Dirty B Hinds, and I’m using the Mastodrive and all these pedals I’m designing with my friends.”

As guitarists, you two have such different playing styles, which is part of why the music sounds so innovative. Is it ever hard to figure out who should play what? 

Hinds: “We just play what we write. For this album, I didn’t go for sheer aggression because I don’t think I stumbled across too many heavy metal riffs that were really angry. Bill is the master of the metal riffs and he provides the heavy. 

“But heavy stuff comes from the heart, and when you’re all tuned down to D and are running through a fucking Marshall stack, all of a sudden everything’s heavy, even though your point might be to bring on some melancholy shit or some really delicate stuff. 

“It’s all about the tonality of the instrument sometimes. So we each do our parts separately and then show them to each other ’cause we’re not a jam band. We’re more like choreographed acrobatics.”

Kelliher: “Normally I’ll write the rhythm and the harmonies ’cause I’m really into harmonies. And if it’s my song, I’ll write the lead and I’ll tell Brent, ‘Hey, this is what I did for that. Can you play it?’ Nine times out of 10, he’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ 

“But once in a while, he’ll hear something in what I’m showing him and he’ll come up with his own interpretation. And sometimes he’ll do something that will totally surprise me. Like, I’ll put a bridge in there and I assume he’ll play a solo over that. Then he’ll come in the next day and play his part and when I come back in, I’m blown away when I listen back because he put the solo somewhere entirely different, like over a midsection, which I thought would be instrumental. 

“I’ll be like, ‘Whoa, wow! I wouldn’t have put it there, but that’s cool. That sounds killer.’ When it works, it’s a very cool thing to hear because it shines a whole new ray of light on the song.”

Brent, is it exciting for you to see what Bill does with your songs? 

Hinds: “I don’t know. I mean, sometimes you get up on the horse and you can ride pretty well. Then other times the horse is faster and it’s hard to stay there. You’ve just got to keep yourself in practice and keep trying to ride it until you get something you like.”

Kelliher: “When Brent writes stuff – and I’ve told him this before – it’s like he’s writing as if he was the only guitar player in the band because it’s just wild. So I’m trying to learn it and trying to play it over and over. I’m like, ‘Dude, this is really hard.’ 

“He’ll go, ‘Oh no, it’s not hard. Your stuff is hard.’ I’m like, ‘Well, your stuff is hard because it’s almost like you’re playing a guitar solo the whole time.’”

Do you discuss how you can complement his unorthodox playing? 

Kelliher: “It’s very hard for him to teach me stuff and tell me what he’s doing. He doesn’t have any patience for sitting down and showing me what to do. When he plays, I have to video record his exact finger positions on my phone. And then I’ll learn it.”

“But it changes a lot, too. I’ll work really hard and learn something one way and then by the next practice he’s changed it, which he can do. It’s his riff until we record it.”

What if you can’t figure out what he’s doing? 

Kelliher: “That happens a lot. There’s a song on [2006’s] Blood Mountain, Capillarian Crest, and when it gets to the midsection he’s playing completely crazy stuff. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not even going to try to play that because I’m going to give myself an aneurysm if I try to learn it.’ 

“And then I got to the point where he was doing something really complicated and I went, ‘Okay, I’m never going to play something exactly like you because we’re different kinds of guitar players.’ So we play the same parts in different ways. I’ll try to lock into what he’s doing and do something underneath it that makes the part more interesting. That usually works out well.”

Your longtime manager – and your tour manager – died between the release of Emperor of Sand and the completion of Hushed and Grim. And Bill, you said your wife was diagnosed with a rare disease. Mastodon have been through so much loss and pain over the years. Does the music help you get through it? 

Kelliher: “When I’m writing songs, I’m thinking about those people and dredging up the emotions I feel from missing them. That comes from a real place, and people know that and they can feel that and connect to it. 

“I recently got a message from a guy who said, ‘I lost my wife to cancer two years ago. She loved your music, and thank you for all that you do and for your music.’ It’s fucking sad, but we’re a real band and we write songs about real subject matter. And it seems like every record gets deeper into that world.”

You visit that world, for sure, but the music seems like it takes the listener to another place that’s almost otherworldly and majestic, so the melancholy that’s in the music and the messages about mortality resound in an epic way. 

Kelliher: “I agree, and I just feel that with every year that passes and the more writing that we do, the better we get at it and the more we’re able to show that range of emotion. And now we can go from this crazy riff into the super-sad riff, or an evil, evil riff and it all works. 

“That’s a natural evolution that comes from being together so long. It’s funny because there are fans out there that go, ‘Oh, [2002’s] Remission is your best album,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay. I’m glad you like it, but I was just learning how to write a song back then. We were just spitballing. Now, we know what we’re doing.’

“I’ll try a riff and right away I’ll know, ‘Nah, it doesn’t work for us.’ That’s why Brann and I write so much together because we can actually spitball with each other and go somewhere without spinning our wheels.”

Hinds: “It’s not just sadness. I mean, there’s hurt and anger that have afflicted us through our lives. And the only way we can deal with it is to have these songs that go out to our fallen brothers and sisters and are dedicated to our friendship with the people that aren’t lucky enough to still be here with us. 

“But, for me, I think there’s a lot of anxiety in there, too. I feel like the road is dangerous and home is not, but we usually have to tour all the time. I used to have constant anxiety about getting in a bus accident or a plane crash. And then big crowds of people give me anxiety. 

“So I’ve lived with anxiety for 20 years and I was hooked on [the anxiety Benzodiazepine] Xanax for 15 years and I had to wean myself off of it a little bit at a time ‘cause it was compromising my breathing. 

“Of course, I was partying on it and it’s really bad to do that. I was never prescribed things so I was buying from people on the streets all the time. One time I couldn’t get it and I had two seizures. 

“So, I finally weaned myself off. It took years, but recently I discovered that you need to be anxious and fucking deal with it and that keeps you on your toes and motivated to keep doing shit. Now I try to feed off the anxiety and play guitar.”

Bill, can you talk about what happened with your wife, who is in remission from her condition? 

Kelliher: “It was crazy. She was getting tired all the time and her heart was beating out of control. Then, in the middle of the night she wakes me up and she goes, ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’ 

“She was going into AFib (Atrial Fibrillation) [which often causes palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue]. We took her to the emergency room. The doctors gave her some medicine to slow her heart back down. Then they X-rayed her heart and saw her heart walls are really thick and there was some protein buildup that turned out to be amyloidosis, which is this crazy, rare disease that has a high mortality rate. 

“We looked it up online and saw that patients have an average of six months to live from the moment of diagnosis. And we were like, ‘You’re fucking kidding me!’ She’s 48. She’s normal. She eats very healthy and takes care of herself. So what the fuck? We went through the Mayo Clinic and she did chemotherapy for a year, which was fucking horrible.”

This happened while you were writing and recording Hushed and Grim? 

Kelliher: “Yes, and there’s nothing you can do except watch your wife suffer and try to soothe her. In the back of my mind, I was always thinking, ‘Fuck, man, if don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her. I’d be completely lost in this existence without her. How am I gonna raise my kids without my wife around?’ 

“But she had the chemo and now she’s doing really well. But you just never know how life can sneak up on you. You think you’re healthy one minute and the next minute you’ve got this crazy rare disease. And now, every little ache or pain – or if she gets tired – we’re like, ‘Oh man, is the disease coming back?’ And that’s fuckin’ scary.”

How were you able to focus and create when your wife was ill? Was it cathartic to work when she was resting?

Kelliher: “I think it has become that way. When my mom was dying in hospice I was by her bedside with my laptop and a guitar. I was overdubbing a lot of the stuff in the Emperor of Sand demos. And this time, I was just on this writing binge. I don’t know if it was cathartic because I was still extremely sad that she was so sick, but it brought out this fire in me to write and write and write.”

Brendan O’Brien produced your last album, Emperor of Sand, as well as Crack the Skye. This time, you worked with David Bottrill, who has produced albums for Tool and Peter Gabriel. 

Hinds: “We’re really good friends with the Tool guys. We told them we were looking for a producer and they worked with him before and had a great experience. They were like, ‘This guy is the man!’ 

Kelliher: “Honestly, we were pretty happy with the way Crack the Skye turned out and Emperor of Sand, so we were ready to work with Brendan O’Brien again. He’s a great guy and a great producer. 

“But Warner Bros. wanted us to talk to some other people who wanted to work with us. Dave Bottrill was one of them, and he was very proactive. We got on a Zoom call with him and immediately he was like, ‘All right, I’ve listened to all your demos and I’ve got some ideas.’ 

“He had a million notes and specific suggestions for every song. That impressed us. And he’s a very intelligent guy, very pleasant to work with, and he knew how to circumvent any problems in a way that would keep everybody happy, which is what we needed.”

Were there any particular talents or techniques that David used to make Hushed and Grim better? 

Kelliher: “There were a couple songs where David had this idea of playing five guitar tracks of the same thing, but adjusting the tuning from A-440 to 442, 445, 446. Every one of them was just a little bit out of tune and created this wall of clean guitar with this natural chorus effect on it. That was very cool. 

Hinds: “We tend to go fast a lot. We don’t really know how to slow down. So David helped us out with that. Also, there were times when a song would be really long and it would be in the same key for too long. So he would suggest changing keys and doing more of a classic turnaround – go into another two chords to get back to your starting chord. It was very intelligent stuff. 

“When it was all over with, I was definitely... Dave is a new friend of mine now. I love Brendan to death, but I’m glad we went with someone else to get a different perspective on the music. I’m glad I can call David a friend, too.”

• Hushed and Grim is out now via Reprise Records.

Here we have it, the top 20 guitar albums of 2021, as chosen by you, and you didn’t disappoint. You could glue all of these album covers to a whiteboard and it could well be a mood board taken from the editorial prow of the good ship Guitar World.

There are some evergreen choices here, with guitar players who always find themselves in the guitar-playing community’s good graces. But even among them, no two are strictly alike, with blues-rock titans sharing space with grunge trailblazers and pioneers of shred.

But there are some new players, too, those making their presence felt for the first time. Not all here are necessarily technical virtuosos, and many who ration that instinct to cut loose. After all, what makes a great guitar album is no different to what makes a great album. 

As the player and songwriter behind your number one choice argued when he spoke with Guitar World earlier in the year, the song has got to come first – no matter how satisfying it is to feel those strings under your fingers, your ear must always have the casting vote.

• The 10 best guitar riffs of 2021
• The 10 best guitar solos of 2021

20. Samantha Fish – Faster

Samantha Fish has been threatening to make an album like Faster for years. Well, not threatening, more like drip-feeding the idea into her sound like a work of subliminal advertising that would have marked her for a successful career on Madison Avenue.

Now that she has taken the plunge and hired the estimable Martin Kierszenbaum (aka Cherry Cherry Boom Boom) as producer, she can turn loose all those pop elements and demonstrate just how resilient an art form blues-rock can be, and how conservative and staid we have been with its housekeeping over the years.

You can hear the influence of Prince, of Lana Del Rey, and of course Lady Gaga, whose name is inextricably linked with Kierszenbaum. But recording Faster at The Village, where Fleetwood Mac tracked Tusk, feels like an act of surreptitious pop engineering, and it takes her guitar playing into new and exciting spaces. 

It’s still a guitar record. Kierszenbaum got Fish to dial in a tone, and that was the tone – a Gibson SG into Fender Super Reverb and Deluxe Reverb amps – with less emphasis on the pedalboard. And it’s further proof that she’s one of the best blues-rock players around. But it shows that, given the chance, she could and should cross over. Why not go pop?

19. Jerry Cantrell – Brighten

A master of deploying acoustic guitars alongside electrics to heighten the depth of a mix, Jerry Cantrell this year debuted his first solo album since 2002’s Degradation Trip. It traffics in a gauzy ‘70s feel, the mood effortlessly modulating between downbeat and optimistic, with a three-dimensional production job and compositions anchored by those yowling drones that have become the hallmark of Alice in Chains over the years. 

Again, this is another audiophile record, with Cantrell taking the connoisseur approach, plugging his Les Pauls and trusty G&L Rampage into a variety of amp heads – most certainly his signature Friedman heads somewhere – and playing a bunch of Gibson Songwriters alongside Martin and Guild acoustics.

18. The Black Keys – Delta Kream

Delta Kream is a lovingly created work of musical revivalism that finds the Black Keys paying dues to their Hill County blues heroes R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough on an album of blues standards. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are joined by the likes of Burnside’s longtime sideman Kenny Brown and others sitting in on album that’s celebratory, poignant, and a reference point for vintage electric guitar tone.

And there is some sorcery in those sounds. Most of us are not from North Mississippi, and yet the area will come alive in our imaginations when we press play. That’s the power of blues storytelling, sure, but also of guitar tone, and its power to sell us the illusion and color in the gaps. Not to get all sentimental or anything, but that is pretty magical.

17. Julian Lage – Squint

Jazz guitar phenom Julian Lage’s Blue Note debut would be way higher on the list if jazz enjoyed the same exposure as pretty much any other style. But as things stand, maybe jazz is just too dangerous for mainstream audiences to get behind. That’s right, Lage might well be a mild-mannered mensch but his playing style, note choices and compositional sensibility are 100 percent danger. He is a musically book-smart Evel Knievel. 

Of course, it’s Lage’s name on the cover, but the improvisational brio brought to bear on this stylistically adventurous deep dive into the history of jazz, and how it is contextualized by the blues and rock ’n’ roll artforms that orbit it, is facilitated by the stellar contributions of bass player Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King. The chemistry within that trio is something we all aspire to.

16. Tremonti – Marching in Time

Listening to Mark Tremonti’s latest solo album is a little like following Dwayne 'The Rock’ Johnson on Instagram. You will find yourself all set to embrace a shapeless Sunday, and after some French toast and maple syrup – two rounds, you deserve this – you might have some pentatonic noodling planned from the comfort of your easy chair, maybe a cold one to slake your thirst. “Siri, just where did I leave my Blues Junior?” 

But such indolence is brutally punctured by the urge to ‘put in the work and get some gains’. For the fitspo set, that means the gym, grunting and Lycra. For guitar players, that means three to four hours of regimented, structured practice; the gains we’re chasing are the ability to attain a level of insouciant virtuosity, the kind that allows Tremonti to transition from the poignant to the spectacular and back again. Fast and furious, if you will.

15. Billy Strings – Renewal

Billy Strings is a ridiculous player. Again, the virtuosity feels unrehearsed and instinctive – with as communal and celebratory a genre as bluegrass, it has to be. The songwriting is wise beyond his years. Well, we say that, but wisdom and foolishness lies in every demographic, and all it takes for a great songwriter of any age is to be able to scan the horizon and intuit the universal truths that shape and color our all-too-brief time on this planet.

There are many highlights on Renewal. Secrets is as action-packed as the third act of Avengers: Infinity War but is written and composed in such a way as to invoke the Wachowskis’ bullet time, as though the world slows and all that musical information can make a beeline straight for your heart. 

High-tempo music from a superhero songwriter can still make you cry. And if it doesn’t, then Love and Regret will. No matter where we are from, who we are or on which slice our bread is buttered, that speaks to us all.

14. Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram – 662

Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is playing fast and loose with his at-home privacy here, giving away the first three digits of his telephone number – well, the area code. But that is thematically judicious, as the music here and stories told are all rooted in his Mississippi locale. 

There were a few things about Kingfish’s playing that identified him as a next-gen bluesman of some repute, but his tone and his vibrato have got to be right up there. Just listen to the spanky scratch of the title track’s rhythm figure, and then that piping hot Strat juice that arrives by way of the lead. 

His phrasing is righteous, too, which is only appropriate; for if you are going to hold a note and bend it for the audience to lose their minds to, then it had better be the right note.

13. Spiritbox – Eternal Blue

The Canadian trio’s much-anticipated debut is an exercise in dynamics, tension, atmosphere, and, on occasion, just surrendering all of this to the cleansing nuclear fire of Mike Stringer’s xenomorph guitar. 

The explosive shifts in tone are perhaps something learned from the post nu-metal cognoscenti – “My, Mr. Stringer, that verse/chorus shift really does have Stephen Carpenter’s eyes” – but Stringer’s abrasive down-tuned style, made possible by extended-range guitars from the likes of Abasi Concepts and Aristides, is a beast all his own. 

Does it feel shallow to admit we’re suckers for a pick slide that sounds like there is a tear in the space/time continuum? For all the big ideas here, it’s often the primal triggers that hot-wire the audience’s critical faculties.

12. Gojira – Fortitude

Gojira’s blockbuster metal has always been underpinned by an arthouse sensibility, and that’s what makes albums such as Fortitude sound so profound and yet fundamentally satisfying in the rock ’n’ roll sense of the word. 

Joe Duplantier and Christian Andreu’s guitars work in lock-step over the virtuoso time-keeping of Joe’s kid brother and drummer Mario, creating grooves that command a physical reaction from those exposed to them. And yet Duplantier is writing about things that make us consider our position in this world, expanding his arrangements accordingly, subsuming elements of prog, post-metal and electronic music. 

From anyone else we might call this ambitious but, for Gojira, this is second nature, instinctual, and they made sure to capture it in every take in the studio by going all-in chasing an inspiring sound and then recording it while the energy was fresh.

11. Paul Gilbert – Werewolves of Portland

How much fun can one grown man have on his own? Werewolves of Portland is like an exercise in solo musicianship that from the outset might seem like a Herculean task akin to swimming the Atlantic, but in Gilbert’s antic and outsized imagination it’s just what you do when the occasion arises. 

Yes, Gilbert plays everything here, and it’s a record that reminds us that instrumental rock can be primarily fun. Gilbert’s humor is all over this. Turning idle thoughts of, ‘Should we move away from Portland? Things are a little hectic’ into a bonkers paean to the fifth least populated state in the US, Hello! North Dakota, and creating a battle-shred spectacular advancing the idea that a piece of great pie will bring comity and unity to the world, Argument About Pie.

There are no vocals, but in a sense there are. Gilbert wrote lyrics and expressed them with slide guitar, a process that seems like the most organic way to incorporate one of our more traditional techniques into most spectacular arrangements, making the guitar instrumental not only fun but a singalong experience.

10. Smith/Kotzen – Smith/Kotzen

Smith/Kotzen? That sounds like it could be the name of a delicatessen in downtown Kansas City, but in our timeline it is a project of prodigiously talented guitar players and neighbors Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, who turned some downtime into studio time for a hard-rock two-hander.

Remarkable, isn’t it, even more so that former tennis star Pat Cash made the introductions. Here, the Iron Maiden guitarist Smith and former Poison guitarist Kotzen dovetail politely, like two old friends shooting some pool. 

With most of his gear in storage, Smith even used Kotzen’s rig, but when he steps up to the table, there’s no denying it’s him. Like on Running, which echoes Maiden classic Moonchild with a Pat Thrall-inspired solo. As for Kotzen, he pulls out all the tricks, goes a bit nuts with the rotary speaker effects, and meets Smith in the middle when the project circles back to blues-driven hard rock.

9. Billy F. Gibbons – Hardware

Billy F. Gibbons only gets cooler the hotter he gets, and out there in the California High Desert, not far from Joshua Tree National Park, where Hardware was tracked, things were mighty hot. 

Hardware sees Gibbons joined by guitarist Austin Hanks and drummer Matt Sorum and rocking out. There’s a little more engine grease to these arrangements than on his bluesier releases, with tracks like She’s On Fire making use of Sorum’s power, and West Coast Junkie making full use of whatever gear was already there when Gibbons arrived at the studio. 

Just what do you do when you find a vintage Fender Jazzmaster, a ’61 Fender Piggyback amp and Fender Reverb tank idling in the studio? Well, of course you write a track that’s electrified by the antic energy of surf rock. Hardware is testament to what you can get down after spending three months under the sun with only cacti and rattlers for company.

8. Mastodon – Hushed And Grim

Hushed And Grim sees Mastodon process the loss of their friend and manager Nick John with one of their most audacious albums of an audacious discography. Guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher are masters of mining the borderland between melody and dissonance, the savage and the philosophical, and here they shift feel on a dime. 

One moment might find them in a holding pattern around a vocal harmony, the next they are referencing the riff firestorms of earlier releases Remission and Leviathan, which harnessed the apocalyptic influence of Neurosis and the weight of the Melvins to spectacular effect.

Quite where they go from here is hard to say. This is a double album that leaves nothing on the floor. Tracks such as Pain with an Anchor weave tangled roots of guitar textures, in which you could get lost for days. Skeleton of Splendor has a fairytale airiness to it. 

More Than I Could Chew, meanwhile, is like the band’s career in just under seven minutes: the inordinate spectacle of the riff, Brann Dailor’s lead drumming exploding like popcorn in the microwave, then a reach for the sky prog middle-eight and outro solo.

7. Mammoth WVH – Mammoth WVH

For a guitar community still processing the loss of one of its most brilliant elders, Mammoth WVH’s debut is right there with you, with Wolfgang Van Halen paying tribute to his father’s work on tracks such as Mr. Ed, and indeed his life, on Distance. 

We might all know what Distance is explicitly about, but it’s a song that speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one. Although we might recognize some of Eddie Van Halen’s hard-rock grammar here, the language and dialect is all Wolfgang’s, on a hard-rock sound that is very much his own, perhaps augmented and shaped by the influence of Soundgarden and Tool, which makes 21st-century hard rock a very different – and more knowing – beast than its ‘80s counterparts. But then, these are very different times.

6. Greta Van Fleet – The Battle at Garden’s Gate

Greta Van Fleet were born too late but are not alone in their predicament, and they have duly created a sound offering succour and enlightenment to those who continue mourn the aesthetic largesse of classic rock’s big beasts. 

Most of which, if not all, are artistically extinct, but their lifeblood courses through the veins of Jake Kiszka and company, and GVF have the imagination and ability to reinterpret this sound for the digital age. If there’s a sense of melancholy under the triumph of their bold arrangements, perhaps it’s from the recognition that popular culture is convulsing in the information age. 

Kiszka talks about The Battle at Garden’s Gate being cinematic, and it is; this is Peter Jackson’s Deep Purple, Spielberg’s Zeppelin, with Kiszka cast as a Fitzcarraldo figure hauling the GVF steamship over the hill. But cinema as we know it is being killed, too. Maybe all that’s left is grand gestures of defiance such as this.

5. Dream Theater – A View From the Top of the World

Few bands have been more aptly named than Dream Theater. The creative horizons imagined by John Petrucci appear beyond the limits of the conscious mind. He might dress in black, dig metal, and have a rig that could be seen and heard from space, but there’s something of an 18th-century composer’s sensibility to how Petrucci arranges his songs. 

Take the title track. To call it epic feels a little redundant; it’s 20 minutes long, but even after six we get the feeling we’ve left Earth behind, as though the atmosphere itself has changed. Petrucci’s playing is, of course, redoubtable, inspired and peerless, and it makes for a great study piece for guitar players with designs on expanding their repertoire and musical vocabulary.

But that’s not what Petrucci has in mind for Dream Theater, at least we don’t think so. It’s all about the gift of surprise. Progressive music is not easy. It can be a stultifying torture if the ideas don’t match the ambition. 

But with Dream Theater, the ideas just keep coming at you, with Petrucci generous in lacing his songwriting with the gift of surprise, because he knows that long-form musical entertainment is not meant to be a chore. And if that means getting his friends at Ernie Ball Music Man to design him an eight-string Majesty so he can rethink the instrument anew and write a hulk jam such as Awaken the Master, then so be it. Now, that’s entertainment.

4. Joe Bonamassa – Time Clocks

The world’s highest-grossing bluesman doesn’t get enough credit for his off-menu musical choices. Sure, he’s a blues-rock player to his bones, but he’s a blues-rock player who is often at his best when taking the genre off the beaten path. Time Clocks is a prime example.

This, he once told us, was to be the ‘NY subway album’, which he made sound like it was to be almost improvisational, recorded with a minimum of fuss and using the 24/7 rhythms of the Big Apple to inform the jams. 

But once he unloaded some choice picks from Nerdville – a 1959 Les Paul Standard here, a ’68 Thinline Tele with an all original Parsons/White B-Bender there – the songs decided otherwise, with Bonamassa bringing all his Chris Squire, prog influences to bear to the fore.

Yes, he can shift to bar room melancholy if and when the song requires it, but the compositions on Time Clocks are often too elegiac to shake themselves into a 12/8 shuffle. That was not the rhythm of New York City in the winter months of February 2021.

3. Iron Maiden – Senjutsu

Iron Maiden have always been one of the more ambitious bands to arise out of the NWOBHM cohort but back in 1981, few could have looked into the tea leaves, seen Eddie’s face staring back at them, and forecast an album like Senjutsu.

Senjutsu is built on the maxim ‘more is more’. Perhaps it is written this way by happenstance, by virtue of Iron Maiden’s unorthodox approach of showing up at a studio with a bunch of songs written before writing in situ until an album presents itself.

If their antic debut and the midnight thrills of Killers offered the gratification of a cheeseburger and cold lager, Senjutsu offers a 12-course tasting menu with wine pairings, and it leans fully into the three-guitar dynamic for maximum effect. 

In Janick Gers, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, Maiden have myriad options and exploit them throughout, weaving guitar harmonies in and out, doubling parts and lending the gamed-out expanse of Senjutsu’s more progressive tracks a sense of theater.

2. Gus G – Quantum Leap

Gus G is the Willy Wonka of mainstream metal shred guitar. Every now and then, somebody has his ear exclusively, and taps into his electrifying style for their own gratification. In the recent past, Ozzy Osbourne was Charlie with his golden ticket, maintaining his unerring reputation for always securing the services of a top-tier guitar player before doing anything.

But on Quantum Leap, Gus G is getting high on his own supply of everlasting gobstoppers and working an almighty sugar rush on his signature Jackson Star. Quantum Leap does not shy away from the noble business of fretboard fire-raising, but throughout Mr G keeps that melody front and center.

There’s a Japanese video game sensibility to how he builds the solos on this. Big Friedman-esque gestures will resolve themselves in tricksy diminished scale runs, before riding off into the sunset atop a burnished steel power metal riff. 

And if the riff doesn’t get you, then a flagon of fizzy lifting drink will. Carbonated, highly sugared, delicious. And, okay, serious point, we could also look at Quantum Leap and call it a work of shred postmodernism, with the G man referencing the leading lights of the Satch generation and putting his own imprint on it. 

1. John Mayer – Sob Rock

The idea for Sob Rock could have come from a therapist. Here we are in the frantic present, and if you have been keeping up with affairs, you might notice things are a little topsy-turvy. Perhaps recognizing the scale of our present-day funk, John Mayer – arch entertainer and master guitar player – takes evasive action through the medium of soft rock, executing a Toto 180 and planting us back under the protective shoulder pads of a late ‘80s aesthetic.

And what do you know, even those too young to be familiar with the candied scent of Harmony hairspray were all in, too. This time capsule of Mayer’s construction has everything we need; there’s some beautifully manicured guitar tones here, with that carefully worked quality that suited the era’s production styles. 

As Mayer explained to Guitar World, much of it was inspired by his fantasy of having a song of his turn up on Eric Clapton’s Journeyman. “I loved him so much that I’m not afraid to go, ‘I just want to feel what that’s like…’ Like, the experience of plugging a Strat with noiseless pickups into a Soldano with a chorus pedal. And to hear that back on your own song is funny, poignant, touching, exciting, titillating.”

That in essence, is Sob Rock. It is an album of fantasy. It has guitar solos all over it, each delivered in conversational style – a little like how Mayer speaks, right? – with meticulous chops. But they are grounded in reality. They know the song is the boss. And Mayer knows it’s not 1988, which is why it was important to sound like it is.

• The 10 best guitar riffs of 2021
• The 10 best guitar solos of 2021

Since signing with ESP Guitars in 2016, Bill Kelliher has been mostly sighted playing his signature BK-600 and Sparrowhawk designs, but it turns out the Mastodon riff machine has an affinity for another, more unlikely, model in the Japanese company’s catalog: Ron Wood’s signature ESP.

In a new interview with Total Guitar’s Amit Sharma, Kelliher explains how the Tele-esque electric guitar ended up handling many of the clean tones on blockbuster new album Hushed and Grim.

“One of my secret weapons in the studio is a Ron Wood ESP,” he explains. “It’s a Telecaster with a humbucker and it’s the best-sounding Tele ever, so warm and still twangy. I used that a lot because I knew any time I needed that sound, it would always work better than anything else.”

The Ron Wood model is one of the more traditional offerings in ESP’s lineup, built for the Rolling Stones guitarist, and featuring ESP own-design humbucker and single-coil pickups.

Other models Kelliher employed throughout the making of the record include his ESP Sparrowhawks – now featuring new Mojotone Hellbender pickups – and a black 2007 Gibson Les Paul.

Elsewhere in the interview, the guitarist dished out more info on the mystery ESP double-cut that appeared in a promo for his signature STL ToneHub Pack last month.

“There’s an ESP called the Royal Shiva which hasn’t come out yet but it’s pretty much an exact replica of my First Act nine-string,” he reveals. “It’s super-thick at the neck and weighs about 13 pounds... It’s the fuckin’ heaviest guitar ever! I’ve been playing it live and it was in the studio, with a set of my Hellbender pickups.”

Head to Magazines Direct to pick up a copy of the latest issue of Total Guitar, which features the full interview with Kelliher, as well as a rundown of the 50 greatest Beatles guitar songs, Santana and Trivium interviews, plus tabs of songs by Free, Biffy Clyro, Extreme and Passenger.

Mastodon’s new album, Hushed and Grim, is a staggering achievement: every second of its 86:30 runtime is crammed with arena-shaking riffs, haunting clean passages and sky-scraping solos, courtesy of ever-bankable guitarists Bill Kelliher and Brent Hinds – but there are a few special guests onboard, too, including Kim Thayil, who lends his unmistakable leads to ethereal ballad Had It All.

Now, in a new interview with Total Guitar, Kelliher has detailed Thayil’s involvement in the track, and how the Soundgarden guitarist dialed his playing into its themes of loss, which deal with the death of longtime Mastodon manager Nick John.

“I’ve always looked up to Kim,” Kelliher says. “He started coming to our gigs in Seattle and we became friends.

“I knew there would be a lot of room for him to solo on Had It All. He wanted to get it right and asked, ‘Do you need something like this or that?’ I wanted to send him the whole album so he could get a feel for the sadness and emotion.

“I said to him, ‘You guys lost Chris [Cornell], just channel that!’ because that’s what the song is about. Losing our manager, someone who we were very close to. Kim did a great job – his solos are out there and nobody plays like him.”

In the years following Chris Cornell’s passing in May 2017, Thayil has toured with MC5 supergroup MC50, performed Soundgarden material with Brandi Carlile, and served up a sizeable lead on The Pretty Reckless single Only Love Can Save Me Now. Had It All marks his latest guest solo spot.

Elsewhere in the Total Guitar interview, Kelliher reveals how the record’s other guest soloist, Marcus King, ended up tackling The Beast.

“Brent’s been playing with Marcus a lot on the side, doing shows and covers,” he explains.

“He’s a young up-and-coming blues guitarist and to my ears, they sound very similar. Marcus did a stab at a couple of solos on the record and I couldn’t really tell who was playing!”

For more on the new Mastodon album, pick up a copy of the latest issue of Total Guitar magazine, which also features a rundown of the 50 greatest Beatles guitar songs, interviews with Santana and Trivium, plus tabs of songs by Free, Biffy Clyro, Extreme and Passenger.

Prog metal fans the world over have likely given Mastodon's new album Hushed and Grim at least a few spins, but the Atlanta quartet brought the fresh material to the masses earlier this week with a performance of Teardrinker on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

Appearing on Tuesday's episode of the talkshow, the band treated the studio audience to a dual electric guitar-laden heavy metal masterclass, with highlights including a dizzying solo from guitarist Brent Hinds and even a bass solo from Troy Sanders.

Footage from the performance has now been posted online – watch it below.

While Bill Kelliher opts for his signature ESP Sparrowhawk, Brent Hinds can also be seen wielding an unidentifiable model from the Japanese company.

Hinds' guitar sports a double-cut shape, with a matt black finish, two humbuckers and, unusually, what looks to be a Jazzmaster-style floating tremolo – all of which has us pondering: is Brent Hinds ESP's next signature artist?

It's not the band's first ESP signature model tease this month, either; Bill Kelliher used demos for his STL ToneHub Pack as an opportunity to debut his own new Silverburst double-cut from the company.

The band's Seth Myers performance comes hot on the heels of the news that Mastodon have been nominated for a Grammy. They are up for the Best Metal Performance award for their track Pushing the Tides, and are up against the stellar competition of Deftones, Dream Theater, Gojira and Rob Zombie.

Mastodon's new album Hushed and Grim arrived last month via Reprise Records. Described by the band as their “most ambitious body of work to date”, the record – which follows 2017's Emperor of Sand – comprises 15 tracks and clocks in at almost an hour and a half.

Speaking to Talking Metal earlier this year, guitarist Bill Kelliher explained that they went into the process of creating the album “with open minds”, and as a result produced their “fullest‑, biggest-sounding record” so far.

Despite the four-year gap between official studio releases, Mastodon also released another album, Medium Rarities – a collection of cover tunes, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides and live recordings – in 2020.

In a Guitar World interview earlier this year, Kelliher paid tribute to Metallica as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Black Album. He recalled touring with the metal giants on a series of dates supporting their 2008 album, Death Magnetic, and shared insight into their grueling work ethic.

“They really work for it,” he said. “They had a mobile practice room, like a shipping container, that went everywhere with them. And every day they would open it up three hours before the gig with Pro Tools set up and everything mic'd up.

“I’m not kidding, they would play for three fucking hours before they played on stage for another two fucking hours. I think it was called the 'Tuning and Attitude' room. They’d be playing different songs every night so they’d be jamming through different setlists while we were sitting around drinking beer and picking our noses!”