<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Mastodon ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/mastodon Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:13:03 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “The Silver Burst is synonymous with the band. We were talking about how cool it would be to continue that tradition”: Nick Johnston embraces his Mastodon turn with his most metal signature Schecter yet ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/schecter-nick-johnston-traditional-hh J7dqwDFrra8F7Ub9tZ6j6K Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:13:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I want to dedicate it to everyone in the guitar shop I grew up in and everyone in a bedroom with a dream”: Guitar at the Grammys 2026 – Slash and Andrew Watt pay tribute to Ozzy, Bruno Mars takes a solo, but Brent Hinds excluded from In Memoriam segment ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/music-industry/guitar-at-the-grammys-2026 fxdHNMtUcmmsqWshvf5NAb Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:23:54 +0000 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:58:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I discovered that you need to be anxious – it keeps you motivated. I try to feed off the anxiety and play guitar”: The life and times of Brent Hinds, the visionary guitarist with a maverick style who made Mastodon a big beast of metal ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-mastodon-tribute NSUfsd6ptMEsCyHzUiMptW Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:29:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Brent’s got an entire album that hasn’t seen the light of day”: Brent Hinds had a trove of solo material that was never released, according to his former bandmate ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-unreleased-solo-album gFNzY88Zi67gGTAsFtmLAS Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:10:35 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:45:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He’s gonna be on the new record, for sure. He’s writing like crazy”: Mastodon have seemingly confirmed their new guitar player – revealing Nick Johnston is writing and recording for their next albums ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bill-kelliher-says-new-mastodon-album-will-feature-nick-johnston JWcfQrmLoDNqXQvjoHkkKm Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:47:46 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:30:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brent Hinds found to be “at fault” for the tragic motorcycle accident that led to his death, police determine ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-at-fault-for-motorcycle-accident-that-led-to-his-death vLMXPnMGzFZRJhMHuuXonB Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:18:02 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:19:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ Atlanta police release further details of Brent Hinds' fatal motorcycle accident ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/atlanta-police-release-further-details-of-brent-hinds-fatal-motorcycle-accident r5r8VEUdiuhbFcCsmF9pjJ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:41:24 +0000 Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:02:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “All that we accomplished after that first fistfight in the van 25 years ago. I didn’t think you’d be taken from us like this”: Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher issues first public statement following Brent Hinds' death ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mastodon-guitarist-bill-kelliher-issues-first-public-statement-following-brent-hinds-death kGtXyMQ5VvnLAhjmpzjr2S Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:05:23 +0000 Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:19:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We were brothers to the end. We really loved each other, and we made a lot of very beautiful music together”: Mastodon honor Brent Hinds onstage at their first live performance since the guitarist's death ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mastodon-honor-brent-hinds-onstage SGaedFiEqQnCZ4VQD7Xa4B Mon, 25 Aug 2025 16:07:27 +0000 Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:12:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He told me that after he was gone, he just wanted to be remembered for bringing country music into metal”: Brent Hinds, 1974-2025 – the guitar world pays tribute ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-guitar-world-pays-tribute o8ivnU7fz2iq6Ks4M2UMTJ Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:47:05 +0000 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:52:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ Former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds dies aged 51 following fatal motorcycle accident ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-dies-aged-51 UhYWEHn27SrbwwSYxGr7YW Thu, 21 Aug 2025 16:42:55 +0000 Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:08:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “They kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am”: Brent Hinds says he was forced out of Mastodon – despite claims his departure was amicable ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-says-he-was-kicked-out-of-mastodon pJnXGV4SwcvCr8dyW5g8bA Wed, 13 Aug 2025 14:24:56 +0000 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:35:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Hetfield personally hooked me up with them back in the day. I’m not cheating on anyone. I want all the instruments!” Gojira’s Joe Duplantier explains how he started playing ESP guitars – and why he’s still playing Charvels ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-duplantier-how-he-started-playing-esp-guitars zxzN6heqwYdMhBidX8WQAG Wed, 06 Aug 2025 15:30:31 +0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 14:55:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I know I’m being judged right now. I read comments saying, ‘You’ve got nothing on Brent.’ I’m not worrying. I feel free”: How Nick Johnston went from instrumental virtuoso du jour to joining Mastodon and playing Ozzy Osbourne’s final show ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nick-johnston-mastodon-early-mercy fRcKjZYcURCFLmA7ZFASvR Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:40:52 +0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:03:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Brann told me I’d be the first person he’d call if anything ever came up. That’s what he did”: How prog fusion ace Nick Johnston ended up replacing Brent Hinds in Mastodon on tour – after a casual coffee hang ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nick-johnston-on-how-he-got-the-mastodon-gig b2p7eKDEMtCy6HBQkLjNfW Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:20:04 +0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:04:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Instead of being like, ‘Hey, man, you’re my favorite guitar player,’ I was like, ‘Watch out for that cable running across the floor’”: Bill Kelliher on his awkward Tony Iommi encounter and Mastodon’s Back to the Beginning plans ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/mastodon-bill-kelliher-black-sabbath-back-to-the-beginning-tony-iommi-encounter mz4PuJc7errhPtoYgtWS58 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:37:42 +0000 Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:00:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I won’t miss being in a band with horrible humans”: Former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds fuels speculation of tension with his ex-bandmates after calling them out on social media ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/former-mastodon-guitarist-brent-hinds-calls-out-old-bandmates 6RNtfDQxAT9GNd67P8KhYg Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:19:39 +0000 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:46:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon recruit prog fusion virtuoso Nick Johnston as surprise new stand-in guitarist following Brent Hinds’ departure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nick-johnston-plays-with-mastodon 7v8Ya4vDNvSBebzBuHdsom Mon, 12 May 2025 10:37:41 +0000 Wed, 21 May 2025 09:38:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brent Hinds plays first show since leaving Mastodon – and he has plenty more lined up ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brent-hinds-plays-first-show-since-leaving-mastodon Bd9kjy9b46fqxwVuN7mtdc Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:24:36 +0000 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:09:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Bill, Troy and I were rocking it – I took a step back, only to clip my heel on a monitor wedge. I went ass-over-teakettle”: How Ben Eller went from Mastodon super-fan to filling in for Brent Hinds – and taking it all in his stride ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/ben-eller-mastodon auJC4AKvSgcuva4jrWRWSA Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:56:20 +0000 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:00:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My lead skills are decent enough – but whoever we get is going to be light years ahead of me”: Brent Hinds’ exit left Mastodon at a crossroads. But for Bill Kelliher, it’s an opportunity for a fresh start with a new guitar wingman ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bill-kelliher-mastodon-new-guitarist BHXhnGgeoz6XzPdpMysSM5 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:40:53 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:30:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I went into this looking at it as one of the coolest things I could ever be part of, but knowing the backlash could be brutal”: Ben Eller was wary of the reaction he’d get for stepping in for Brent Hinds in Mastodon – but that didn’t stop him saying yes ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/ben-eller-on-playing-with-mastodon TQTaNar7ga88jP8AFiXEqX Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:49:38 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:12:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’m as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon. I’m not ready to give it up yet. So, we’re going to keep looking”: Bill Kelliher is searching far and wide for Mastodon's next guitarist – here's what the band are looking for ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/bill-kelliher-what-mastodon-are-looking-for-in-new-guitarist 74dk68pjrGcnGLLDZRYdyS Sat, 15 Mar 2025 10:13:00 +0000 Mon, 31 Mar 2025 08:00:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us”: Bill Kelliher opens up on Brent Hinds’ surprise Mastodon departure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bill-kelliher-on-brent-hinds-mastodon-exit XJc3bNSvcvH6ptMREtCGYE Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:34:39 +0000 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:59:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Can you learn 17 Mastodon songs immediately?” Mastodon recruit YouTuber for first show following Brent Hinds’ shock departure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/mastodon-recruit-ben-eller-for-tool-in-the-sand-show hJZNP7nJjj8HHt5r2dnNaX Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:37:37 +0000 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:11:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “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”: Mastodon part ways with Brent Hinds ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/mastodon-part-ways-with-brent-hinds sT5er2E5GQNRkQo5zUe4Qj Fri, 07 Mar 2025 19:10:32 +0000 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:33:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My mom would still be bugging me, like, ‘You need to go to college and get a real job.’ I’m in the van, getting baloney sandwiches on 100 bucks a night. And I’m 30!” Bill Kelliher and Mark Morton on how Leviathan and Ashes of the Wake changed everything ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/lamb-of-god-mastodon-mark-morton-bill-kelliher ehKNcwCutxL9hNbZYyAPng Mon, 12 Aug 2024 10:59:29 +0000 Tue, 27 Aug 2024 15:59:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was funny when I first met James Hetfield. I was like, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar. You paved the way for me’”: Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-bill-kelliher-meeting-guitar-heroes-james-hetfield DoF9zTUKGANZhEDGFvhhP8 Wed, 15 May 2024 16:01:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “As the bass player in a guitar-driven band, I don’t need to be in the spotlight. I don’t need to do any more than just rock out”: Troy Sanders on the perils and pleasures of playing bass in Mastodon ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/troy-sanders-on-playing-bass-in-mastodon VmbGaohT3kRTPMBm4d4tsc Sun, 25 Feb 2024 19:44:47 +0000 Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:16:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s heavy, thick and unique. It feels great, and the neck is incredible. And it’s heavy; but that’s okay because the weight of a guitar is very important to me. The thicker the better”: If you pick up Bill Kelliher’s new ESP guitar, you’ll know about it ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bill-kelliher-esp-ltd-royal-shiva-guitar 7nmhDxYswC82ghbinHNyYT Thu, 08 Feb 2024 20:43:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I tried SGs and Flying Vs, and they might look cool, but it's like playing a piece of Styrofoam”: Bill Kelliher explains why he prefers his guitars to be as heavy as possible ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-heavy-guitars-explanation zoDoCkA5ACoYymvc6eVvR3 Wed, 07 Feb 2024 16:29:03 +0000 Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:50:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2024: “It's heavy, thick, and unique. It feels great”: ESP brings Bill Kelliher’s long-awaited double-cut custom model to the masses with LTD Royal Shiva signature guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/esp-ltd-bill-kelliher-royal-shiva AePpi6yYEaeeKCH3rvBydf Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:01:57 +0000 Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:25:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My dad didn’t believe in distortion”: Bill Kelliher took us through his unlikely guitar tone journey – while he cooked us lunch ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-guitar-tone-journey FBUpwPVcTHLSr6xw47C3SN Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:24:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2023: ESP meets fan demand with James Hetfield Olympic White Vulture and debuts 12 LTD signature guitars, including Gary Holt’s “very pointy” GH-SV ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/esp-james-hetfield-ltd-signature-series-vulture-olympic-white CL4S2Qt99S9Ehqx8sVtA5R Thu, 13 Apr 2023 17:00:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Fender teams up with Mastodon's Troy Sanders for well-spec'd Silverburst signature P-Bass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/fender-troy-sanders-silverburst-p-bass n8Djhp9QjsvbewMgLtW5MH Tue, 28 Feb 2023 17:00:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Mastodon’s Brent Hinds turn Super Sheriff and arrest guitarists for tone violations ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brent-hinds-super-sheriff-video oRqiopbrTnFLpzVwPLGeCg Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:33:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ Victory Amps overhauls its Sheriff range – and seemingly signs Mastodon’s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher to its ranks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/victory-sheriff-range-2023-mastodon-brent-hinds-bill-kelliher RvN46UNdzPSfBW8sCbMHcZ Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:12:47 +0000 Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:18:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ Are Bill Kelliher’s new Mojotone Hellbender pickups the most versatile metal humbuckers ever made? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mojotone-bill-kelliher-hellbender-pickups TPkkEro6tZQ32mbRqgHqAi Mon, 16 Jan 2023 13:49:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ 7 guitar-led covers of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kate-bush-running-up-that-hill-guitar-covers DuiXzXPpm2fCwmqo3kd87P Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:46:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Troy Sanders: “The Teardrinker bass solo turned from a silly joke to an interesting moment that I’d never done in Mastodon before” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/mastodon-troy-sanders-hushed-and-grim sdw2bytN8skMPe9haUHNWF Tue, 03 May 2022 09:48:32 +0000 Tue, 03 May 2022 09:48:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Nili Brosh team up with members of Anthrax and Mastodon for a relentless cover of Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brosh-anthrax-mastodon-priest-vengeance BXEghgkGFfGDQU3sVwY9i4 Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:49:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon: “We write our guitar parts separately then show them to each other. We’re not a jam band – we’re more like choreographed acrobatics” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/mastodon-hushed-and-grim JuXZLFN7goqpZSf7XNmxng Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:36:49 +0000 Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:11:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ The 20 best guitar albums of 2021 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-best-guitar-albums-of-2021 Z6shYs6ReMiey7DShwTEyP Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:50:59 +0000 Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:54:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bill Kelliher reveals Ron Wood’s signature ESP as his secret studio weapon: “It’s the best-sounding Tele ever” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-esp-ron-wood BTQxBqWcmyakDeZ2zEJss8 Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:00:28 +0000 Tue, 14 Dec 2021 12:51:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kim Thayil channeled the loss of Chris Cornell in his solo on the new Mastodon album ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kim-thayil-mastodon-solo BeJHLbYj2vhjQGWC3mv27W Wed, 01 Dec 2021 13:08:25 +0000 Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:28:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon bring metal to the masses with a performance of Teardrinker on Late Night With Seth Meyers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-teardrinker-late-night-with-seth-meyers YoHtVURAmJDRQcNsFgf9wb Thu, 25 Nov 2021 16:09:23 +0000 Thu, 25 Nov 2021 16:23:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ Foo Fighters, Mammoth WVH, AC/DC, Black Pumas, St. Vincent, H.E.R., Dream Theater nominated for Grammys ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/2021-grammy-nominations 9RoiMn8d9YamXaSawqWWbL Tue, 23 Nov 2021 21:18:12 +0000 Sun, 03 Apr 2022 17:55:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bill Kelliher shares first glimpse of new double-cut ESP signature model in promo for STL ToneHub Pack ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bill-kelliher-esp-double-cut mHVims7Mq9spBhyp3wJmFZ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:18:24 +0000 Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:22:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ From high-octane blues duels to lush baroque-pop: here are this week's essential guitar tracks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/essential-tracks-blues-duels-baroque-pop EAFoMbRQip6bbdJwA5gMMQ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 17:09:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ Mastodon reveals atmospheric, time signature-skipping new single, Sickle and Peace ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-sickle-and-peace 2U4jL95W9gTsEWeSZZXKCL Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:08:24 +0000