When did Brent Hinds form Mastodon? Career explored as co-founder exits band after 25 years

Mastodon co-founder Brent Hinds has confirmed that he is leaving the band after 25 years. According to Loud Wire, the musician contributed to all eight albums released by the group. Hinds co-founded Mastodon in 2000.

Brent Hinds' exit was officially announced through a statement on Mastodon's Instagram page on March 7, 2025, stating that the decision was mutual. The statement read:

"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."

The band also confirmed that they would continue touring this year and are excited to meet all the fans "on the road." However, the comments section of the post was closed for unknown reasons.

Following Brent Hinds' exit, the band's remaining members are Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Troy Sanders. Additionally, Joao Nogueira continues to serve on the keyboard as a session and touring musician.

The band had previously announced the Mastodon & Coheed and Cambria – The Infinite Arc Tour in December 2024 through their official website. The shows would start on May 10, 2025, with the first performance scheduled at the Salem Civic Center. It will conclude on June 8, 2025, with a final show at the Vibrant Music Hall.

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Brent Hinds' career explored: Mastodon and other bands

Although the Helena, Alabama native gained recognition over the years for his association with Mastodon, Brent Hinds has also formed and played with other groups. One of them is Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, which has been active for more than ten years and has one album in its credits, Broken Lines, released through the record label Party Smasher.

Hinds is widely known for his work as a guitarist. In a 2006 interview with V13 magazine, he spoke about how Mastodon was formed, saying that around six years before the conversation, he and Bill Kelliher were playing in a band called Today's The Day in Massachusetts. The guitarist continued:

"We ended up quitting that band together and we moved to Atlanta where Bill's girlfriend/wife lived and uh, so I went with them and then we met the other two guys within a couple of weeks and started rocking, started touring."

When Mastodon was originally formed, the band had a singer named Eric Saner, who stayed for a brief period. Brent Hinds was questioned whether things would have been different if Eric remained with the band, to which he said:

"I think so, I don't know, I think we'd be writing the same music you know, the vocals would be different but I'm not sure. I mean I don't know, I think things definitely happen for a reason."

As mentioned, Brent Hinds was a part of the group's eight albums, starting with Remission in 2000. With the debut album's success, the band continued releasing more projects and gradually climbed the Billboard charts.

Three of Mastodon's albums, including The Hunter, Once More 'Round the Sun, and Emperor Sand, grabbed a spot among the top ten on the US Billboard 200. The band also released other notable albums such as Leviathan, Blood Mountain, Crack the Skye, and Hushed and Grim.