Mastodon releases documentary on late guitarist Brent Hinds

Nearly a year after the death of founding guitarist Brent Hinds, the members of the progressive metal band Mastodon have released a documentary reflecting on their complex 25-year relationship with him. The 35-minute film, titled "The Mastodon in the Room," was released on July 8, 2026, and features surviving members Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Troy Sanders discussing Hinds's life, his struggles, and the circumstances that led to his departure from the band just months before his fatal accident.

Hinds died on August 20, 2025, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta. According to a police report cited in the documentary's accompanying materials, Hinds was speeding at the time of the collision and was found to be at fault. His exit from Mastodon had been announced as a mutual parting of ways in March 2025, though Hinds later stated on social media that he had been fired, calling his former bandmates "horrible humans."

The new film serves as the band's first in-depth public account of those final years. In it, the three members gather at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre to watch archival footage, recounting both the early camaraderie and the later difficulties. They...