Mastodon have opened up in unprecedented detail about their complicated final years with late guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds in a newly released 30-minute documentary titled The Mastodon In The Room.
The film finds Troy Sanders, Brann Dailor, and Bill Kelliher revisiting their 25-year relationship with Hinds, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident on August 20, 2025, at the age of 51. Through archival footage, personal stories, and candid conversations, the trio reflects on both the highs and lows they shared with their longtime bandmate.
The documentary doesn’t shy away from discussing the struggles that ultimately led to Hinds’ departure from the band months before his death. According to the remaining members, years of tension surrounding his personal issues, increasing disengagement, and inconsistent live performances created a situation that had become unsustainable.
Speaking about the band’s final years together, Sanders admitted the cracks had become impossible to ignore.
Sanders said:
“The dark tones, and the alcohol, and the things that had their grips — had their nails in him — harder than ever before. And there’s always been ups and downs for the 25 years of our band, but I think it was at its peak unfortunately during these past five years.”
He went on to describe the touring cycle behind Hushed & Grim as one of the most difficult periods the band had experienced in over a decade.
Kelliher echoed those concerns, suggesting Hinds’ passion for the band appeared to be fading.
“It was a foreshadowing of what was on the horizon, it just seemed like his heart wasn’t into it really.”
According to Sanders, the band repeatedly attempted to address the issues through numerous conversations and interventions before ultimately reaching a breaking point.
“We knew in our hearts that this was never going to change. And I cannot tell you how many heart-to-hearts that the three of us had… pleading to someone that you’ve been with the bulk of your life to listen to us.”
Dailor admitted he was the last member of the band to accept that a change was necessary.
“I was sort of the last hold out. I kind of was thinking he would be able to turn it around at some point, but I mean, how many times can you get up on stage with somebody, and go out there, and the person is just… inebriated?”
Kelliher added:
“You’re only as strong as your weakest link… the three of us could be out there practicing all day and rehearsing, and we’d go out there and it would rely on him and it was killing us.”
Despite the frustration, the trio emphasized that their decision came from concern rather than resentment.
Reflecting on the difficult choice to part ways with Hinds, Dailor explained:
“We really were coming from a place of love. It’s like maybe this will be some kind of bottom for him. We had to set some boundaries and we had to take care of our own sort of mental health.”
Sanders also revealed that he believed there would eventually be a reconciliation between himself and Hinds, just as there had been many times before throughout the band’s history.
“I knew in my heart that there would be that time… where we meet, we apologize, we hug and say, ‘I love you.’ I knew it was going to happen. I didn’t know when, but I knew it would happen. And I was fucking wrong.”
Dailor shared a similar sentiment, explaining that he always assumed the public criticism Hinds directed toward the band following his departure would eventually give way to another reunion between friends.
The documentary arrives months after Mastodon released “Your Ghost Again,” their first new music since Hinds’ passing and their first release without him.
In a statement accompanying the documentary, the band explained their motivation for finally addressing the situation directly.
Mastodon wrote:
“It isn’t easy to talk about Brent, he was our family, someone we all loved wholeheartedly. He was a wild man, our wild man, and that came with some challenges. Both things are true and we aren’t interested in chasing one truth over the other.”
The band concluded by thanking fans for supporting both Mastodon and Hinds throughout the last quarter-century, while acknowledging the profound grief that continues to accompany his loss.
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