The late Brent Hinds was publicly honoured this past weekend at Hellfest Open Air in France, in what the festival described as a regal tribute. Hinds, best known as a founding guitarist and vocalist of Mastodon, died earlier this year. His passing left a distinct absence in a band that helped reshape progressive metal over two decades.
Details of the tribute remain sparse, but its inclusion in Europe’s largest metal gathering says something about the respect Hinds commanded. Mastodon’s connection to Hellfest runs deep — the Atlanta group has appeared there multiple times, including a headlining set that cemented their European following. Honouring Hinds on those grounds situates his legacy not as a distant memory but as active currency in the culture he helped build.
Hinds’ playing was never just an anchor for Mastodon’s sound. His lead work — part Southern rock swagger, part psychedelic reach — gave the band a signature that live audiences recognised immediately. A tribute at an event of this scale acknowledges both the musician and his imprint on a scene that rarely grants such gestures lightly.
