Mastodon is one of the most beloved acts in the entire metal scene, both critically and among fans. The Grammy-nominated group has put out some of the heaviest and most complex records of the past decade. But their lead guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds made it clear to Guitar Player that he wants no part of even the idea of heavy metal, even going so far as to say that he “f*cking hate[s] it”:
“I never really liked heavy metal in the first place. I came from Alabama playing country music, surf rock, rockabilly, and stuff like that. I just went through a phase in my 20s where I thought it was rebellious to play heavy metal. And then I met Brann [Dailor, Mastodon drummer] and Bill [Kelliher], and they were really, really, really into heavy metal. And ever since then, I’ve been trying to get Mastodon to not be such a heavy metal band, because I f*cking hate heavy metal, and I don’t want to be in a heavy metal band.”
And he wasn’t done there. Also in the interview, Hinds described how he hates doing press:
“It would be nice if magazines and all interviews would just go fall off the face of the earth along with all the cigarette smoke and all the other f*cking things I hate in life. I don’t like doing interviews, I don’t read interviews, I don’t need to know how people go about doing things. It frustrates me to do interviews, because I have to talk about things I’ve talked about over and over and over and over again. So, no, there’s nothing that we can talk about that involved Mastodon that I’ll get excited about. After 15 years of doing this every f*cking day of my life, the last thing I want to do is talk about doing it.”
Truth be told, Mastodon’s sound has moved way more into prog-rock territory these days more than their earlier, more traditionally metal work, but this will definitely upset a few fans who have been along with them for a while. Also, that last bit about doing the same thing everyday seems unsettling. Hopefully the band’s future isn’t in trouble, and they’ll still put out the great material we’ve come to expect from them. Cameos on Game of Thrones are great, but they’re better in the studio.
(Via Guitar Player)