Metal Anarchy

Ben Weinman (The Dillinger Escape Plan) has shared a new tribute for his late Giraffe Tongue Orchestra bandmate Brent Hinds. He says the former Mastodon guitarist/vocalist was “loved not just for his talent, but for being a wild, untamable free spirit, bigger than life itself.”

Here’s Weinman’s full statement:

“I had to wait a day to write this because even accepting the news of Brent’s death has been really hard. Just a few days ago I told my bandmates I felt Brent didn’t have long. I knew I needed to see him when I got home from Australia. I didn’t get that chance.

Here’s the truth: I saw lots of trolls talking shit online about Brent after he departed Mastodon, and it made me sick. How quickly people turn. Brent was born a rockstar. Loved not just for his talent, but for being a wild, untamable free spirit, bigger than life itself. The flood of tributes from people we never heard of to legends we never could imagine even being in the same room with is proof of that.

When Brent walked into a room, the whole place shifted. Even the most “larger than life” celebrities melted into the background when his presence took over.

I was friends with Brent for 25 years. People used to wonder how a guy like me was so close to a guy like him. I always tell them this story: one day we were backstage, and drugs were going around. I thought maybe I should just let go and join in. Brent stopped me. He said, “No… that’s not you. I love you as you are.” That was him. When Brent called so many of us his best friend, you believed it because it was true.

I love you, Brent. I’ll always hold on to the memories, the music, the Brent signature guitar you left at my house so we’d always have a reason to jam, the tiki statue you started carving for me out of a backyard log, and all the little pieces of you that are still here. I woke up to a flood of messages asking if I was okay because everyone knew how much I loved you, brother.

And Dirty B… AJ asked me to reunite GTO and do a big tour of Australia. Of course, the second GTO tour gets canceled because of your motorcycle bullshit. But honestly, I wouldn’t expect the mighty Brent Hinds to travel any other way. I get it, buddy. I really do.”