Bill Kelliher recently opened up about the challenges Mastodon faces following the departure of Brent Hinds, acknowledging that the band has “big shoes to fill.” The heavy metal giants are still in the process of finding a new lead guitarist after Hinds’ split, which was made public over three weeks ago. The band’s first performance without Hinds was aided by Ben Eller, a YouTuber and virtuoso guitarist who stepped in at the last minute. Although Mastodon emphasized that the March 9 show wasn’t an indication of any permanent arrangements, the search for a new guitarist continues.
With Mastodon’s upcoming tour alongside Coheed and Cambria and Periphery fast approaching in early May, Kelliher spoke about the band’s next steps and their ongoing efforts to find a replacement. In a recent interview with Radical Metal (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), Kelliher revealed:
“We haven’t really decided how we’re going to go about that. We’re just sort of taking it easy. Nothing I could really share with you at this moment. We had Ben Eller, who’s a great friend, he filled in for the show, and we’ve got the Coheed tour coming up, so we’ll figure it out.”
He also emphasized the difficulty in replacing Hinds’ unique style, adding, “We’ve got a lot of requests and stuff like that, but… It’s hard shoes to fill, obviously. Nobody plays like Brent. He’s a very, extremely unique player. So, it’s not going to be an easy task. We’re all hopeful, and we’re going to figure it out.”
Kelliher then shared details about his friendship with Ben Eller, explaining how they first connected over Mastodon’s music:
“I saw him playing some Mastodon stuff. And then, I was like, ‘That’s close, but not quite right.’ So, I started writing to him, and we became good friends, just through that. Because he’s like, ‘Oh man, show me how to play it, so I can put it up on my YouTube [page].’”
He continued, recalling the song “Fallen Torches,” which Eller wanted to learn. Kelliher noted, “He wanted to know how to play that. Because he’s giving instructions to other people on how to play stuff. So I was like, ‘You’re not quite playing it right, but…'”
Despite any initial differences, Kelliher was quick to praise Eller, saying, “I mean, he’s 99% there. He’s a great fu**ing player, you know? He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.”
As Mastodon moves forward with its new lineup, Kelliher’s reflections on the band’s journey and its search for a new guitarist highlight the challenges of stepping into the legendary shoes left by Brent Hinds.
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