Born William Brent Hinds in Pelham, Alabama, Brent Hinds is best known as the guitarist and singer for the critically acclaimed prog metal band Mastodon. Looking to make a career out of music, Hinds moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he met Mastodon bassist Troy Sanders after joining the band Four Hour Fogger, which would end up being a short-lived project. In 1999, Hinds formed Mastodon after meeting Bränn Dailor and Bill Kelliher at a High on Fire show in Atlanta. The band toured and recorded relentlessly as Hinds, who was already known for his heavy drinking, began to get more and more out of control, with things eventually coming to a head in 2007 when the guitarist got into a fight after attending an MTV Video Music Awards after-party, which landed him in the hospital with a brain hemorrhage and forced him to cut back on the partying for a little while. Aside from his duties in Mastodon, Hinds also has a number of solo projects, including the surf/psych band Fiend Without a Face, the classic rock outfit the Blood Vessels, and the eclectic, Nick Cave-inspired West End Motel. ~ Gregory Heaney