Though Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds has been responsible for a plethora of punishing riffs over the last dozen years, a new interview with the six-stringer suggests that he's not particularly crazy about the heavy metal genre the band is lumped into.
An interview with Guitar Player had Hinds noting that he wasn't originally a metal guitarist, having initially flirted with country, rockabilly and surf tones before getting into the heavier stuff. Apparently, he went with the curl of the burl after hooking up with the rest of Mastodon in 2000.
"I never really liked heavy metal in the first place," he said. "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, drummer] and Bill [Kelliher, guitarist], 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 fucking hate heavy metal, and I don't want to be in a heavy metal band."
While albums like last year's Once More Round the Sun still find Mastodon trafficking in metal fare, it's arguable that the band have added more prog and psychedelic flavours to the mix than when they issued their 2002 full-length debut, Remission.
It should also be noted that Hinds has worked outside of the popular heavy metal project with conceptual surf unit Legend of the Seagull Men, Southern Rock explorers West End Motel and the Giraffe Tongue Orchestra with Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman.
The Guitar Player interview goes on to detail Hinds' disdain at doing interviews, whether repeating the same factoids to various interviewers, to breaking down how he constructs Mastodon riffs.
"I'm very passionate about playing guitar — I'm just not the most passionate guy in the world about talking about any of it. Breaking details down and getting micro about what cable I plug into what pedal is, to me, a very unnecessary type of dialogue. I understand you have readers that want to know that stuff, but they're not going to find out from me."
An interview with Guitar Player had Hinds noting that he wasn't originally a metal guitarist, having initially flirted with country, rockabilly and surf tones before getting into the heavier stuff. Apparently, he went with the curl of the burl after hooking up with the rest of Mastodon in 2000.
"I never really liked heavy metal in the first place," he said. "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, drummer] and Bill [Kelliher, guitarist], 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 fucking hate heavy metal, and I don't want to be in a heavy metal band."
While albums like last year's Once More Round the Sun still find Mastodon trafficking in metal fare, it's arguable that the band have added more prog and psychedelic flavours to the mix than when they issued their 2002 full-length debut, Remission.
It should also be noted that Hinds has worked outside of the popular heavy metal project with conceptual surf unit Legend of the Seagull Men, Southern Rock explorers West End Motel and the Giraffe Tongue Orchestra with Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman.
The Guitar Player interview goes on to detail Hinds' disdain at doing interviews, whether repeating the same factoids to various interviewers, to breaking down how he constructs Mastodon riffs.
"I'm very passionate about playing guitar — I'm just not the most passionate guy in the world about talking about any of it. Breaking details down and getting micro about what cable I plug into what pedal is, to me, a very unnecessary type of dialogue. I understand you have readers that want to know that stuff, but they're not going to find out from me."
