The estate of Brent Hinds, the guitarist who died in 2025, has filed a lawsuit against Mastodon and its remaining members, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The civil complaint was filed on 3 September in Fulton County and names Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor among the defendants.
According to the complaint, Hinds still held ownership interests in Mastodon and several related businesses when he died, because a proposed buyout agreement after his departure had never been completed. The estate says the band later issued an $80,000 check as an aggregate buyout of those interests without explaining how the figure was reached, and that it has not cashed the check.
The estate also alleges that the band used a recognisable image of Hinds on the artwork of Marrow Deep, their new album, although he did not play on it, and it seeks compensation for the use of his likeness on the album and its merchandise. The complaint further objects to the surviving members discussing his private life in public after his death, including their statements that substance abuse played a part in his departure.
Hinds left Mastodon in March 2025 after 25 years in the band. The band described the split as mutual at the time; the lawsuit says he was told of his dismissal by email. He died in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta later that year, aged 51.
None of the allegations has been tested in court. Marrow Deep came out on 28 August through Loma Vista Recordings, and the band starts a North American tour with Deafheaven and Alcest in Orlando on 16 September.
Source: Lambgoat