Almost six months after his departure from the band, co-founding Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds has addressed the situation, confirming that he was “kicked out” of the group, shedding light on the recent events surrounding his exit.

Brent Hinds co-founded the iconic Atlanta heavy metal band Mastodon in 2000, alongside bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher, and drummer/singer Brann Dailor. The band’s lineup has remained largely unchanged since 2001, showcasing their commitment to their original vision and sound throughout the years.

However, in March, the band announced that Mastodon and Hinds had “mutually decided to part ways” after an impressive “25 monumental years together,” signaling a significant change in the band’s dynamic and future direction.

“We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve created together, and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors,” read a statement from the band. “We remain inspired and excited to present new music for our fans in this next chapter of Mastodon,” indicating their commitment to continuing their legacy.

By June, it became apparent that Hinds’ departure was not as amicable as initially suggested, as the guitarist expressed on social media that he wouldn’t “miss being in a s–t band with horrible humans,” providing insight into the tensions that may have arisen during his time with the band.

Hinds has now taken to social media again, confirming in the comments that his exit from the band was not a voluntary decision. His latest remarks were made on Instagram in response to a video showing Mastodon performing “Crack the Skye” in Silver Spring, Maryland, back in 2012, highlighting his lingering connection to the band’s past performances.

“My guitar sounds great, but Troy and that prawn [Dailor] sound absolutely horrible,” he remarked. “They are way out of key. It’s embarrassing, and they kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them by being who I am. But what about who they are? They are two people who can’t sing… together live or anywhere else in the world. Everything they try to sing in the studio is manipulated by autotune because they’re incapable of singing in key,” revealing his frustrations with the band’s musical direction.

“F–k these guys,” Hinds continued. “Only I know who they really are. They are the biggest fans of themselves [sic]. I’ve never seen anyone in my life look in the mirror more than Troy Sanders. He thinks he’s God’s gift to everything. I’ve never met three people who were so full of themselves. It’s disgusting,” expressing his strong feelings about his former bandmates and their egos.

Despite his harsh words, Hinds added a slight caveat to his comments, writing a separate message accompanied by a laugh-crying emoji to note he was “Not saying I can sing tho,” providing a glimpse of humor amidst the tension.

While no members of Mastodon have directly responded to Hinds’ comments, Metal Injection reports that Brann Dailor recently reshared a fan’s clip of a recent live performance, captioning it with the message, “Sounds in key to me,” subtly addressing the ongoing rift.

Among their impressive discography, Mastodon boasts nine albums that have charted on the Billboard 200, with three hitting the top 10 of the all-genre chart: 2011’s The Hunter, 2014’s One More ‘Round the Sun, and 2017’s Emperor of Sand. The latter two both reached No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart. Additionally, from six Grammy nominations, the band has secured one win: for best metal performance for “Sultan’s Curse” in 2018, reflecting their significant impact on the metal genre.