In a new interview with Guitar Player, Bill Kelliher discussed how Mastodon’s dynamic changed after creating ‘Crack the Skye.’
The guitarist mentioned that the band’s dynamic shifted after a serious incident involving guitarist Brent Hinds, who was left in a coma after a drunken fight. He explained, “After that record, things were never the same as far as all of us going into a studio together, sitting around, and tossing ideas around together.”
He went on to talk about that period, “That accident with Brent really changed not only him but the dynamic of the band. Honestly, I feel like that was the last record we did as a band that was complete.”
“Well, not really ‘complete,’ but the most together as a team. On ‘Crack the Skye,’ all of us are playing the songs in the studio together, writing together and really making a collaborative effort. I felt like that was the pinnacle of our career on that album as far as doing that,” Kelliher added.
Episode six of Mastodon’s ‘Crack the Skye’ documentary series covers the 2007 incident where Hinds was hospitalized after a fight at the MTV Video Music Awards. He suffered severe injuries and experienced symptoms like dizziness and nausea for months.
“Shavo said it sounded like someone had hit a homerun,” Hinds previously talked about the incident. “I went into convulsions and seized out. Blood was coming out my ears and mouth. My brain basically hemorrhaged, and I was holding the f*ckin’ Grim Reaper’s hand.”
He continued, “Man, that f*cked had rings on his finger and he broke my nose so bad I had to wait eight months until the vertigo stopped so I could go back into the hospital under anesthesia and have them re-break my nose again so I could breathe.”
According to police reports, Hinds fought Shavo Odadjian and William Hudson outside Mandalay Bay. Hinds hit Odadjian with his shirt and punched Hudson. Odadjian told him to calm down. The report also said Odadjian and Hudson then punched Hinds, knocking him down. Hinds’ friend apologized, saying he was drunk. The police questioned Odadjian and Hudson at the time.
