In a new interview with Guitar World magazine, MASTODON guitarist Bill Kelliher spoke about what he and his bandmates are looking for in a replacement for their longtime axeman Brent Hinds. “Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play — and can play well,” he said. “Obviously, you gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Like, living together in a little tour bus on the road for fucking days and months at a time, it’s got to be someone who can do all that. And that’s another variable. Like, ‘Oh, this person is a great guitar player. Why don’t you hire them?’ It’s like, ‘Well, they gotta stand the test of time.’ We’ve got to be able to sit down and have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, you know, feel them out, and make sure they’re MASTODON material. Like, can they hang, for sure, but it’s got to be someone who has a unique style, and is very serious about it.”

Kelliher went on to say that he doesn’t know if YouTuber and session musician Ben Eller, who performed with MASTODON on March 9 at “Tool Live In The Sand” festival in the Dominican Republic, will be a permanent addition to the band.

“We do have some more shows coming up. We have a tour with COHEED AND CAMBRIA coming up in May, which, you know, we’re still going to fulfil that. We’re going to finish up our new record.

“I’m not sure what our future is with Ben or if we’ll try a couple of other people out. Not really sure yet; it’s too early to say.”

Since 2000, Hinds had served as lead guitarist and vocalist for MASTODON, alongside bassist/singer Troy Sanders, drummer Brann Dailor, and Kelliher.

MASTODON‘s lineup had remained the same for 25 years, recording eight studio albums, beginning with 2002’s “Remission” until the band’s latest LP, 2021’s “Hushed And Grim”.

Speaking to Guitar World magazine, Kelliher stated about Hinds‘s exit: “What can you say about the legacy of MASTODON‘s first 25 years with Brent? It’s been a fun, wild fucking ride, that’s for sure. We achieved a lot of things that I never in a million years would have imagined. There’s been Grammys, touring with our heroes, like IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and TOOL. I cherish all of that.

“Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things,” he explained. “We wish nothing but the best for Brent in chasing his dreams.”

Touching upon the musical and personal chemistry between MASTODON‘s longtime members, Bill said: “You know, it’s amazing that we made it 25 years with the four of us. I mean, it’s like being married to three other dudes, traveling the world, trying to stay the course, and having everybody agree. That we managed to do it this long, I feel like that’s a feat in itself. You could never replace any of us because we are the the sum of four parts. That doesn’t mean there’s not someone else out there that has stuff to offer in a new direction. I think I’ll just leave it there, you know? It was a hard decision we all had to make. It’s just… it was just time.”

MASTODON recruited YouTuber and session musician Ben Eller to perform with the band at their its on Sunday, March 9 at “Tool Live In The Sand”, a destination festival which was held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Royalton Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Eller is a popular guitarist and bass player from Tennessee who has gained popularity for his awesome chops on his guitar lesson series “This Is Why You Suck At Guitar”.

Growing up as a home-schooled child, Eller had plenty of time on his hands after finishing his homework. He got hooked on playing guitar at the age of 16 after his older brother came home with a bunch of old METALLICA albums like “Ride The Lighting” and “Master Of Puppets”. Initially, he just wanted to learn how to play his favorite songs by WEEZER, SILVERCHAIR and the FOO FIGHTERS, but after listening to guitar virtuosos like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Eddie Van Halen, Eller decided to share his newly discovered passion and curiosity for learning with other guitar aficionados.

When Eller isn’t making guitar lessons for his social media channels, he’s busy demonstrating his musical talent on stage in several outfits, namely 1980s hair metal tribute SKANKBANGER, the southern blues-rock KENNEDY WOOD BAND as well as laying down bass and guitar with Andy Wood‘s instrumental project. He has also featured as a guest guitarist for the deathcore act WHITECHAPEL, laying down leads for their self-titled release, as well as the albums “Our Endless War” and “Mark Of The Blade”.

Eller has been uploading content to YouTube since 2010, started tutorials in 2012, and developed the popular series “This Is Why You Suck At Guitar” in 2013. Since then, he has also created well over 200 episodes of his weekly lesson series “Weekend Wankshop”.