Bill Kelliher outlines what it takes to join the herd of Mastodon

Many of Mastodon‘s fans were shocked to learn that the band had recently parted with guitarist and singer Brent Hinds, whom they had known for 25 years. Hinds hasn’t officially discussed the breakup yet, but he’s given multiple clues on social media—such as reshared comments—that his exit was not particularly cordial. The band brought in well-known metal YouTuber Ben Eller to step in for their first performance after that drastic lineup change. Eller has previously flaunted his admiration for the progressive sludge metallers from Atlanta, Georgia, by sharing a few videos featuring the band, including one titled “Stuff Mastodon Does.” It seems like Eller’s job is only temporary as of right now. He joined the band onstage earlier this month at the “Tool Live In The Sand” festival in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. In a recently conducted interview with Guitar World, the group’s guitarist Bill Kelliher indicated that the band are looking a long-term replacement who ideally would be.

Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play – and can play well. 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.

But they’re not rushing anything.

I’m as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon. It’s my life. It’s all I really know. I’ve got all my eggs in this basket – and I’m not ready to give it up yet. So, we’re going to keep looking, and who knows? We’ll find the right person when the time is right and ready. We do have some more shows coming up. We have a tour with Coheed and Cambriacoming 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