A co-founder of Mastodon – along with guitarist Bill Kelliher, bassist Troy Sanders, and drummer Brann Dailor – Hinds was a major figure in pushing metal guitar, and metal as a whole, into uncharted territory in the 21st century – challenging the genre’s rules and conventions with playing that bore the mark of a wide range of influences.

Brent Hinds, the former singer and guitarist of the heavy metal band Mastodon, has died. The 51-year-old musician was killed in a motorcycle crash around 11:35 p.m. ET on Aug. 20 in Atlanta, according to Atlanta NBC affiliate WXIA.