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.

Brett Hinds of Mastodon has died at the age of 51. The heavy metal musician was killed late Wednesday when he was struck by an SUV, according to police.