Who is Ben Eller? What we know about the guitarist who performed with Mastodon after Brent Hinds' exit

After guitarist Brent Hinds’ exit from the heavy metal band, Mastodon, they were joined by Ben Eller. On March 9, 2025, Eller performed with the band at Tool’s Tool in The Sand Festival. He seems to be a fan of the band because, in August 2024, he released a YouTube video, What I Learned From Mastodon.

Eller played Pain With An Anchor from the band’s 2021 album, Hushed and Grim. According to NME, he contributed backing vocals and played one of Brent Hinds’ guitar solos. During their performance, Troy Sanders acknowledged Ben Eller for quickly mastering 17 of the band's songs.

Eller is a guitarist and bassist from Tennessee and is well-known for his YouTube channel. His content mainly includes lessons ranging from beginner chords to complex Megadeth solos, all with an engaging and easy-going approach.

As a home-schooled student, Eller had extra time after finishing his studies. His passion for guitar began at 16 when his older brother introduced him to classic Metallica albums like Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets.

Beyond creating guitar tutorials online, Ben Eller performed with multiple bands, including the ’80s hair metal tribute group Skankbanger, the blues-rock Kennedy Wood Band, and Andy Wood’s instrumental project. He also worked as a guest guitarist for Whitechapel.

Whether his addition to the band after Brent Hinds’ departure will be permanent is unknown, as Mastodon hasn’t provided any official update.

---

Ben Eller’s favorite work of Mastodon and more about Brent Hinds’ adieu

Brent Hinds left the band after working for 25 years. On March 8, 2025, the band shared an Instagram post announcing the departure. However, the band mentioned that the change won’t affect the touring plans for the year. The post mentioned:

“We’re deeply proud of and beyond grateful for the music and history we’ve shared and we wish him nothing but success and happiness in his future endeavors. We are still very inspired and excited to show up for fans in this next chapter of Mastodon.”

Sharing his feelings about the band’s music in his YouTube video, What I Learned From Mastodon, Ben Eller said:

“20 years ago, Mastodon released Leviathan and it instantly became one of my favorite records of all time.”

He shared that he was fascinated by the album when it was released and learned to play every track. Ben Eller explained that this experience was incredibly valuable because the band's guitar style was distinct. He also noted that their music includes elements that aren't typically found in songs by bands like Metallica or Slayer.

---

In a 2018 YouTube video titled, Stuff Mastodon Does, Ben Eller broke down the band’s signature guitar techniques. He explained that they occasionally tune the lowest string down for specific parts and sometimes drop it even lower for a heavier sound. Their songwriting often involves playing riffs in one position on the neck before shifting to another.

Eller added that double-picking is a key element in their style, and they frequently harmonize their riffs in a way that doesn’t follow a strict scale. According to him, one common technique the band uses is playing the same riff higher up on the neck.