Fresh off of filling in with progressive sludge metal outfit Mastodon live earlier this month, guitarist/YouTuber Ben Eller has now shared some more insight into how he came to join the band onstage at the ‘Tool Live In The Sand‘ festival. First off, Eller did confirm he first came onto the band’s radar several years ago, when their guitarist Bill Kelliher saw Eller‘s viral video Stuff Mastodon Does. He told Guitar World of that:
“A couple of years ago, Bill reached out to me via email, saying how much he enjoyed my channel and the Stuff Mastodon Does video I made. We’ve stayed in touch ever since. He’s as much of a gear nut and riff chaser as I am, so we’re constantly sending each other bands, pedals, amps, and stuff to check out.”
Conversing further with Guitar World, Eller confirmed that his role in the band was a last-minute development, having been tasked with “learning 17 Mastodon songs immediately.” Eller was of course called upon to assume the guitar duties previously overseen by vocalist/guitarist Brent Hinds, who shockingly exited the band after 25 years.
His departure from the band was publicly announced just two days ahead of the March 09th live performance at the aforementioned fest. When asked by the aforementioned publication if he was reluctant to try to step into the band in place of Hinds, Eller replied:
“I went into this looking at it as one of the coolest things I could ever get to be a part of, but also knowing that the backlash could potentially be brutal, especially given how incredible and important of a player Brent has been for the history of the band. I was absolutely unprepared for the level of positivity and kindness I would receive from the fans after the gig. I cannot believe how accepting and wonderful they’ve been; it’s overwhelming!”
Thus far a decision on whether or not the group will be continuing on with Eller remains unclear. Speaking with Guitar World recently himself, Kelliher outlined what the band will be seeking in Hinds‘ replacement. He confirmed that talent and ability won’t be the only deciding factors, as they’re also looking to find someone who can mesh with their personalities and withstand life on the road.
Outside of some suggestive reshared posts on social media from fans indicating their unhappiness with his exit, Hinds has yet to publicly address the split.
