The remaining core of Mastodon in Bill Kelliher, Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor have shared a poignant tribute to their brother and longtime bandmate, Brent Hinds. 

Compiling archived footage spanning the band's storied career, the candid look at the guitarist is revisited as the remaining three watch on the big screen and offer their commentary on the milestones achieved together. 

The aptly titled, The Mastodon in the Room, opens with footage from Mastodon's August 21st, 2025 performance from the Alaska State Fair. From the stage, drummer Brann Dailor struggled to process the seismic loss that had only happened the night prior, as the world of heavy music reeled from the tragic loss of Hinds. 

Testimonial footage then shifts to Dailor expressing his continued grief and the kind of uncertainty that existed since. Setting the very human, very emotional tone of the film, Dailor apologizes to the fans for not being able to address the loss in the moment, confiding with a tear that he is "still unpacking it."

Convening at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre, the Dailor, Sanders and Kelliher revisit the 25 years of brotherhood that came to define Mastodon. Functioning both as a tribute to Hinds and legacy he has gifted to the world, the film also allows the remaining members to navigate their shared grief, addressing the Mastodon in the room. 

From the band's early days of van life and club shows to their breakout in Scandinavia performing at a soccer stadium opening for Iron Maiden, the film serves well in documenting how the collective achieved a dream together and built camaraderie as a result. 

The film also frames an honest depiction of Hinds' legendary partying, including the 2007 Las Vegas altercation that left the guitarist in a coma suffering from a brain hemorrhage. Emphasizing the resilience of the band, Hinds' recovery would also segue into the Crack The Skye sessions, making for the major milestone for the band in what is considered one of their most celebrated, definitive releases. 

The film also frames the eventual split between Hinds and founding members of Mastodon. Citing the guitarist's difficulty with getting a handle on his partying, the general disinterest and decline in Hinds' performance became impossible to ignore. Troy Sanders recalls the March 2025 band meeting in which he read his list of grievances only to have Hinds walk out.

It would be the last time Sanders would ever see Hinds. 

Reaching a powerful conclusion, the film wraps with the band confiding that they had always assumed the split would be another chapter in the story of Mastodon and that the ups and downs of a 25 year brotherhood would eventually course correct - though they never got that chance. 

The Mastodon In the Room is both a sincere tribute to lifelong friend and a real confrontation of grief with no flowery language - just sincerity. The film examines the reality of brotherhood and pulls no punches in doing so, making for something truly genuine.