The Grammys can wheel out an all star tribute for Ozzy Osbourne, but somehow still “forget” one of modern metal’s most recognisable guitar players.
That’s the mess the Recording Academy is being dragged for this week after Mastodon guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds was reportedly left out of the In Memoriam segment at Sunday’s (February 1st) Grammy Awards ceremony (per Lamb Goat).
The omission didn’t slide quietly, Alice In Chains bassist Mike Inez jumped on Instagram and called it exactly what it looked like, writing:
“BIG party foul Grammys for forgetting the MIGHTY Brent Hinds in the In Memoriam. #mastodon.”
The televised memorial segment has always been a sore spot for rock and metal fans, and this year didn’t do much to shift that reputation. While the late Ozzy Osbourne received a glossy tribute featuring Post Malone, Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Andrew Watt, the metal world was left staring at another blank space where one of its own should’ve been honoured.
Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor responded to Inez with four fire emojis, while Exodus/Slayer guitarist Gary Holt kept it blunt, commenting: “LAME.”
Hinds passed away last August at age 51 following a motorcycle accident, for a band that helped define 21st century progressive sludge metal, his absence from the Grammys’ memorial reel feels less like a mistake and more like a symptom of the same old industry tunnel vision.
The Academy doesn’t even have the excuse of ignorance, Mastodon earned six Grammy nominations across their career, including a win for Best Metal Performance in 2022 for ‘Pushing The Tides’.
Mastodon ‘Pushing the Tides’ video
There’s a chance Hinds appeared in the full memorial roll but was cut from the broadcast, but the damage was done either way, fans saw what they saw.
Follow me on Facebook here:
RELATED
MORE IN News
