Money will always drive people apart. For Mastodon, it’s causing an ugly rift between the band and their late guitarist’s estate. In a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brent Hinds’ estate argued that he wasn’t properly compensated after leaving the band in March 2025. They claimed that he never received the $80,000 check they were offered upon his abrupt exit. Additionally, with the band allegedly using his image and likeness for their 2026 record, Marrow Deep, they want their money. Now, they’ve finally responded to their lawsuit publicly. In a new statement posted on social media, Mastodon expressed their frustrations with money matters leaking to the public. Moreover, they vehemently denied all allegations that Brent Hinds’ estate brought forward. “Sadly, a private business dispute with the estate of our dear departed friend Brent Hinds was made public. We strongly deny allegations of ill intent on our part and intend to vigorously defend what we believe is a meritless lawsuit. We don’t intend to speak publicly on this going forward,” the band shared with fans. “As we feel this wouldn’t honor Brent’s memory or the legacy of his musical gifts.”This statement comes on the heels of the late guitarist’s tragic death in Atlanta due to a motorcycle accident. Mastodon Claps Back at Lawsuit from Brent Hinds’ EstateIn spite of the messy beef behind the scenes, all the bandmates have publicly expressed their grief over losing Hinds. Drummer Brann Dailor candidly spoke about “the pain and the anguish” of losing an old friend and collaborator. Ultimately, they hoped that they could eventually resolve their issues. “This is someone we were so close with, and while we left on bad terms, we all thought that we were going to bury the hatchet at one point. I had hope that he was going to come back into the fold,” the Mastodon drummer shared. “When that [hope] had gone, it felt like the best thing for our group just to lean on each other during that moment and prop each other up with music. There was no scenario where any of us wanted the record to be about any of that stuff, and I’d trade every riff and every lyric to get those people back… but that’s not the reality of it. So the best thing that we could do for ourselves and our mental state was to power through and write about it. Marrow Deep is the culmination of that,” Dailor added of his former Mastodon bandmate. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)The post Mastodon Calls Out Late Guitarist’s Estate for ‘Meritless’ Lawsuit Claiming They Owe $80,000 appeared first on VICE.