Pitchfork

Sadly, it looks like the post-VMAs head injury Mastodon guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds suffered in the early morning hours of September 10 may have been more his fault than previously imagined.

According to a Las Vegas Weekly report by Aaron Thompson, Hinds' injuries ("brain hemorrhaging, a broken nose, and two black eyes") were the result of an altercation between him, System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, and another musician, William Hudson.

Thompson cites a Las Vegas Metro police report "based on firsthand accounts and corroborated by hotel-security video footage" in describing "an inebriated Hinds...leaving Mandalay Bay [Hotel and Casino] around three a.m. when he encountered Odadjian and musician William Hudson at the hotel's west valet area. Hinds took off his shirt and hit Odadjian with it, then struck Hudson in both the face and chest, prompting Odadjian to advise Hinds 'to relax' several times.

"The police report then indicates both Odadjian and Hudson punched Hinds in the face, knocking him to the ground. An unidentified friend of Hinds, who reportedly witnessed the event, rushed to the musician's aid and apologized to Odadjian and Hudson, saying Hinds was 'just drunk.'

"No charges had been filed at press time, though the police report lists Hudson as a 'suspect,' facing a possible charge of 'battery with substantial bodily harm.' The police report lists Odadjian as a 'witness.'"

When asked for a response to the Las Vegas Weekly story, Mastodon's publicist said, "Brent has begun writing and wants to just put all this past him for the moment."

As we passingly mentioned in a story about Queens of the Stone Age's Anthony Bourdain holiday special, Hinds is recovering well from his injuries. According to Thompson's report, he was released from University Medical Center of Southern Nevada on Friday, September 14.