Film + TV

Mastodon were viciously slain on Game of Thrones

by Jesse Locke

In the May 31 episode “Hardhome”, three members of Mastodon appeared as grizzled Free Folk, better known as “wildlings” in the Game of Thrones universe. It shouldn’t be much of a spoiler to report that the bandmates were brutally murdered by the freaky deeky White Walkers stalking the territory Beyond the Wall. The show’s wardrobe department saved a few bucks as the longhaired rockers obviously had no need for fake beards or wigs.

Mastodon’s drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor shared his gleefully bloody on set experiences with Spin.

“It was such an incredible experience to be on set as extras for our collective favorite show Game Of Thrones and to be wildlings murdered and then brought back to life by White Walkers was beyond amazing. I watched my best friends Brent [Hinds] and Bill [Kelliher], murdered right in front of me as I myself was stabbed in the stomach and had my throat slit multiple times, and I didn’t mind at all. It made me love being in Mastodon even more. We are more than privileged and honored to have been a part of one of the greatest stories ever told on film, and the catering wasn’t bad either.”

Previous GoT musician cameos include members of Coldplay, Snow Patrol, and Icelandic pixie men Sigur Rós. Mastodon’s fittingly titled song “White Walker” also appeared on the GoT mixtape series alongside artist/admitted fans such as Snoop Dogg, Anthrax, Big Boi, and Talib Kweli. And lest we forget the most important musical connection, author George Railroad Martin has also littered the book series with references to the Grateful Dead.