Mastodon members turn into “wildings” on Game of Thrones

From left: Kristofer Hivju, Ben Crompton, Mastodon’s Brann Dailor and Brent Hinds, and Kit Harington | Photo courtesy: HBO

Mastodon’s original “White Walker” first featured on Game of Thrones mixtape Catch the Throne Vol. 2. The American heavy metal band returned to portray “wildlings” on a recent episode of the show, which was filmed in Belfast in Northern Ireland. Mastodon band members Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Brent Hinds follow a long line of cameos from musicians such as Coldplay drummer Will Champion, Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and Icelandic band Sigur Ros. The band was personally invited to make a physical appearance on the show, with creators David Benioff and D.B.Weiss apparently having a penchant for casting musicians.

Drummer Bran Dailor was all praise for the show in a release from their label Reprise Records: “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 and Bill, 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.”