It’s not that often when metal creeps its way into mainstream pop culture. So when metal/hard rock acts do actually pop up in beloved sitcoms, dramatic films, cartoons or even reality series, it’s kind of awesome. So in the weekly column Remember When, Metal Insider recalls the most random instances of metal’s elite appearing in front of the camera.
Even if you’re not a fan of Game Of Thrones, you most likely knew that this past Sunday was the finale of the show’s season six (that, or you live under a rock… or don’t have any social media accounts). But if you’re a Game Of Thrones fan AND consider yourself a metalhead, then nothing that happened this past season likely compared to season 5’s awesome cameo…
We’re of course talking about the time Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher, Brent Hinds, and Brann Dailor got to portray wildlings who were brutally murdered by White Walkers. Granted, their cameo made relative sense at the time given that Mastodon contributed a song to the TV show’s mixtape (which they later released a 12″ vinyl picture disc of). Still, the fact that Mastodon got to be on the set of any TV show, let alone one of THE biggest shows on TV, is incredible. Plus, they got to live out a dream of many GOT fans: die a gruesome death on the show (ok, maybe an intimate scene with Daenerys Targaryen would be preferred, but a death scene would do).
“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,” said Dailor right after their cameo aired last year. “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.”
In an interview with Metal Hammer, Kelliher revealed “It just so happened that we were starting a tour and they were shooting a scene in Belfast the day before. So the stars aligned and we were able to fly in a day early, quickly get there and jump into a scene.” He also shared how many of the extras on set recognized the band, and that while they didn’t get to bring home any of their props, they did get to sit on the infamous throne (plus take a few photos with Jon Snow and cast, as seen above).
To be honest, it’s a tad hard to pick out Mastodon amongst the crowd of wildlings turned White Walkers. But check out a video where one fan helps pinpoint them below (and here’s a HBO approved shot of Helliher and Hinds in action).
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clCmGqFVZy8[/youtube]
