They are savage, brutal men from a remote place, barely attuned to civilisation. And so are the wildlings, which might be why Mastodon were invited to appear as the wild men from north of The Wall in the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

The metal quartet appeared in the episode that was broadcast on Sunday 31 May in the US and goes out on Monday 1 June in the UK, at the invitation of the show’s creator/executive producer Dan Weiss.

Mastodon’s Brann Dailor said, in a statement that contains spoilers unlikely to be central to the plot: “It was such an incredible experience to be on set as extras for our collective favourite 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 honoured to have been a part of one of the greatest stories ever told on film – and the catering wasn’t bad either.”

Other musicians have previously appeared in the show, including Coldplay’s Will Champion and Sigur Rós. Other groups, including the National and the Hold Steady, have recorded music for the show.

Coldplay also showed their love for Game of Thrones recently by recording an extended skit for the US Red Nose Day, a mockumentary in which they recorded the soundtrack for a musical version of George RR Martin’s fantasy series.

