Entertainment

Gig of the week: Mastodon at The Ulster Hall

Mastodon are on a road trip to Belfast on Sunday night
Mastodon are on a road trip to Belfast on Sunday night Mastodon are on a road trip to Belfast on Sunday night

Mastodon, Sunday June 28, The Ulster Hall, Belfast

METALHEADS Mastodon rock up in Belfast this weekend for their largest show in the city to date. After 15 years of graft and six increasingly progressive-sounding albums, this crushing yet defiantly tuneful Atlantan outfit have evolved into bona fide Grammy-nominated chart-making contenders.

Lucky for us, Mastodon have a special relationship with Ireland: guitarist Bill Kelliher's father was from Co Kerry and the axeman now has duel citizenship, giving them extra incentive to tour here every year.

It also helps that they're massive Game of Thrones fans – eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted Kelliher, drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Brent Hinds playing doomed Wildings in a recent episode of the hit HBO fantasy series, for which they recorded a brand new and uncharacteristically mellow song, White Walker.

That doomfolk number might make for appropriately atmospheric intro music for Sunday night's gig, sure to be a celebratory affair for faithful fans and new recruits alike.

:: Tickets £25 from Ticketmaster outlets.