Those hardest of rockers – and the owners of some damn impressive facial hair – Mastodon have announced a June 25 visit to the Dublin Academy, tickets for which are €29 and go on sale on Friday January 25.

The chaps were due to play the same venue in July 2012, but had to pull when their main reason for being on this side of the Atlantic, the Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth, was cancelled due to the poor economic climate.

Along with seasoned live faves expect to hear some of the new material that’s being penned for the follow-up to 2011’s The Hunter.

“A lot of the stuff I'm writing is in open G-minor,” reveals guitarist and singer Brent Hines. “I'm playing a lot of slide guitar and just getting really Jimmy Page-y, Radiohead-ish and spooky-soundy!”

And let us not forget the unlikely collaboration with The Cure that Robert Smith promised Hot Press at the Electric Picnic.