“Castle Rat is an interdimensional medieval fantasy doom metal band, led by the Rat Queen on a mission to expand and defend ‘The Realm’ from those who seek to destroy it.”
Those words came to us in an email a few weeks ago while we were perusing our inbox. Admittedly, at least as far back as 2024, people had tried to put Castle Rat on our radar: a metal band fully embracing mysticism, rituals, and plenty of guitars. It sounded interesting, but this updated description definitely caught our attention. Yet, we still weren’t sure what to expect heading into The Pinnacle last Sunday night. (We hate spoilers!)
And thus we thrust ourselves directly into the Castle Rat experience. Opening the Nashville stop of “The Amonklok Conquest” tour (Dethklok and Amon Amarth co-headlining), the Brooklyn group delivered one of the most entertaining and visually memorable sets we’ve seen in a while. Between the dramatic themes, organized storyline, and towering riffs, the far too brief opening set felt much larger than a standard support slot.
The promised fantasy world was fully brought to life. The Rat Queen and the Rat Reaperess battled across the stage. Death and resurrection were sewn into the storyline. And, beneath all the lore, sat ripping guitar work, pounding drums, massive doom-metal riffs, and chant-along hooks that brought the crowd into the show. No longer mere spectators, but part of The Realm.
The real trick for a show like this to work is that the fantasy must be backed by an epic soundtrack. The story without the music is just a gimmick. Fortunately, Castle Rat leans into their sound as hard as they do the magic. Vocals by the Rat Queen (Riley Pinkerton) land with the perfect blend of rock purity, sludgy growl, and mystic aura to match the band’s crushing wall of sound.
What started as a night of curiosity ended with us seeing one of the most fun live sets we’ve attended in quite some time. It’s the kind of show that has you checking tour calendars to see when you might catch it again. It’s also the kind of concert where it’s best if we talk less and let the photos do the real work:
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