CASTLE RAT PHOTOS
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Review and photos by Greg Maki
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For one night, the Ottobar was no longer in Baltimore. With the Rat Queen as our guide, the sold-out crowd was taken into a fantastical realm populated by wizards, dragons, unicorns and other mystical beasts. We had to be wary at all times of the evil Rat Repearess, who was determined to take down our queen, and we were even called on to enter the fray when it seemed that all hope had been lost.
Fortunately, the Rat Queen (Riley Pinkerton, lead vocals/guitar) was not alone, joined by the Count (Franco Vittore, lead guitar/back vocals), the Plague Doctor (Charley Ruddell, bass) and the All-Seeing Druid (Joshua Strmic, drums). Together, they are Castle Rat, and their powers combined for a blistering set of fantasy-drenched doom metal. With a set list drawn largely from the band’s spectacular, recently released sophomore full-length, “The Bestiary” (review), the Book of Beasts Tour offered sorcery and swords, magic and monsters, death and resurrection—all in an intimate club setting. (And let’s not forget the blood, which may or may not have ended up all over a certain writer/photographer in the front row.)
It was a show worthy of a much grander hall, and all signs point to Castle Rat finding its way to such venues in the very near future. The band members’ commitment to the schtick was 100 percent—no breaking character or winking at the audience here. As the undeniable center of attention, Pinkerton’s presence was magnetic, carrying the show with her vocals, guitar playing and onstage combat. It’s not like the rest of the band was coasting while Pinkerton did all the heavy lifting, though. Vittore enthusiastically took to his vampire character while supplying the searing leads and subtly important backing vocals, while Strmic and Ruddell provided the foundation-shaking rhythms. This was a complete performance by a band with talent coming from all sides. The realm will only get bigger from here.
CASTLE RAT SET LIST: “Phoenix I,” “Dragon,” “Wizard,” “Feed the Dream,” “Wolf I,” “Unicorn,” “Path of Moss,” “Fresh Fur,” “Serpent,” “Dagger Dragger,” “Sun Song,” (encore) “Cry for Me,” “Siren”
Cemetery Sex, from nearby Washington, D.C., served as the opening act on this night, playing a tight 30 minutes of goth- and doom-inspired metal. Led by frontwoman Anastasia Noire, the Castle Rat crowd appeared to be an ideal audience for the band, equating to quite a few new fans. This is an act to keep an eye on in the regional scene and, possibly, beyond.
LINKS:
www.castlerat.com
cemeterysex.bandcamp.com
www.theottobar.com
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