CASTLE RAT PHOTOS—Review and photos by Greg Maki—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,... Continue Reading →
Photos by Greg Maki
Medieval fantasy metal band Castle Rat has shared "Wizard," the first single and video from its upcoming second album, "The Bestiary." The record is set for release on Sept. 19, 2025, via King Volume Records in the United States and Blues Funeral Recordings in the U.K. and Europe. Watch the "Wizard" music video below. “Musically,... Continue Reading →
California-based fantasy hard rock/metal act Gygax has disbanded, according to a message on the group's Bandcamp page. The band, named for "Dungeons & Dragons" creator Gary Gygax, has been inactive since releasing and touring in support of its third album, "High Fantasy," in 2019. That album followed "2nd Edition" in 2018 and "Critical Hits" in... Continue Reading →
Dark and cold, Iceland is not exactly the hotbed for power metal that mainland Europe has been over the years. But with the worldwide attention the Reykjavík-based Power Paladin is gaining in early 2022, maybe that could change. Formed in 2017 and signed to Atomic Fire Records, the new label started by Nuclear Blast founder... Continue Reading →
Icelandic metal band Power Paladin has unveiled a music video for "Kraven the Hunter" from its upcoming debut album, "With the Magic of Windfyre Steel" (Jan. 7, 2022, Atomic Fire Records). "Kraven the Hunter" also appears as its own 7” single, backed by the B-side single edit of the as-yet-unreleased track “Creatures of the Night.”... Continue Reading →
