Castle Rat Slays Minneapolis
Wednesday was a big night in Minneapolis for great shows, but to give you an idea of where this is going; I picked the best one. No, I’m not willing to argue this fact.
Brooklyn-based four-piece Castle Rat came to Minneapolis to slay. Literally. They’re a medieval fantasy doom metal band with no shortage of creativity. I’ve been dying to see them for quite a while. I grabbed my husband and our friend and we made our way to Varsity Theater in Minneapolis.
As we got to the venue we saw many fans that leaned hard into the fantasy and medieval themes, which was really fun to see. Handmade costumes, headpieces, horn purses - the works. The secondary security check line was filled to the brim with patrons in black holding their studded and spiked belts. A great sign for what was to come.
The first act of the night was a pleasant surprise. Washington native Wraith Knight took the stage in a cloak (a theme throughout the night) and bracers adorned with giant spikes on both arms. The set took place steadily behind double (or triple?) cascading keyboards that hid him almost completely from much of the audience. It didn’t matter, though. It was absolutely epic and the anonymity added to the mystery of what was to come.
Each song felt like a different part of a video game or a soundtrack to a perfectly crafted game of Dungeons and Dragons. Each would start with a light melody that would repeat over and over. The sounds around the original melody would intensify until it felt like there was a full battle scene unfolding before us. It began to feel absolutely mad. The music felt like a movie.
Unto Others was next up to dominate the Varsity stage, and they came to blow the lid off of the place. The four-piece from Oregon was heavy goth metal. The stage was flanked with huge stone crosses on both sides. Fan box platforms accentuated their long hair as they whipped it around in time to each song. Their stage presence was so much fun to take in. They all took turns hyping up the crowd from all sides as the distorted guitars and driving drum beats filled the room.
My favorite part of their set was how passionate their fans were. Many had come just to see them open and knew every word, wore the merch, and gave them all they had. Unto Others dished it right back to those fans by pointing and nodding along with them between strums on their respective guitars. It was really special to witness. New fans were gained but they took good care of their community. A few even left with guitar picks, setlists, and drumsticks in hand.
Finally it was time for the myths, the legends: Castle Rat.
I will admit, I kept my research for this show to an absolute minimum. So many friends had told me it wasn’t to be missed, and my photographer friends around the country had me drooling over the images of the drama and fantasy land that Castle Rat created on stage. While I knew the sound, and I knew the look, I was walking in with eyes partially closed and wondered what the show would truly be like.
The band took the stage accompanied by a giant wizard and a cloaked skull character called The Rat Reaperess. There was a whole plot. Singer/guitarist Riley Pinkerton plays the role of “The Rat Queen” who is sworn to defend “The Realm” from this sworn enemy. The band also had characters in the story; Franco Vittore as “The Count,” Charlie Ruddell as “The Plague Doctor” on guitar, and Joshua Strmic “The Druid” on drums.
Yes, the spectacle was a draw for many. Something like that only works if the band has the musical chops to hold up the image. Did they? My answer is a resounding “yes.” They played their instruments flawlessly while running around the stage and hyping the crowd. Pinkerton’s vocals were effortless and powerful. It was executed so well that it almost made me forget how bizarre this world they had created was to step into off the street.
The story carried through scenes of mayhem in musical scenes between songs, with epic solos from each band member rounding off each section of the show. There were potions, mythical creatures, sword fights, daggers, you name it. I have literally never been more entertained watching a show of this size. Looking around the room it became clear that I wasn’t alone in that feeling. Everyone was having a blast in the few hours where they could forget the world and enjoy this absolute spectacle.
If you are considering checking out their extensive tour, please do. It’s a feast for the eyes and ears. You will thank yourself and leave with a great story to tell!
