CASTLE RAT

Castle Rat awes the crowd with a doomy take on dark fantasy

By Zach Haberern

Show happened April 28, 2026.

Armed with potions, swords, and pure riffage, Castle Rat unleashed an explosive wall of sound on New York City at the beautiful Brooklyn Paramount Theater as they warmed the crowd with a theatrical stage show that might make some theater performances blush. They deliver a modern take on an 80s fantasy vibe, weaving doomy, heavy riffs with the ominous yet commanding vocals of the “Rat Queen.” With their vivid, theatrical presentation and a huge sound, Castle Rat is definitely a band worth checking out.

Opening up for behemoths, Dethklok and Amon Amarth sounds daunting but Castle Rat had no problem hyping up the crowd with their 30 minute set. They wasted no time walking on stage promptly at 7:00pm to introduce us with a banger, “Dagger Dragger”. Each member of the band appeared as a different persona ranging from a vampire to our lead vocalist/guitar player, “The Rat Queen” (as picture above.) They present a narrative between each track that is told by the Rat Queen herself. The show ended with a mighty sword fight that ended in a bloody death.

Castle Rat brings a unique and refreshing take to the metal genre and I am certainly here for it.