LIVE FROM THE PIT: Castle Rat, Battlesnake and Meatdripper
- Laura Davies
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Fresh off their appearance at Bloodstock Festival, CASTLE RAT swapped gigantic stages for the smaller, sold out 1865. From the moment the doors opened the anticipation seemed to be building with an almost full crowd from the get-go ready for a theatrical night of music ahead of them.
Opening the show were Birmingham based Meatdripper. Bringing the perfect fusion of sludge and doom rock, this band seemed other-worldly and truly set the scene for the night ahead. Han Al-Shemerri’s vocals entranced audiences pushing experimental to the limits. You felt like you had heard something altogether unique and having only been on the scene for two years, it felt like audience members were being introduced to a band that could well and truly rock the scene in coming years. Finishing their set with debut single Homegrown to rapturous applause, Meatdripper solidified their standing in Brummy metal alongside the greats.
Next up, the incredibly unique BATTLESNAKE from Australia. Having also just finished at Bloodstock Festival, they swapped the main stage for Southampton. Blending together progressive rock and metal with wizardry and fantasy, BATTLESNAKE are altogether something truly different in the most brilliant of ways. Dressed in robes, the band entered the stage to medieval chanting setting the scene perfectly. Exploding into I Killed Satan, vocalist Sam Frank is nothing short of enigmatic and engaging as he bounds around the stage delivering nothing short of ferocious energy. The rest of the band are similarly fuelled bringing a cohesiveness to the chaos with winged keytarist Billy O’Key notably almost taking over the small stage with his costuming.
By the time they reached mid set and played the song The Battlesnake, the band had the audience hooked and following every command and request in a humorous cult-like feel as Frank steps to the barrier enticing a moshpit. By the end of the set and closing to the song Let There Be Rock by AC/DC, half of the band members had shed their robes to reveal budgie smugglers as they climb atop shoulders and are carried around the venue epitomising the chaos of the band. BATTLESNAKE could easily have headlined a venue like this and their phenomenally engaging and theatrical performance showed the audience that they are about to become huge.
The fun didn't end there and the audience were visibly bouncing in anticipation waiting for headliners CASTLE RAT. Bringing doom metal and fantasy realness, this New York City band took to the stage in a shroud of mystery before swiftly opening with Dagger Dragger to a packed audience.
CASTLE RAT don’t hold back with the theatrics, with each member a character within their world. The set itself played out like a stage show, with different acts, speeches, and dramatic elements running throughout. Vocalist Riley Pinkerton inhabits the role of the Rat Queen narrating the lore around the band and adding to the story throughout the set, bringing the audience in to feel like they are part of the story too.
Musically, nothing is taken away from their theatrical side and the doom metal runs through each song. Wolf I and Dragon hit hard and throughout the night mosh pits erupt with a single gesture of a circle by Pinkerton. Bassist Ronnie Lanzilotta steps into the role of the Plague Doctor and looms over the audience with each note he plays, whilst Franco Vittore plays the role of The Count, pulling vampiresque faces at the audience whilst delivering mind blowing riffs.
By the time Serpent rolled around, an on stage battle ensued with our Rat Queen battling the Rat Reaperess resulting in a blood bath. With an encore of Cry For Me and Siren, CASTLE RAT showed the audience both versatility and showmanship that normally comes from decades of performing. Blending both traditional metal with something altogether fresh and unique, this band are going places and are set for bigger stages and even more in the way of theatrics.
Words and photos: Laura Davies
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