Atlanta was transformed into another realm this past Saturday when Castle Rat sold out The Heaven Stage at The Masquerade. 

Fans got to see a storybook come to life when the medieval fantasy doom metal band took the stage. Before the main characters took the stage, the audience was introduced to several characters, including a wizard and a wolf, who presented the prophecy for the Story of Castle Rat. 

From there, the crowd was introduced to the main characters in this production. Taking center stage was the Rat Queen, the band’s singer and guitarist, Riley Pinkerton. To her right, she was joined by The Count, guitarist Franco Vittore. To Pinkerton’s left, the Plague Doctor, bassist Charley Ruddell, helmed the stage. And keeping the tempo on the drums was the Druid, Joshua Stimic. 

While performing an actual concert, these characters were able to tell a captivating story. In between songs, the storyline was further unveiled, including the Plague Doctor’s possession and the bringing back to life of two of the main characters. Two of the four band members initially died at the hands of the Rat Reaperness whose one goal was to consume souls from the Book of the Story of Castle Rat. 

There were some moments where the audience got to break the fourth wall and be part of the story itself. Late in the performance, Pinkerton asked the audience to shout back the words “In This Realm!” a phrase that would be used to overpower the Rat Reaperness. She then thanked the audience for their raised voices and for listening to the Story of Castle Rat. 

“Without you and your space, we wouldn’t be here,” the lead singer said. “Without your time, we would not exist. I see you, and I thank you for being here tonight.” 

Though the audience’s chants were able to defeat the Rat Reaperness once, she came back stronger for one final faceoff with the Rat Queen. Trading her guitar for a sword, Pinkerton and the Rat Reaperness faced off in a duel to the death. After initially thinking she had won, the Rat Queen celebrated, only to be caught off guard, with the hero losing this battle. However, the Plague Doctor was able to bring the Rat Queen back to life, as she stumbled around on stage, before spewing a mouthful of blood, as fans cheered. 

After being revived, Pinkerton was able to slay the Rat Reaperness and truly become the hero in this production. As the cast celebrated, they were cheered on by the crowd. It was great to see each member of the main and backing cast get to take a bow for their performances. What will be more fun is seeing how Story of Castle Rat continues to grow, and it will be interesting to see which venue the band can sell out next.