RAT KING - Capsizer (Track Premiere)

The doom I am drawn to, more often than not, doesn't seek to drown the listener in a sludgy bath of muck and murk. While that approach has a place, I typically gravitate towards the more dynamic stuff--the stuff that pairs doom and gloom with a flair for exploration. Earth-shattering riffs are all well and good, but if they are balanced out with some high-flying vocals, unexpected interludes, and a tendency for borderline-hypnotic meandering, the band in question will likely catch my eyes and ears. 

In other words, a certain penchant for dynamic composition and aesthetics is a quality that this particular Villager seeks out when it comes to music to premiere. In this regard, Rat King's forthcoming Omen knocks it out of the park. This crew balances a heftier aggression a la Electric Wizard or Conan with harsh growls and ethereal cleans that ultimately serve to maintain a high level of intrigue. "Capsizer," the single which we are pleased to present here today, demonstrates this strength in juxtaposition quite handily.

​But! Before we scare ye away with our ceaseless blathering, however, we'll just point you in the direction of the damn track. Check it out below, and, as always, we'll catch you on the other side of the fold. 

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Built on the sturdy back of Mick Foley's eternally haunting Mankind promo, "Capsized" pulls no punches in the Department of Hefty Downtuned Riffage. The tone here reverberates with a mammothian gravitas, the guitar lurching forward to the hollow beat of the drums. All the while, the vocals weave a complex pattern between (the occasionally) harsh and (the gloriously) airy. It's a nice combination of approaches and aesthetics--a real best-of-both-worlds arrangement, particularly when the chorus breaks out and the layers build and build. While not overly technical or flashy, the whole affair is complex enough to render the soundscape tastefully overwhelming. It's an engrossing experience, and feels significantly more expansive than the sum of its length. "Capsized" is a stark and gloomy track by design, but Rat King manage to avoid the pits of outright despair that is all-too-oft heralded by the doom genre label.
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In sum, this is a great song, and a strong exemplar of the riches Omen offered as a collective unit. If you consider yourself a purveyor of doom and gloom, give "Capsized" a listen...and keep an eye out for Omen when it drops in full!

Rat King - Omen will be released July 9th, 2021

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Rat King can be found:
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