Photo by J Donovan Malley
No Clean Singing is today hosting an exclusive premiere for RAT KING’s crushing “Destroyer Of Us All” video. The song is found on the Seattle deathgrind trio’s freshly released LP, Psychotic Reality, out now on Satanik Royalty Records.
Depending on who you ask, the term “rat king” has different meanings: One describes a group of literal rats, who meet their death after getting their tails knotted together on a sticky piece of trash, their bodies doomed to rot together in the trash for all eternity like a crown of rodent corpses. The others are metaphorical, used to describe a person who gains success by using others: Martin Luther once used this term to describe the Pope, calling him “the king of rats right at the top.” Either way, it’s a fitting concept for our current world where trash, greed, corruption, and toxicity are abundant, and where we’re all doomed to die together, no matter how we feel about our surroundings or each other. These are also all things RAT KING sings about on their third LP, Psychotic Reality.
Through blast beats and filthy, lightning-fast riffs, Psychotic Reality paints a picture of the truth we all faced in isolation when the media we consumed became our only means of connection: The darker you feel, the darker things you attract into your life – particularly when social media’s sinister algorithms are watching your every move, serving you more and more of what you consume regardless of the negativity, and your every thought can go out to the world in a matter of seconds. The album offers splenetic catharsis from that darkness, in the form of tracks like “Tortured Existence,” which deals with themes of escape, and “Corrupt Broken System,” which recounts the dehumanization of capitalist society.
Psychotic Reality was recorded at Soundhouse Studios (Bell Witch, The Accüsed, 3 Inches Of Blood), produced by the band, and mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studio (Nails, Xibalba, Kruelty).
The video for “Destroyer Of Us All” was filmed, edited, and directed by RAT KING.
Writes No Clean Singing, “‘Destroyer Of Us All’ was the first single released from the album last Summer in the runup to the album’s street date, and it’s no wonder why it was chosen. Also no wonder why it was chosen for this video — which will give you a good idea of the heart-pounding electricity generated by RAT KING on stage. The song does indeed represent key aspects of the band’s songwriting. As displayed across the span of their new album, RAT KING are capable of ferociously discharging cutting and gutting riffs, ruthless percussive bombardments, scorching screams, and monstrous roars — and all of that is in the spotlight on ‘Destroyer Of Us All.’ But in addition to discharging violent turbocharged delirium and brutalizing grooves that hit like sledgehammers, the song also channels moods of confusion, agony, and oppression, and thus its intensity operates on multiple levels.”
Watch RAT KING’s explosive video for “Destroyer Of Us All” first now through No Clean Singing RIGHT HERE.
Released at the end of September, Psychotic Reality is out now through Satanik Royalty Records on limited LP, cassette, and digitally at the label webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
RAT KING is currently celebrating the release of Psychotic Reality with a Western US tour. With four dates down, the trek runs through November 18th.
RAT KING – Psychotic Reality Western US Tour [remaining dates]:
11/07/2023 Tamarack – Oakland, CA
11/08/2023 The Orifice – San Jose, CA
11/09/2023 Dark Nectar – Atascadero, CA
11/10/2023 Till Two – San Diego, CA
11/11/2023 The Rock – Tucson, AZ
11/13/2023 Long Hair Records – Albuquerque, NM
11/14/2023 Bar Bar – Denver, CO
11/15/2023 Beehive – Salt Lake City, UT
11/16/2023 TBA – Moscow, ID
11/17/2023 Black Water – Portland, OR
11/18/2023 Cryptatropa Bar – Olympia, WA
RAT KING formed in 2013 when brothers Danny Racines (bass, vocals) and Ricky Racines (guitar, backup vocals) met Carlos Delgado (drums) and bonded over their mutual love of bands like Sepultura, Death, Nasum, and Brujeria, as well as a shared Latin heritage: The Racines brothers are Ecuadorian, while Delgado is Nicaraguan. Together they found a home in the supportive Seattle scene, where heavy riffs of all varieties and tempos are celebrated side by side under a dark, perpetually overcast sky. After three full-length albums and two EPs, the three members are at the height of their songwriting ability and passion for the project, eager to bring this record into the world.
“The Seattle-based band rip through nine solid tracks on this banger of a record. It focuses on the darkness that can be found in everyday life, on social media, and in the everyday horrors of modern existence.” – Decibel Magazine
“A solid mix of grinding death metal and crustier tendencies… going to fuck you up big time.” – Metal Injection
“With nine songs at just over thirty minutes, RAT KING presents a no-frills look at our collective human existence… The overall chemistry of the three members in RAT KING is on display all over this record.” – No Echo
“The aggression that we’ve come to love from this band is present right from the jump as the gutsaw guitars and throat-ripping growls take the center stage… tracks like ‘Feeding Off Broken Backs’ and ‘Vermin’ showcase the RAT KING’s ability to balance the cacophonic grindcore side of their identity with the riff-centric death metal influences that they employ so often.” – Everything is Noise
“Psychotic Reality doesn’t fuck around, there’s no needless instrumental, ambient, or acoustic introduction to the record, just pure unadulterated ferocity… The cohesion between the three members is clear to be heard and you just know this isn’t their first rodeo.” – The Sleeping Shaman
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