Psychotic Reality by Rat King

Depending on who you ask, the term “rat king” has a few 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 Seattle death-grind trio Rat King sing about on their 3rd 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.

On the track “Destroyer of Us All,” however, Rat King describes one way to cope with the current reality: to escape into a psychedelic state, allowing your mind to eviscerate your ego and wash away the dark, technology-induced psychosis.

The three members met in Seattle, but brothers Danny Racines (bass, vocals) and Ricky Racines (guitar, backup vocals) originally moved from Arizona in 2013. The two of them met Carlos Delgado (drums) in 2017 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.

RAT KING was formed in 2014 by brothers Daniel Racines (bass, vocals) and Ricardo Racines (guitar, backup vocals) over their mutual love of bands like Sepultura, Death, Nasum, and Brujeria. Through their Sludge/Death beginnings to their current Death/Grind attack, the band has explored their musical tastes and found a home in the Seattle music scene.

Instagram