On witches and bone-eating demons: RAT BATH introduce their debut album

Something spooky is brewing in deepest, darkest Milwaukee…

RAT BATH, the one and only ‘country core’ band, are gearing up for the release of their ambitious debut record. Rat From Hell, out February 2022, promises to be a truly unique offering that draws inspiration from both folklore and the band members’ real-life experiences.

The first single from the album ‘Spit//Swallow’ was released on October 1st and gave us a chapter of what’s to come. The track is a frantic burst of punk and hardcore, swirled together with the country foundations that got this band started. Its breakneck pace is ruthless and unforgiving as it chases you through the barely-2-minute runtime. ‘Spit//Swallow’ is just an excerpt of the epic but deeply personal story that runs through the high-concept Rat From Hell.

The record’s protagonist is a young witch who must defeat a demon that plagues their home. Over the course of the album, we hear the witch’s relationship with the demon move from grief and anger, through toxic infatuation, then finally to destruction.

‘The demon was hired by the witch’s abuser to capture them and make them powerless,’ explains vocalist Fred Kenyon. ‘So this demon is essentially a personification of their trauma’. For Kenyon, this record is a way to express some of their own experiences with trauma and sexual assault. Sexual assault (referred to as ‘bone-eating’ within the album) is a huge issue and still carries a lot of stigma for its survivors. ‘The different stages of the witch’s relationship with the demon is meant to demonstrate the ways trauma can manifest in people’s lives.’ RAT BATH hope that by exploring this topic in a story where the victim reclaims their agency, the listener can find their own power and catharsis.

‘Anyone can enjoy [the album], but the story is a queer experience.’

emmett roehr (drums)

RAT BATH describe themselves as ‘all queer, all the time’. Cora Bequeaith (guitar/vocals) explained that the punk and hardcore genre is usually ‘super macho and hypermasculine’ so it’s important to have that proud queer and trans representation in the scene. Emmett Roehr (drums) added that the concept behind Rat From Hell is intrinsically tied to queer identity: ‘Anyone can enjoy it, but the story is a queer experience’.

The reclaimed link between LGBT+ people and the monsters or outcasts of folklore (eg. witches, demons) is a theme that’s starting to be explored more in queer media. After growing up seeing queer-coded villains, we are now putting these types of characters in as protagonists rather than antagonists. Rat From Hell is set to take this subverted trope and bring it into the realms of punk and alternative country music.

The next part of the record will be unleashed on October 29th 2021 – just in time for Halloween. This dual single ‘Meat Poppet / Sweet Puppet’ will flesh out our witch’s tale even more.

Rat From Hell will be released February 18th 2022.