Evil Still Remains. An Interview With MAT DAVIS From Doom Metallers CASTLE (The Electric Highway Festival Interview Special)

Doom Metallers CASTLE are performing at this year's The Electric Highway Festival on Friday April 05th 2025 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They released their new excellent new album EVIL REMAINS in 2024 to critical acclaim and it's not hard to see why as the record is a cold hard classic Doom Metal album of the highest order.

I caught up with Mat Davis (Guitar/Vocals) from the band to discuss what folks will have in store from CASTLE ahead of their festival performance.

How are things with you today?

Hi, things are going great. Thanks for reaching out with the interview.

How are the preparations currently going?

We have 28 shows coming up split into a couple of tours in the US/CAN and also Europe so right now there's a lot of planning. The first show is Electric Highway Fest in Calgary and really we're looking forward to it.

What can people in attendance expect from CASTLE for this festival performance?

We're stoked to be closing night one of the fest so we'll probably do our full set, usually it's a mix of high energy and heavy vibes.

What type of set will you be performing though I presume it will be focusing upon your excellent new album EVIL REMAINS.

Yeah we're currently playing 6 of the songs from the new album. We're also playing at least a song or two from every release including one we haven't played in a while from In Witch Order for these upcoming shows, so between the new ones and a few older deep cuts I think people will dig it.

What bands are you looking forward to see performing live at The Electric Highway Festival?

I'm looking forward to seeing as many bands as possible. A couple I've seen here in Vancouver so will be cool to see them again, hopefully, I can catch Chunk and Blacksmith & Brewer. There's a bunch of local Calgary bands which will be cool to see too.

Your new album EVIL REMAINS was released last year and what a brilliant record that was. Have you been pleased with the responses it's received so far. What can people expect from this record compared to your previous albums.

Awesome thanks. You never know what to expect but we were happy with the finished record. We spent a long time on it for us, about 5 years; which was enough to let the songs evolve so that there was a natural flow to them and our producer Jesse Gander here in Vancouver also did an awesome job on the sound. Having said all that it's extra cool when people are into it.

What has been the high points and low points performing with the band?

I think the high point is getting to traveling and also meeting/seeing people. Not many lows but they usually involve long travel days or feeling like crap on the road!

Do you have any exciting releases coming in the future?

We'll be working on new Castle music over the summer and fall so hopefully we'll have something next year. 

How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

I don't think there was one band in particular but I started playing guitar at a pretty young age. At the time I listening to Priest, Dio, Ozzy, Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica... this would have been like '83/84. I would say I was and still am inspired by the riffs.

Will you be performing any gigs later in the year?

We're looking into some more North American shows in late 2025, we'll keep you posted.

Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there?

Thanks for the support and hope we see you on the road!

Words by Steve Howe and Mat Davis

CASTLE "Evil Remains" North America

04/04 Calgary, AB - Electric Highway Fest
16/04 Sacramento, CA - Cafe Colonial
17/04 Los Angeles, CA - Knucklehead
18/04 San Francisco, CA - Kilowatt
19/04 Mt Shasta, CA - Vet's Club
20/04 Portland, OR - High Water Mark
21/04 Seattle, WA - El Corazon
30/04 Toronto, ON - The Garrison
01/05 Detroit, MI - Smalls
02/05 Chicago, IL - Legions Of Metal Fest
03/05 Madison, WI - Gamma Ray Bar
04/05 Pittsburgh, PA - Poetry Lounge
05/05 Brooklyn, NY - The Woodshop
06/05 Boston, MA - Middle East Club
07/05 Montreal, PQ - Piranha Bar
08/05 London, ON - Palasad
09/05 Hamilton, ON - Doors Pub
10/05 Ottawa, ON - Dominion Tavern

CASTLE "Evil Remains" Europe 2025

29/05 Muskelrock Fest @ Tyrolen, SE
30/05 Hamburg, DE - Bambi Galore
31/05 Desertland - Berlin DE
01/06 Prague, CZ - Modra Vopice
02/06 Goppingen, DE - Zille
03/06 Düsseldorf, DE - Pitcher
04/06 Rotterdam, NL - V11
05/06 Landgraaf, NL Nieuwe Nor
06/06 GockelScream Fest - near Dresden DE
07/06 Battle Cry Fest @ Turock, Essen DE

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

​Electric Highway Festival Info:

Website: TheElectricHighway.ca​
Facebook: Facebook.com/ElectricHighwayFestival​
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1149647296782460/​
Instagram: Instagram.com/TheElectricHighway​
X: X.com/TheElectricHwy​
​​
Hashtag #BuckleUp #EHF2025

Thanks to Mat for doing the interview and for Asher Media PR for arranging the interview

Castle - Evil Remains (Album Review)

Release Date: September 06th 2024. Record Label: Hammerheart Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Evil Remains: Tracklisting

1.Queen Of Death

2.Nosferatu Nights

3.Deja Voodoo

4.Evil Remains

5.Black Spell

6.100 Eyes

7.She

8.Cold Grave

Members

Liz Blackwell – bass, vocals

Mat Davis – guitar, vocals

Mike Cotton – drums

Review

Evil Remains is the new album from Doom Metallers Castle who return after a six year absence with perhaps their most original sounding and outlandish record in years. The album is constantly on-point with its potent riff-centric charms with a slightly freakish Occult Metal and Proto-Metal charm that blasts the cobwebs of the traditional HEAVY METAL sound long into the ground with a more aggressive modern day sound.

With small amounts of trippy Psychedelic Rock which sees vocalist/bassist Liz Blackwell deliver classic sounding vocals and a storming performance on bass guitar. The muscular grooves are handled by Mat Davis where the sounds can be quite THRASH based with Mat providing excellent vocals along the way.

The record is downright catchy and superbly fast-paced with Castle capturing a truly hypnotic PROTO-METAL delivery with flashes of Speed Metal and Stoner Metal along the way. With influences ranging from Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus and Pentagram this hasn’t stopped Castle adapting their music for a more seasoned and professionally delivered sound where if they want to try a more sophisticated and progressive style then they will play that style of music just for the SHEER HELL OF IT.

The lyrics are quite romantic and opaque at the same time on tracks such as Queen Of Death, Nosferatu Nights and Deja Voodoo. Those are just the excellent three tracks that Castle opens the album with and perhaps features some of the early standout instrumental moments for the band to build upon. However, Evil Remains is still quite a dark, brooding and mysterious record touching upon some heavy emotional themes. 

Castle excels at  developing a free-flowing Proto-Metal atmosphere merging into Heavy Stadium Rock passages on the later stages of the album within tracks such as Black Spell, 100 Eyes, She and Cold Grave. The six years away has enabled Castle to comeback with a BIGGER, HEAVIER and more INTENSE sound that easily ranks as some of their best music of their career to date. 

Evil Remains is boosted by classic sounding production values that allows Castle to provide GIGANTIC sounding riffs and heavy pounding HEAVY METAL sounds from start to finish which will have everyone coming back for more. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Carcosa PR for the promo.

Evil Remains will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Hammerheart Records from Friday 06th September 2024..

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Bay Area Occult Metallers CASTLE Drop New Video for “100 Eyes” From Upcoming New Album EVIL REMAINS

Castle and Hammerheart Records are proud to present you the new song and video for "100 Eyes"! "100 Eyes" taken from the upcoming Castle album "Evil Remains", out 6 September 2024 on CD, LP and digital worldwide via Hammerheart Records.

Quote from singer/bassist Liz Blackwell:

"We're excited to be making and sharing music again. Our first release from the new album is a message and a reminder to eliminate the distractions that prevent oneself from being the master of your own mind. Our latest video pulled our artistic community together to film a visual representation of self-discovery and empowerment."

Pre-order at Hammerheart Records: https://castlesf.lnk.to/evilremains

Pre-order at Castle: https://castlesf.bandcamp.com/album/evil-remains

Directed by Brian J Davis

Produced by Heroic Collective in association with Black Arts Studio

Cast: Becca Berlind, Emily Schultz

Filmed at Nula Studios, Brooklyn, New York

Special thanks to: Neshemah Blackwell, Becca Berlind, Emily Schulz, Mike Cotton, Shane Medanich, Jericho Davidson and Kristen Flammio.

Castle European tour dates:

09.9 DE Bamberg - Live Club

10.9 DE Karlsruhe - Kohi

11.9 DE Freiburg - Slow Club

12/9 DE Marburg - Knubbel

13.9 DE Weikersheim - lub W71

14.9 DE Leipzig - Black Label

15.9 DE Munich - Backstage

17.9 DE Dusseldorf - Pitcher

18.9 DE Hamburg - Logo

19.9 NO Oslo - Vaterland

20.9 SE Gothenburg - The Abyss

21.9 SE Malmo - Plan B

22.9 DK Copenhagen - Råhuset

23.9 DE Berlin - Reset

24.9 CZ Prague - Modrá Vopice

25.9 AU Vienna - Viper Room

26.9 SI  Ljubljana - Channel Zero

27.9 IT  T.B.A.

28.9 CH Basel - Hirscheneck

30.9 DE Aachen - Wild Rover

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to Carcosa PR for all of the details.

Tour News: MOS GENERATOR - USA 2016 TOUR DATES

MOS GENERATOR ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL USA 2016 TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF THEIR LATEST THREE RELEASES, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SHOW DATES WITH CASTLE & YEAR OF THE COBRA!

November 4th, 2016 (Port Orchard, WA.) – ‘Mos Generator’ has just announced additional 2016 USA West Coast tour dates in support of their two brand new EP releases, “The Firmament: Direction of Years” (Stickman Records) and “Lies of Liberty ‘87” (Self released digital download), as well as their latest studio LP release, “Abyssinia” (Listenable Records).

The band will start the tour off in Seattle with a show alongside ‘Castle’ & ‘Ancient Warlocks’, and then continue with the entire US West Coast, as well as Phoenix & Las Vegas, ending the tour in Tacoma with ‘Year of the Cobra’ & ‘Ancient Warlocks’. This tour will include ten show dates with ‘Castle’, and six dates with ‘Year of the Cobra’.

San Francisco’s ‘Castle’, consisting of Liz Blackwell (vocals/bass), Mat Davis (guitar/vocals), and Al McCartney (drums), has maintained a relentless touring schedule since the release of “Under Siege” in 2014 with multiple expeditions throughout the US, Europe, and Canada. They have garnered numerous awards in multiple countries, and have played some of the more popular underground festivals including Roadburn and both the London and Berlin Desertfests. ‘Castle’ will be headlining ten of the shows on this Mos Generator tour schedule!

Seattle’s ‘Year of the Cobra’, consisting of Amy Tung Barrysmith (vocals/bass) and Jon Barrysmith (drums) hit the ground running in 2015 with their EP release “The Black Sun”. They currently just released their debut LP, “In the Shadows Below”, with STB Records, and have announced touring plans for the US and Europe in 2016 & 2017. ‘Year of the Cobra’ will be joining the bill on six dates during this ‘Mos Generator’ tour!

Mos Generator USA Fall 2016 West Coast Tour Dates;

• November 25^th - Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse (w/ Castle & Ancient Warlocks)
• November 26^th - Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown (w/ Castle & Year of the Cobra)
• November 27^th - Olympia, WA @ The Obsidian (w/ Castle & Year of the Cobra)
• November 28^th - Portland, OR @ The Raven (w/ Castle)
• November 29^th - Eugene, OR @ Old Nick's Pub (w/ Castle)
• November 30^th - Grants Pass, OR @ The G Street Bar and Grill (w/ Castle)
• December 1^st - San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside (w/ Castle)
• December 2^nd - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Blue Lagoon (w/ Castle)
• December 3^rd - Ventura, CA @ The Garage (w/ Castle)
• December 4^th - Glendale, CA @ The Complex (w/ Castle)
• December 5^th - San Diego CA @ The Merrow
• December 6^th - Phoenix AZ @ TBA
• December 7^th - Las Vegas NV @ The Dive Bar
• December 8^th - Sacramento CA @ The Starlite Lounge (w/ Year of the Cobra)
• December 9^th - Arcata CA @ The Alibi (w/ Year of the Cobra)
• December 10^th - Medford OR @ Johnny B's (w/ Year of the Cobra)
• December 11^th - Tacoma WA @ The Valley (w/ Year of the Cobra & Ancient Warlocks)

Live video of ‘Mos Generator’ in Copenhagen (2015) here; 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoGhHIOEphs

Official video for the song “Catspaw” from the “Abyssinia” LP;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KFwHFeTbR8

Port Orchard’s ‘Mos Generator’, consists of Tony Reed (vocals/guitar), Sean Booth (bass), and Jon Garrett (drums). This current powerhouse line up has already released an LP and two EPs just this year, put multiple tours to Europe and around parts of the US under their belts, and have much more lined up for 2017. They are only picking up speed as they go! Come out and experience it live to see what the well-deserved hype is all about!

MOS GENERATOR - 

https://www.facebook.com/MosGenerator

https://mosgenerator.bandcamp.com

CASTLE

https://www.facebook.com/CastleSF

http://www.heavycastle.com

YEAR OF THE COBRA

https://www.facebook.com/yearofthecobraband

https://yearofthecobra.bandcamp.com

LISTENABLE RECORDS

https://www.facebook.com/listenablerecs

http://www.listenable.net

STICKMAN RECORDS

https://www.facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940