Black Castle was formed in 2000 as an creative outlet for vocalist Elliot Martin. At the time, Martin was emerging as a songwriting force in the hard touring and critically acclaimed american roots reggae band John Brown's Body. Although Martin was to gradually take over as frontman for JBB and take that band in a more progressive direction, he tended to save his most forward looking material for Black Castle. In putting together the lineup Elliot's first call was producer/drummer extraordinaire Matt Saccuccimorano, who then enlisted producer/bassist Brian Dozoretz. As a drum and bass team they have backed the likes of Johnny Dowd, Jennie Stearns, Uniit, and Mary Lorson. Then they brought in multi-instrumentalist Nate Silas Richardson on guitar (Sim Redmond Band, 10ft Ganja Plant, John Brown's Body, Samite of Uganda). In 2011 the keyboard chair was filled by Jon Petronzio (Revision, Solstice, John Brown's Body), and in 2013 Brian Wilson (Jamie Lidell, Johnny Dowd, Tzar) was added on auxiliary drumkit and electronics. With Black Castle, as with many "side projects", there is an obvious exuberance, evidently created by cracking the business as usual mold of the artists' main gigs. Audiences are treated to a live set saturated with fresh ideas and unbridled energy. The result might sound like the London underground, or modern day Jamaica, or an American garage - but the source of Black Castle's musical river is I-Town, or Ithaca, NY. Download their 2001 eponymous release at blackcastle.bandcamp.com