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It's the year of the rat! New York fantasy metal warriors CASTLE RAT have released their eagerly awaited new album "The Bestiary" today via King Volume Records (US) and Blues Funeral Recordings (UK/Europe). Dive into this epic slab of heaviness and don't miss them on their upcoming US and European shows!
⚔️⚔️ Stream Castle Rat's new album The Bestiary ⚔️⚔️
+ watch new videos WIZARD and WOLF I
“Everything about this band rules hard." - Metal Hammer Magazine
"Part Banshees, part Sabbath, all them." - Classic Rock Magazine
“One of the most exciting new voices in heavy metal.” - Rock Hard
"Extremely captivating." - Rumore Magazine
“A pure metal epic.” - Echoes & Dust
Already critically praised by critics worldwide, the band's latest record is an epic tale of mysticism, magic and maleficence set in a mythical world and told through the heavy metal offerings of band members The Rat Queen, The Count, The Plague Doctor and The All-Seeing Druid.
Commenting on the new album, The Rat Queen says: "The Bestiary is a conceptual book of beasts containing a collection of mystical creatures from a world forgotten. The last remaining souls of each have been gathered and preserved by The Wizard. Cautionary tales of each beast and The Wizard himself are woven through the power of traditional heavy metal song and spell."
Recorded by Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk) and mixed by Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Restless Spirit), the band's new odyssey features 13 spellbinding tracks of epic carnage and mystical lore.
Castle Rat is a Medieval Fantasy Heavy Metal band hailing from NYC, led by “The Rat Queen”, Riley Pinkerton, on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. On her mission to expand and defend “The Realm” from those who seek to destroy it, The Rat Queen is joined by “The Count” (Franco Vittore), on lead guitar and backing vocals; “The Plague Doctor” (Charley Ruddell), on bass; and “The All-Seeing Druid” (Joshua Strmic) on drums. Together they face the relentless wrath of their archnemesis: Death, Herself — “The Rat Reaperess.” Along their journey, Castle Rat have played in support of Monolord (SE), Acid King (CA), Green Lung (UK), and appeared at festivals included Desertfest NYC, RPM Fest and Hopsmoker, among others.
Since their pre-plague inception in October 2019, they have released their debut album “Into The Realm” with King Volume Records in April 2024, which has racked up over one million Spotify streams and held the post as the #1 Best-Selling Hard Rock/All Rock Album on Bandcamp upon its release. The band has cultivated a fiercely loyal following by curating a riveting, interactive, lore-laden live performance, complete with a choreographed battle scene, recruiting fans who crave swords & sorcery, stoner & doom, battle-babes & beasts, Frazetta & Sabbath.
2025 began with an explosive start. Castle Rat launched a record-breaking Kickstarter to fund their second album, fully funding the campaign in just 37 minutes. The month-long fundraiser went on to be the most successful metal Kickstarter in over a decade, closing out at $139K. Just days after the campaign, the band entered the studio to record their second album with producer Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk). Following two sold-out tours in late 2024, the band undertook a headlining US tour in March 2025, with a six-week stint in Europe featuring numerous festival appearances—including Desertfest, Hellfest, and Copenhell.
Fall US tour 2025 (tickets available here)
Sep 5 - Boston, MA - Sonia
Sep 6 - Elizabethtown, NY - Otis
Sep 7 - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar
Sep 8 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
Sep 9 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
Sep 10 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
Sep 12 - Kansas City, MO - The Ship
Sep 13 - Colorado Springs, CO - What's Left Fest
Sep 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Sep 16 - Seattle, WA - Clockout Lounge
Sep 17 - Portland, OR - Star Theater
Sep 18 - Austin, TX - Fantastic Fest
Sep 20 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone
Sep 21 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon
Sep 22 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah
Sep 23 - Phoenix, AZ - Last Exit
Sep 24 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister
Sep 27 - Houston, TX - Last Concert
Sep 28 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
Sep 30 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
Oct 1 - Asheville, NC - Eulogy
Oct 2 - Raleigh, NC - Chapel of Bones
Oct 3 - Charlottesville, VA - Southern Cafe
Oct 4 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
Oct 5 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
European Tour Dates
Oct 16 - Prague, CZ - Cafe V Lese
Oct 17 - Leipzig, DE - Werk 2
Oct 18 - Arnhem, NL - Willemeen
Oct 19 - Antwerp, BE - Desertfest
Oct 21 - Cologne, DE - Volta
Oct 22 - Aschaffenburg, DE - Colos-saal
Oct 23 - Berlin, DE - Lido
Oct 24 - Copenhagen, DE - Copenhell Metal Cruise
Oct 25 - Copenhagen, DE - Copenhell Metal Cruise
Oct 27 - Hamburg, DE - Indra
Oct 28 - Karlsruhe, DE - Stadtmitte
Oct 30 - Barcelona, ES - Upload
Oct 31 - Lyon, FR - Les Subs
Nov 1 - Vellet, FR - Westill Festival
Nov 2 - Lille, FR - La Bulle Cafe
Nov 4 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
Nov 5 - Bristol - Lost Horizon
Nov 6 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom
Nov 7 - Nottingham, UK - Bodega
Nov 8 - Manchester, UK - Damnation Festival
CASTLE RAT links
Facebook - Bandcamp - Instagram - Spotify
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