Richard HolmesCastle Rat – The Bestiary (Blues Funeral Recordings/King Volume Records)
Escapism and heavy metal go hand in hand. Dio brought a dragon called Dean to the world’s stages. Immortal created ‘Blashyrkh’, their own mythical kingdom. And Green Lung’s music is an OS map of mythical Albion.
Yep, the genre has always offered a path to other worlds, and for many, a route out of suburban drudgery.
New York’s Castle Rat celebrate that fine tradition, unashamedly. “The Bestiary is a conceptual book of beasts containing a collection of mystical creatures from a world forgotten,” says the band’s singer, The Rat Queen. They dress like they’ve stepped out of Red Sonja or Willow. On their last UK visit, they even performed in Newcastle’s mediaeval keep, brandishing swords and scythes. Delve deeper though, and there’s much more to them than Dungeons and Dragons cosplay and kooky videos…
Castle Rat claim their throne
Castle Rat are built from the very foundations of heavy metal. Bands like Sabbath, Pentagram and Cirith Ungol form the bedrock. That was clear on last year’s doomy debut album, Into The Realm.
And in 2025, there’s nothing unusual about a band with these retro influences.
So what’s so special about The Bestiary?
For one, the band’s enchanting songcraft, wrapped in warm vintage tones, is gloriously simple – even at its most epic.
Yes, Franco ‘The Count’ Vittore’s fretwork is smouldering. The guy can play, when let loose. But unlike many of their contemporaries, Castle Rat aren’t dragged under by the weight of their riffs. They don’t overcomplicate matters either. Dragon’s grooves are given the space to really fire. Serpent is free to weave its sultry magic. Wizard is the 70s metal anthem that decade never had.
The Rat Queen, too, is a revelation here: always a supremely talented singer, she’s raised her game even further. Take the aptly-named Siren. The Queen’s Medusan melodies bewitch, as the track rolls and surges. On Crystal Cave, her voice glistens, taking us from hazy campfire psych to mountain-conquering grandeur in just five minutes. And the choral Summoning Spell is equally magical, like a gentle sleepwalk through ancient cloisters.
Granted, there’s been plenty of hype around Castle Rat. Of course, there’s more than an element of novelty to them. But The Bestiary proves that behind the swords and sorcery, there’s a metal soul.
Band photo by Courtney Hall.
