Castle Rat is a Medieval Fantasy Doom 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”. 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. Now, emerging from New York’s vile, creature-infested underground once again, the fantasy heavy metal purveyors are about to unleash their sophomore record, The Beastiary. Recorded by Randall Dunn and mixed by Jonathan Nuñez, the band’s latest odyssey features 13 spellbinding tracks of epic carnage and mystical metal. Commenting on the record, The Rat Queen states, “‘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.”
The Beastiary will be released on September 19th via Blues Funeral. Pre-orders will be available soon.
