The Bestiary＜限定盤/White Vinyl＞

Hailing from the bustling, bloodstained, horse dung-strewn streets of Brooklyn, Castle Rat channels their medieval fantasy doom metal obsession into a crushing soundtrack tailor-made for dungeon masters plotting the ultimate campaign. Following 2024’s Into the Realm, The Bestiary fuses towering, Sabbath-worshipping riffs with theatrical, arcane flair. At the helm is guitarist and frontwoman Riley Pinkerton (The Rat Queen) -- longsword aloft, astride a white steed like a living Boris Vallejo painting -- leading the charge into a realm where might, magic, and decibels collide. “Wolf I” and “Wizard” lumber through sludge-laden riffs laced with psych and stoner-metal flourishes -- think the Sword with a Ren Faire fixation -- while the lush and bruising “Crystal Cave,” an acoustic doom-folk piece adorned with sumptuous strings, reaches for the grandeur of Dio-era Rainbow. Its all a bit silly -- the band’s commitment to the bit even includes on-stage sword fights with their nemesis, The Rat Reaperess -- but its also a shit ton of fun, a quality rarely associated with the genre. ~ James Christopher Monger