Castle Rat - The Bestiary

Castle Rat is a medieval fantasy heavy metal band led by the Rat Queen, who is on a mission to expand and defend “The Realm” against those who seek to destroy it. She is joined by the Count, the Plague Doctor, and the All-Seeing Druid. Together they face the merciless fury of their arch-enemy: Death Itself — “The Rat Reaperess.”

The second album, The Bestiary, is a riff-laden compendium of mystical creatures and cautionary tales from a forgotten world. It tells allegorical stories about mythical beasts and the Wizard who summons them, weaving powerful heavy anthems and dark enchantments into a mesmerizing and unforgettable heavy-metal odyssey — as if Grace Slick had been kissing Black Sabbath for a thousand years.

Hailing from the filthy, monster-infested underground of New York, the heavy metal band Castle Rat first made waves with their live performances and later with their debut album Into the Realm in 2024. Since their formation in 2019, Castle Rat has created a vivid labyrinth of fantasy lore and waged countless battles with riffs, swords, and bone-crushing rock spells against “The Rat Reaperess.”

The album, recorded by Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk) and mixed by Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Restless Spirit), features spellbinding tracks filled with epic carnage and mystical metal.