apanthropy

Castle Rat
The Bestiary
King Volume Records
To Be Released: 9/19/2025

Rating: 78/100

“Overall, this is another solid album for Castle Rat. While it has some minor drawbacks, it’s ultimately a fun record to listen to, which is kind of what its meant for. It’s theatrical fantasy-rock and its done well and its done with bravado. Fans of old-school traditional heavy metal, early doom metal, and theatrical high-flair rock and roll will find something of great interest here. “

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1 – Phoenix I: Ardent
2 – Wolf I: Tooth & Blade
3 – Wizard: Crystal Heart
4 – Siren: The Pull of Promise
5 – Unicorn: Carnage and Ice
6 – Path of Moss
7 – Crystal Cave: Enshrined
8 – Serpent: Coiled Figure
9 – Wolf II: Celestial Beast
10 – Dragon: Lord of the Sky
11 – Summoning Spell
12 – Sun Song: Behold the Flame
13 – Phoenix II: Cinerous
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Castle Rat made quite an impression in 2024 with their debut effort, Into the Realm. A amalgamation of doom metal, rock and roll, and pop, the band capped the effort with a number of live shows that brought front and center the band’s aesthetic and dynamic stage presence. After a strong year, Castle Rat has returns with their sophomore effort, entitled The Bestiary. With such a dynamic formal start, the band has a lot to show up for, so the ultimate question is, did they produce a better album than their debut?

The band’s catchy combination of doom rock and pop sensibilities are still a strong component to the overall songwriting. Their image hasn’t changed, and the compositional qualities of the tracks show are a more consistent and methodical level of construct. Riffs that were sparse and direct on Into the Realm are a more detailed and vibrant variation on The Bestiary. The lead work is more precise and animated while the drumming dabbles in the occasional galloping double bass. There are moments of heaviness and plenty of groove and hook-heavy deliveries. Vocalist/guitarist Riley Pinkerton still projects with dynamic clarity and mystic delivery.

The band have carried over their sound and image to The Bestiary. While the songwriting has matured and the playing has become more varied and more technical, the band still shines the brightest when they’re playing catchy, straightforward, traditional heavy metal.

One of the biggest differences between their debut and their newest effort is the running time. The Bestiary nears the 50-minute mark, while Into the Realm was at least 15 minutes shorter. There’s a lot of material to unpack on this new record and it may be viewed as a blessing and a curse. While the material is strong, the reality of the situation is that it does overstay its welcome to a slight degree.

While Into the Realm had individual songs that stood out purely on their own unique characteristics, think ‘Dagger Dragger,’ ‘Fresh Fur,’ and ‘Cry for Me,’ that aspect is missing to a certain degree on The Bestiary. There is material worthy of being singles on The Bestiary, it just lacks a certain energy that the debut made magical.

The Bestiary, when viewed as a traditional heavy metal album in 2025, ranks amongst some of the best in the category. Catchy, hook-heavy numbers like ‘Wizard: Crystal Heart,’ capture engaging songwriting, fully immersive atmosphere, memorable transitions and bridges with the whole thing capitalized with a searing solo late in the track.

‘Serpent: Coiled Figure’ worships at the altar of Dio to an acute degree with its introductory riff. Pinkerton’s vocals are mystical, haunting, and powerful. The songs use of basic rock rhythm guitar in conjunction with minimalist single-note harmonization is such a simple and effective technique. Yet another perfectly constructed solo walks the song to its conclusion.

There are some interludes peppered throughout the record that add a cinematic and immersive depth of atmosphere. Songs such as ‘Wolf II: Celestial Beast’ and ‘Summoning Spell,’ ‘Path of Moss,’ as well as the opening and closing tracks are all scaled back, atmospheric displays of sonic mysticism.

‘Siren: The Pull of Promise’ and ‘Dragon: Lord of the Sky’ are Sabbathian slabs of pure rock power with The Count tearing through blistering leads on both tracks. Songs like these are the core of the record, providing a well-spring of riffs, delivered in methodical traditional rock phrases. Again, this is where Castle Rat genuinely excels.

Production on The Bestiary is clean and crisp, with great heat and emphasis placed on the guitar tracks. Bass is rich and pronounced with a drum production that provides a fairly neutral bass drum and a flatter, boxier snare. Pinkerton’s vocals are hit with a touch of reverb and plenty of dual layering to really bring her contribution to the forefront.

Overall, this is another solid album for Castle Rat. While it has some minor drawbacks, it’s ultimately a fun record to listen to, which is kind of what its meant for. It’s theatrical fantasy-rock and its done well and its done with bravado. Fans of old-school traditional heavy metal, early doom metal, and theatrical high-flair rock and roll will find something of great interest here.  

Label: King Volume Records
Band: Castle Rat

AJK