Castle Rat drops final single “Serpent” ahead of new album

Medieval fantasy heavy metal outfit Castle Rat fronted by The Rat Queen (Riley Pinkerton), has released their third and final single, “Serpent,” ahead of the September 19 launch of their long-awaited sophomore album “The Bestiary.”

Since forming in 2019, the New York–based band has cultivated a mythic universe built on lore, swords and riffs. Alongside The Rat Queen stand The Count, The Plague Doctor and The All-Seeing Druid, battling their nemesis—the Rat Reaperess—through immersive, theatrical performances. Their debut album, “Into the Realm,” arrived in 2024, topped Bandcamp’s Hard Rock/All Rock charts, and surpassed one million Spotify streams. They also powered one of the most successful metal Kickstarter campaigns of the decade in early 2025, raising $139K in record time.

“The Bestiary” is a conceptual odyssey—a mythical book of beasts, each preserved by ‘The Wizard,’ with their tales told through classic heavy metal storytelling. Musically it dives into snake imagery—not merely as danger or deceit, but as a misunderstood figure. The track merges bombastic drums, a near-march rhythm that’s both danceable and headbang-ready, and eerie synth textures that add an elegant chaos to the feral riffs.

The album is produced by Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk), mixed by Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Restless Spirit), and recorded at Applehead Studios and Circular Ruin in NYC.

To bring “The Bestiary” to life, Castle Rat is hitting the road with their The Book of Beasts Tour. The North American leg launches in early September with a show in Boston, then moves through cities including Chicago, Seattle and Austin, wrapping up in Brooklyn in early October. A European leg starts in mid-October with stops at Desertfest, Copenhell, Hellfest and more.

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

Castle Rat The Book of Beasts Tour:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5NpVWSu5prcaBFkopD4zH5?si=3f26a1879b8c49ef
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September 5, 2025: Sonia Live Music Venue, Cambridge, MA
September 6, 2025: Otis Mountain Get Down 2025, Elizabethtown, NY
September 7, 2025: Piranha Bar, Montreal, QC, Canada
September 8, 2025: Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, Canada
September 9, 2025: Ace of Cups, Columbus, OH
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September 12, 2025: The Ship, Kansas City, MO
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September 16, 2025: Clock-Out Lounge, Seattle, WA
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September 24, 2025: Sister, Albuquerque, NM
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November 6, 2025: Electric Ballroom, North London, United Kingdom