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CASTLE RAT
Into The Realm

King Volume (2024)
Rating: 7/10

I recall as a naive 14 year old metalhead having crushes on numerous female musicians within the heavy metal genre. The main femme fatales which spring to mind all these years later are Lee Aaron and the twin sisters from Gypsy Queen, Pamela (R.I.P.) and Paula Mattioli. Now in 2024 there is another bewitching female on the block who has conjured numerous memories of that halcyon era, so step forward Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen), vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Brooklyn, New York-based metal act Castle Rat who have scurried from the sewer to unload a killer debut full-length album, Into The Realm. Alongside The Rat Queen we have The Count (Franco Vittore, lead guitar) The Plague Doctor (Ronnie Lanzilotta III, bass), The Druid (Josh Strmic, drums) and a performance artist named The Rat Reaperess (Maddy Wright).

It’s fair to say that this clan are influenced by medieval fantasy as well as traditional doom metal and, of course, Black Sabbath. There is a strong theatrical image reminding me of Death SS, while Pinkerton channels Lee Aaron circa her 1984 Metal Queen album cover. Musically though this is very much traditional doom that’s a bit rough around the edges and I can’t get enough of it.

Every track here paints itself as a mystical soundtrack to a tapestry of witches, warlocks and swirling marsh mists snaking through ancient ruins. Riffs, although delivered simply, drive hard and evoke spirits of Candlemass, Pentagram et al as they roll from the crypt like oozing black shadows. The vocals of The Rat Queen drip with oomph as, like a siren at sea, she entices us into her watery lair constructed of thudding percussion and robust bass lines.

Admittedly, Castle Rat are dabbling in all too familiar territory because a multitude of bands have and still are practising such dark arts, but these Americans do have something a little extra in the tank to entertain helped by the throwback album cover. Some, however, may find Castle Rat a cheesy pastiche (just check out the video for ‘Cry For Me’) and while I understand the band’s intentions to look and sound retro, they also straddle a thin line between nostalgia and parody. Now, while that is very much on purpose, it could be their downfall.

The hefty trudge of ‘Dagger Dragger’, the stark ‘Fresh Fur’, the monolithic ‘Feed The Dream’ and more are solid yet simple enough cuts, boosted more so by the imagery of the videos which accompany them. So, via the power of the promo videos or live shows, Castle Rat will certainly appeal, but musically it’s just straight down the line doom metal that mixes the mid-80s Red Sonja movie with Dungeons & Dragons nerdness amidst a sea of stable yet unspectacular riffage. I like it, but the novelty may wear off rather quick.

Neil Arnold

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