Castle Rat - The Bestiary [Colored]

Castle Rat summon a whole menagerie on The Bestiary, a fantasy metal epic pressed here on coloured vinyl that suits its storybook ambitions.

The Brooklyn band, fronted by singer and guitarist Riley Pinkerton, has built a cult following on medieval imagery, theatrical stage shows and riffs heavy enough to flatten a drawbridge. Their second album, released in 2025, raises the stakes with thirteen creature-themed songs gathered around a wandering wizard, each one a new page in an illustrated book of beasts, from wolves and serpents to sirens and phoenixes.

Recorded by Randall Dunn and mixed by Jonathan Nuñez, the album balances slow, stomping doom with galloping classic heavy metal, never letting the mythology get in the way of a good riff. Singles "Wizard", "Wolf I" and "Serpent" introduced the cast, and "Siren" followed, each built on massive, fuzzed-out guitars and Pinkerton's clear, commanding vocals cutting through the fog. It is heavy, melodic and unashamedly fun, the rare metal record that wears its love of fantasy without a hint of irony.

Fans of Sabbath-sized riffs and sword-and-sorcery storytelling will find plenty to get lost in, from the opening phoenix to its return at the close.

For anyone who ever wished their metal came with a map, a quest and a dragon, The Bestiary is the next great adventure.