Today we have something brand spanking new on offer. Castle Rat are a newer band on the scene and have made a bit of a name for themselves with their fantasy imagery and theatrical live shows. Today’s song Wizard is the first offering from their upcoming album The Bestiary, which is due on September 19^th. This is the group’s second record, following last year’s Into The Realm.

Now, the thing about writing this is that I don’t know much of anything about Castle Rat. I hadn’t heard of them until this video popped up in my YouTube feed the other day. I have found out that the band is from New York and that they formed in 2019. The band uses pseudonyms for their credits but their real names are also out there, the stage names are apparently for added flair and not an identity concealment device. And that is about all I know, beyond the album information in the first paragraph. But we do have a song and video to dig into, so let’s do that.

Castle Rat are employing the tried and true doom metal/stoner rock formula here. It isn’t purely doom, though – there’s a fair bit of NWOBHM influence thrown in here. This is definitely a sound straight from the old times, not something merely built upon that. The production grants a decidedly retro feel as well. I’m not a knob geek by any means but I am curious what methods were implemented to achieve the old school feel on this.

The vibes from yesteryear don’t stop with the music. The video is a throwback to days of yore as well. Castle Rat stick with fantasy themes and the song’s battle with a wizard plays out in vintage fashion here. Sure it’s cheesy and goofy, but it’s done in a tone that can also be taken seriously. I’m sure Castle Rat, as an emerging band, do no t have unlimited access to money. But it’s plain to see that the video was filmed intentionally, it is not an old-school metal video that looks the way it does because the band’s budget was a six pack of Old Milwaukee.

So here we have Castle Rat in all their glory, openly wielding their swords and fantasy influence and playing metal so old-school that even old people think it’s old. While the band do have some detractors, it seems a fair few are enjoying what they see and hear. There’s nothing “original” or innovative here, but if that’s all anyone listened to we’d all only listen to the same six albums. Sounding good and being entertaining is quite enough, as entertainment is the point of all this, and Castle Rat have that down.

I know I will have my Dungeons and Dragons books and dice ready for the new album later this year, and hopefully I’ll be able to catch their signature live act at some point down the line. Wizard is a promising offering from Castle Rat, who seem poised to gain a fair bit of buzz in 2025.