The Bestiary: Vernal Dawn Vinyl LP

Castle Rat is a Medieval Fantasy Heavy Metal band hailing from NYC, led by “The Rat Queen,” Riley Pinkerton, on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. On her mission to expand and defend “The Realm” from those who seek to destroy it, The Rat Queen is joined by “The Count” (Franco Vittore), on lead guitar and backing vocals; “The Plague Doctor” (Charley Ruddell), on bass; and “The All-Seeing Druid” (Josh Strmic) on drums. Together they face the relentless wrath of their archnemesis: Death, Herself – “The Rat Reaperess.”

Along their journey, Castle Rat have played in support of Monolord (SE), Acid King (CA), Green Lung (UK), and appeared at Festivals including Desertfest NYC, RPM Fest and Hopsmoker, among others.

Since the band’s pre-plagued inception in October 2019, Castle Rat have released their debut album, “Into The Realm” with King Volume Records in April 2024, which has racked up over one million Spotify streams and held the post as the #1 Best-Selling Hard Rock/Alt Rock Album on Bandcamp upon its release.

The band has cultivated a fiercely loyal following by curating a riveting, interactive, lore-laden live performance, complete with a choreographed battle scene, recruiting fans who crave swords & sorcery; stoner & doom; battle-babes & beasts; Frazette & Sabbath.

2025 began with an explosive start. Castle Rat launched a record-breaking Kickstarter to fund their second album, fully funding the campaign in just 37 minutes. The month-long fundraiser went on to be the most successful metal Kickstarter in over a decade, closing out at $139k. Just days after the campaign, the band entered the studio to record their second album with producer Randall Dunn (Sunn O, Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk). Following two sold out tours in late 2024, the band undertook a headlining US tour in March 2025, with a six week stint in Europe featuring numberous festival appearances – including Desertfest, Hellfest, and Copenhell.

Castle Rat’s second full length album, The Bestiary, was released in late 2025 and received mass critical acclaim launching the band into unprecedented realms of heavy music.

TRACKLIST

1. PHOENIX I
2. WOLF I
3. WIZARD
4. SIREN
5. UNICORN
6. PATH OF MOSS
7. CRYSTAL CAVE
8. SERPENT
9. WOLF II
10. DRAGON
11. SUMMONING SPELL
12. SUN SONG
13. PHOENIX II