Castle Rat Return to the Hunt with “Wolf I”
Fantasy heavy metal outfit Castle Rat are back with a new single ahead of their forthcoming album The Bestiary. Set for release on September 19, the album’s singles so far showcase a great, fuzz-filled adventure and their newest one “Wolf I” continues that trend.
Speaking of the track itself, Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) said the new track was pretty much the perfect selection to kick off the record.
“‘WOLF I’ marks the gateway into The Bestiary, setting the stage for the epic journey ahead. The Wolf—fierce, solitary, and primal—serves as both symbol and sentinel, embodying the shadow self and guiding listeners through peril with instinct and ferocity. The track is a tempest of layered riffs and surging energy, building toward a thunderous, headbanging climax. With its haunting vocal chants and immersive atmosphere, “WOLF I” expands the Castle Rat sonic universe—introducing, for the first time, a blistering, razor-edged solo by Franco ‘The Count’ Vittore, delivered with surgical precision and flair.”
The Bestiary features 13 new songs and will be released on September 19 via King Volume Records. If you’d like to preorder the album, you can do so here if you’re in the U.S. or Blues Funeral Recordings in the U.K. and Europe.
As for their tour plans, they’ll be playing on August 8 in Ancora, Portugal for Sonic Blast Fest. Their U.S. plans will start on September 5 in Boston and will come to end on October 5 in Brooklyn, New York.
THE BESTIARY TRACKLIST
- PHOENIX I: Ardent
- WOLF I: Tooth & Blade
- WIZARD: Crystal Heart
- SIREN: The Pull of Promise
- UNICORN: Carnage and Ice
- PATH OF MOSS
- CRYSTAL CAVE: Enshrined
- SERPENT: Coiled Figure
- WOLF II: Celestial Beast
- DRAGON: Lord of The Sky
- SUMMONING SPELL
- SUN SONG: Behold The Flame
- PHOENIX II: Cinerous
Castle Rat tour dates
August 8 – Âncora, PT – Sonic Blast Fest
Fall US tour 2025
Sep 5 – Boston, MA – Sonia
Sep 6 – Elizabethtown, NY – Otis
Sep 7 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar
Sep 8 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Sep 9 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
Sep 10 – Chicago, IL – Reggies
Sep 12 – Kansas City, MO – The Ship
Sep 13 – Colorado Springs, CO – What’s Left Fest
Sep 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Sep 16 – Seattle, WA – Clockout Lounge
Sep 17 – Portland, OR – Star Theater
Sep 18 – Austin, TX – Fantastic Fest
Sep 20 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
Sep 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
Sep 22 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
Sep 23 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit
Sep 24 – Albuquerque, NM – Sister
Sep 27 – Houston, TX – Last Concert
Sep 28 – New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
Sep 30 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
Oct 1 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy
Oct 2 – Raleigh, NC – Chapel of Bones
Oct 3 – Charlottesville, VA – Southern Cafe
Oct 4 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
Oct 5 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
