Castle Rat have released a video for “DRAGON“, directed by Riley Pinkerton, six weeks before their 20-date “Summon The Beasts” headline tour.
Castle Rat build almost everything themselves, the costumes, the lore, the characters they play on stage. The videos now too.
The New York band have put out a clip for “DRAGON“, taken from last year’s The Bestiary, directed by vocalist and guitarist Riley Pinkerton. She fronts the group as The Rat Queen, a role she invented for a Halloween show in 2019 by sawing the head off a squeaky toy and sticking it to a fake crown. The band has been in character ever since.
The Bestiary arrived on September 19, 2025 through King Volume Records in North America and Blues Funeral Recordings in the UK and Europe. It is their second album, following 2024’s Into The Realm. Where the debut laid out the band’s mythology, the second record works through a wizard’s collection of creatures, one per song, with “DRAGON” sitting tenth on the running order.
The video lands about six weeks before the band start the biggest headline run they have attempted. The “Summon The Beasts Tour” opens September 23 at Baltimore Soundstage and closes October 21 at Webster Hall in New York, taking in twenty dates across the United States and Canada. Unto Others are direct support throughout, with dungeon synth act Wraith Knight opening. It is also the first time Castle Rat have offered VIP packages, which include a soundcheck, a meet and greet, early merch access and a photo with The Rat Reaperess.
Castle Rat spent the first half of 2026 supporting Amon Amarth and Dethklok across North America, filmed a session for KEXP in April, played festivals, and sold out a 1,400-capacity headline show in Anaheim. European dates were announced separately.
Alongside Pinkerton, the band are guitarist Franco Vittore as The Count, bassist Charley Ruddell as The Plague Doctor and drummer Josh Strmic as The Druid.
Castle Rat “Summon The Beasts Tour” 2026 dates:
- Sep 23 – Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD
- Sep 25 – Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC
- Sep 26 – The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
- Sep 28 – The Studio at The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX
- Sep 30 – The Nile Theater, Mesa, AZ
- Oct 01 – The Belasco, Los Angeles, CA
- Oct 03 – The UC Theatre, Berkeley, CA
- Oct 06 – Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
- Oct 07 – The Showbox Market, Seattle, WA
- Oct 09 – Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
- Oct 10 – Shrine Social Club, Boise, ID
- Oct 11 – The Grand, Salt Lake City, UT
- Oct 12 – The Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
- Oct 14 – Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- Oct 15 – Concord Music Hall, Chicago, IL
- Oct 16 – The Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
- Oct 17 – The Opera House, Toronto, ON
- Oct 19 – Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal, QC
- Oct 20 – The Palladium, Worcester, MA
- Oct 21 – Webster Hall, New York, NY
