Castle have long been a name to reckon with when it comes to dark, riff-driven heavy metal. Since "In Witch Order" (2011), the duo of Liz Blackwell (bass, vocals) and Mat Davis (guitar, vocals) have carved out their own place somewhere between heavy metal, doom and occult heavy rock. With more than 800 shows across three continents, Castle have also become a true live band – and you can definitely hear that experience on their seventh album, Carrie Chains.
Their second album for Hammerheart Records was recorded in March 2026 at RainCity Recorders in Vancouver. Producer Jesse Gander, who also worked on Evil Remains, was back behind the desk. What makes this one especially interesting is that Castle recorded the new songs completely live in the studio for the first time. It gives the whole album a wonderfully direct and organic energy. Heavy metal and doom are pretty much split 50/50, with plenty of 70s heavy rock, psychedelic touches and a healthy dose of occult darkness thrown into the mix. Sabbath, Priest and Mercyful Fate are obvious reference points, but Castle have long developed enough of their own identity to avoid sounding like just another retro-metal copy.
“Fooled Again” kicks things off with sharp guitars and plenty of punch. “3 Knocks” combines majestic riffing with Liz Blackwell’s ghostly vocals and is Castle through and through. Then comes “Carry Chains”, and this one is a different beast altogether. At just over three minutes, it gets straight to the point with a killer riff, a punchy groove and one of the album’s most memorable choruses. There’s still plenty of doom lurking underneath, but the song has a real classic heavy-metal swagger to it. It’s probably one of those tracks that will stick in your head long after the record has stopped spinning.
“Truckgrinder” steps on the gas and perhaps captures the album’s live energy better than anything else. “Orb Weaver” dives deeper into psychedelic and doom territory, showing the more twisted side of the band. “Goat Vision” is compact and almost anthemic, before “Burn The Messenger” closes the album with one final dark slab of heavy metal.
Of course, Liz Blackwell’s unmistakable voice remains at the heart of it all – rough, dark, distinctive and surprisingly melodic. Combined with Davis’ guitar work and Mike Cotton’s powerful drumming, it creates a sound that somehow feels like 1975, 1985 and Castle 2026 all at once.
After 15 years and countless shows, the band clearly knows exactly what they want – eight tracks packed with riffs, atmosphere and that dirty heavy-metal feeling. No reinvention of the wheel, maybe, but damn good fuel for it.
-Helge Neumann
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