Castle – “Welcome to the Graveyard” [Album Review]

Castle is one of those bands that are caught in a time-warp. That’s not a bad thing though, in fact, it works to their advantage…a large advantage. Recorded by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Eyehategod, Ommadon et al), Welcome to the Graveyard is oozing with ’70s rock tones with a sprinkle of ’80s NWOBHM riffing. Comprised of eight spooky and boogielicious tracks, this album has enough variety to keep even the most stoned fan aurally stimulated.

Some of the standout tracks are “Down in the Cauldron” for its melancholy beginning which then thrusts into a classic hard rock formula reminiscent of the “Disco Sucks!” campaign era. “Flash of the Pentagram” is probably the release’s strongest song with its up-tempo rhythm doused with guitar leads o’ plenty where both Blackwell and Mat “Castle” share vocals duties. Last but not least, “Hammer and the Cross” is the perfect backing track for any occult ritual with its slower tempo, ritualistic lyrics and brown tones.

I recently caught Castle on the first night of their current U.S. tour and they did not disappoint. Elizabeth Blackwell’s voice is just as haunting live as on the recording, Mat “Castle” replicates his note-laden leads without a hitch and Steven Abeyta locks it all down with steady sticks. They’re off to a great start in support of Welcome to the Graveyard from which they played several songs and, after they wrap up in the States this summer, they have a full tour scheduled for Canada and then a couple of European festival dates in October. Don’t miss ’em….

Welcome To The Graveyard Track Listing:

01. Black Widow
02. Hammer and The Cross
03. Welcome to the Graveyard
04. Veil of Death
05. Flash of the Pentagram
06. Traitors Rune
07. Down in the Cauldron Bog
08. Natural Parallel

Run Time: 35:42
Release Date: July 12, 2016

Check out the track “Hammer And The Cross”