San Francisco heavy metal cultists CASTLE will release their album, “Under Siege,” on May 20 via Prosthetic Records in North America. Recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, Calif. earlier this year with producer/mixer Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Eyehategod) — who also produced their 2012 Juno-nominated release “Blacklands” — “Under Siege” pushes CASTLE‘s unique sound further with the confluence of punishing riffs and melodic passages of haunted, full-blooded madness.
Vocalist/bass guitarist Liz Blackwell gave insight on the new material: “We wrote this album in Los Angeles, San Francisco and in the mountains of Northern California. It’s a California record. We drew from the heavy sounds of those places to write electric witch hymns of death and doom.”
CASTLE formed in 2009 and released their debut album “In Witch Order” on the German label Van Records (The Devil’s Blood) in 2011. The album brought light to the newly-formed band and earned them “Album of the Year” honors from Metal Hammer Norway, as well as Roadburn Festival’s “Newcomer of the Year.” Shortly after, the band signed with Prosthetic in North America and released their critically acclaimed sophomore album “Blacklands,” which earned a nomination for “metal/hard music album of the year” at the Juno Awards (Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys). The band supported the release playing over 200 shows worldwide alongside acts including The Sword, Intronaut and Witch Mountain in addition to appearing at some of the scene’s largest festivals (Roadburn, London Desertfest).
CASTLE will next be seen on tour in Europe throughout April in support of their recently released single, a cover of the Alice Cooper classic "Second Coming" with select dates alongside UK doom act Conan as well as making an appearance at the Berlin Desertfest. The band will return to the U.S. for a headlining jaunt to coincide with their upcoming release.