“3 Knocks” is the fourth and final single from Carrie Chains, the new album from heavy-doom trio Castle, out September 4 through Hammerheart Records. And while Castle have never exactly been shy about their influences, this one makes a strong case that there’s still plenty of mileage left in the old-school heavy-metal riff.
Guitarist Mat Davis calls it a “classic throwback Castle song,” built from equal parts Black Sabbath and Mercyful Fate.
That feels about right: big, serpentine guitar lines, a driving rhythm and just enough menace to make the whole thing feel like it could go off the rails at any moment. Liz Blackwell’s blazing vocals give the song that unmistakably Castle combination of grit, melody and gothic weirdness that never ceases to be fucking rad.
As Davis puts it, “3 Knocks” is “like the doomed heartbeat of the new record.” He also has some simple advice for listening to it: “It screams to be cranked, so what are you waiting for?!”
The “3 Knocks” video was filmed in Toronto while Castle were on tour in Canada earlier this year, with longtime friend and director Jaan Silmberg behind the camera. Silmberg’s credits include Super Duper Alice Cooper and Death By Metal, as well as the upcoming Voivod documentary, and he previously worked with Castle on the video for “Carry Chains.”
And Castle aren’t planning on sitting around waiting for Carrie Chains to sink in.
The band have announced a return to Japan, their first there since 2016, including a two-night headline appearance at Tokyo Doom Fest, where they’ll play two unique sets. They’ve also got a substantial US run lined up for September and October 2026, with additional European dates already on the calendar.
Watch Castle’s “3 Knocks” below.
Carrie Chains arrives September 4 via Hammerheart Records and will be available on limited-edition and band-exclusive vinyl, regular digipak and digital formats, as well as a special 2-CD longbox edition featuring Castle’s covers album Double Vision.
Order Carrie Chains directly from Castle
Order Carrie Chains from Hammerheart Records
Castle US tour:
9/3 Detroit, MI – Smalls
9/4 Cleveland, OH – Maple Grove Tavern
9/5 Montague, MA – RPM Fest
9/6 Brooklyn, NY – Woodshop
9/7 York, PA – Collusion Tap Works
9/9 Washington D.C. – Pie Shop
9/10 Pittsburgh, PA – Poetry Lounge
9/11 Indianapolis IN – Black Circle
9/12 Nashville, TN – Cobra Lounge
9/14 Dallas, TX – Dusty’s
9/15 Austin, TX – Valhalla
9/16 Tulsa, OK – Whittier Bar
9/17 Des Moines, IA – Locals Bar
9/18 Chicago, IL – Reggies
9/19 Madison, WI – Blades Of Steel Fest
10/23 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
10/24 Portland, OR – High Water Mark
10/25 San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill
10/26 Palmdale, CA – Transplants Brewery
10/27 Las Vegas, NV – The Griffin
10/28 Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit
10/29 Los Angeles, CA – Knucklehead
10/30 San Diego, CA – Tower Bar
Castle Japan Tour:
12/05-06 Tokyo (JP) – Tokyo Doom Fest
12/7 Tokyo (JP) – Moonstep
12/8 Kyoto (JP) – Socrates
12/9 Kobe (JP) – Makeshift
12/10 Osaka (JP) – Hokage
12/11 Yokohama (JP) – El Puente
12/12 Tokyo (JP) – Wall
12/13 Nagoya (JP) – Huck Finn
Castle upcoming:
03/07 Fontaine-l’Eveque (BE) MCP Apache
03/13 Písek (CZ) – Heavy Metal Thunder Fest
03/22 Kassel (DE) – Goldgrube
03/25 Hamburg (DE) – Bambi Galore
Advance tickets and more information at HeavyCastle.com
The post Video Premiere: Castle – “3 Knocks” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.