Casket Rats raise a sleazy, greasy rock and roll ruckus with ‘Whiskey Queen’
The supercharged Boston hard rock brigade unleash a sweaty blitz of a single via a Justin Maloney-directed music video
Casket Rats perform live at a free, outdoors show July 27 at Courthouse Park in Brighton
‘No gods, no masters, no kings – rock and roll will set us free’ – Casket Rats, 2025
BOSTON, Mass. [July 22, 2025] – A wise man once said that it’s ill-advised to start a street fight with a handshake. And so when Casket Rats want to throw down, they do it with cranked amplifiers.
The Boston hard rock dynamo unleashes an official music video for new single “Whiskey Queen,” directed by Justin Maloney, on Tuesday, July 22, kicking off a fury of activity that leads to some exciting announcements in the fall.
But in the meantime, “Whiskey Queen,” the Allston foursome’s first new music since its 2022 self-titled debut EP, sets a relentless tone through a sweaty blitz of hard riffs, thunder bass, punching drums, and gritty, weathered vocals. It’s loud, aggressive, and quite simply, necessary as fuck.
“It's a punch in the face,” says bassist and vocalist Keith Bennett, a Boston hardcore veteran who is, in fact, the wise man referenced up top. “It's a greasy, sleazy rocker from a greasy, sleazy rock and roll band. We're letting the world know we exist, and it's no time for polite introductions.”
Bennett and the band, rounded out by Brendan O'Hare on vocals and guitar; Goose on guitar and vocals; and Phil Slopak on drums, have been creating a noisy racket around the Boston neighborhood of Allston since their inception a few short years ago. And shortly after the video drop, they crank up the volume in their own backyard for a free, outdoor gig at Courthouse Park in Brighton on Sunday, July 27.
How stroked are they to release this visual? “I think the phrase ‘rabid dogs’ would be very appropriate,” Bennett says with a chuckle.
What’s also appropriate is the black-and-white, foot-on-the-pedal, all-gas-no-sass music video Maloney created, capturing Casket Rats in their natural habitat – throwing down a live performance clip at their Foster House practice space. Sometimes it’s best to just keep it simple and let the music do the barking.
“I don't think Bergman or Fellini are too worried about us stealing their thunder, we just wanted to present an authentic version of who we are and what we do,” adds Bennett, known for his work in the Boston music scene that spans decades, from the legendary Wrecking Crew to more recent bands like PanzerBastard and Death Ray Vision. “That's our dirty, sweaty little practice space and those are our dirty, sweaty little carcasses playing a dirty, sweaty little banger.”
And that banger goes hard, raising a glass to the women in their lives in the Boston rock, metal, and punk scenes that tend to go harder than the men do. O'Hare says “Whiskey Queen” isn’t about anyone in particular, per se; but also, it totally is. Because we all know how she rolls.
“It's more just about all the women in rock and roll who go harder than the guys” O’Hare says. “Think Wendy O drinking you under the table. It's an attempt to capture and immortalize the spirit of that archetype that sadly crashes and burns out far too often. It also alludes to a tale of a chaotic romance, loss of control, and the lows that follow. Chaos, lust, and rock and roll.”
If there was a mantra for Casket Rats and their brazen approach to creating a modern feel for a throwback sound, when the Lemmys and Thin Lizzys ruled the days, it would be that. The boys know they're just playing rock and roll, but sometimes, that’s all we need to get by – in life, and in a street fight.
“We wanted Casket Rats to be the band we've all collectively dreamed about being in,” Bennett concludes. “We've all had varying degrees of satisfaction and success with previous bands but none of us had ever been in a 100 percent unrepentant, no frills RAWK band. And it's pretty damn effortless, there's a very pure intent to what we do.”
Just don’t dare approach ‘em with a handshake.
Casket Rats official bio:
100% pure rock n’ roll.
Casket Rats are:
Brendan O'Hare – Vocals and guitar
Goose – Guitar and vocals
Keith Bennett – Bass and vocals
Phil Slopak – Drums
‘Whiskey Queen’ production credits:
Written and performed by Casket Rats
‘Whiskey Queen’ video directed and produced by Justin Maloney
Filmed at Foster House in Boston, MA
Sunday, June 27 in Brighton, MA:
Media praise for Casket Rats:
“Casket Rats were my surprise of the day. You wanna go back in time to the Sunset Strip in the 80’s, some good ol’ sleazy rock and roll and good times to be had by all? Then go listen to Casket Rats. Keith Bennett of Death Ray Vision fame man’s the helm here which was an unexpected but welcome familiar face.” _Ghost Cult Magazine
“Casket Rats took the stage as a four-piece. A punk/metal hybrid, with strong bluesy turns. The great thing about this particular hybrid is that it combines the rich timbre of metal guitar with the pith of punk and the soul of blues.” _Hump Day News
“The Black Thunder Evangelists have simple invitation for the city’s rock and roll brigade as they prep the party with Apollyon and Zero Survive: ‘For the Rockers, for the Bangers, for the Punks, for the Skins, for the Sinners, for the Slaves, for the Motherfuckers, for the Outlaws, for the Kids.’ That means you.” _Vanyaland
