‘I Want to Ride Out on a Unicorn Every Night’: Swords’n’Sorcery Metal Band Castle Rat

Although numerous artists have taken inspiration from high fantasy, only a handful have genuinely embodied the fantasy lifestyle. Sure, they could adorn their record jackets with monsters, imps, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but has any musician ever needed to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the depths of winter? Has a performer devoted hours peering in the back of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and additional ones as they embody their grand tales. Starting with medieval-inspired, earworm-heavy anthems to eye-popping performances, costume design, music videos and record designs, they’re not so much a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” says singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they are playing five gigs in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. I realized, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands joining forces to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the brink of greater success.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “It made it a much better album,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of accomplishment as a female in music working independently. There’ve been multiple instances where after a show and a person will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the possibility of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “From making masks, attire creation, mastering post-production song visuals … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s exciting to learn in the moment.”

Even though building the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly entrusted her all-new scalemail look to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They loved the theatrical gore, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We played a show in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, animal hides, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, however, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “Each item is always failing and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I get countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a van with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a mythic tale, then pack it down into a small space.”

We’ve encountered additional practical issues that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there is no an backup plan of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Goals Ahead

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, whatever we grow into. Additionally, I desire to ride out on a magical horse each show. Remember how some artists use vehicles in concerts? That, but using a unicorn.”