‘My Fantasy Is to Ride a Unicorn Nightly’: Swords’n’Sorcery Metal Group Castle Rat

Although plenty of artists have drawn from epic fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical existence. Admittedly, they might adorn their album covers with creatures, goblins, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever needed to find a missing unicorn horn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Has a performer spent time straining their eyes in the interior of a traveling vehicle, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and others as they live out their heroic dreams. From knightly, memorable songs to eye-popping live shows, attire styling, music videos and record designs, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” explains vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to a second one in another town – they are playing multiple performances in the UK this week. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. It was all completely self-made, but we had a blast and the energy was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have so much excitement always?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and mysterious druid (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, evokes images of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the edge of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a lot stronger record,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of accomplishment as a female in music going it alone. I’ve had numerous occasions where I finished performing and a person will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Listen – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has expanded, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the possibility of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “Be it making masks, costume design, learning how to edit music videos … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to figure it out as we go.”

Even though creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly left her brand-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They loved the stage blood, soft weapons and handmade props with as much gusto as the group. “We played a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a medieval event,” recalls Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, animal hides, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a van with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been additional practical issues that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an backup plan of the concert where I am without a weapon.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, making sure everything is custom-made. That’s an element I want to keep true to, regardless of we scale to. Additionally, I desire to appear on a unicorn at all performances. Think about how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”