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

Although numerous artists have drawn from high fantasy, few have truly lived the mythical existence. Sure, they could embellish their album covers with creatures, goblins, manacled maidens and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever needed to recover a misplaced mythical horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Has a performer taken the time straining their eyes in the rear of a traveling vehicle, mending their own metal mesh?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they embody their epic fantasies. Starting with heraldic, memorable songs to eye-popping performances, costume design, music videos and record designs, they’re not just a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the atmosphere was electric. I thought, ‘How about if we could have this much fun always?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a pestilence physician (bass player), haughty vampire (six-string player) and secretive shaman (drummer) – never turned back. The new record, the band’s second album, conjures visions of famous rock groups uniting to struggle onward through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “That contributed to a lot stronger project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a specific level of pride being a woman in music working independently. There have been numerous occasions where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has grown, so has the breadth of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a fine art degree before pulling back at the prospect of so much debt. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to learn in the moment.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a difficult task, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They embraced the fake blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We performed a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a historical festival,” remembers Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, sheepskin, armor.”

This isn’t to say, however, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “Each item is frequently damaged and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a grand epic, then store it into minimal luggage.”

We faced further organizational challenges that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there is no an different option of the show where I am without a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “I aim to reach to the top – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is preserving the self-crafted look, guaranteeing everything is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I want to appear on a magical horse each show. Remember how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”