‘Every Night, I Dream of Riding a Unicorn’: Swords’n’Sorcery Heavy Metal Band Castle Rat

Although numerous artists have borrowed from high fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the enchanted lifestyle. Certainly, they could embellish their album sleeves with creatures, beasts, captive women and muscular warriors, but did a member ever needed to retrieve a missing mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time straining their eyes in the back of a tour bus, repairing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face such situations and additional ones as they embody their epic fantasies. From medieval-inspired, earworm-heavy tunes to eye-popping concerts, costume design, music videos and album art, they’re not just a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and received an offer on a October show, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was electric. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have this much fun every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a plague doctor (bass player), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the follow-up record, evokes images of legendary heavy bands joining forces to struggle onward through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that positions them on the brink of greater success.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a lot stronger album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a specific level of accomplishment being a woman in music going it alone. I’ve had numerous occasions where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. At first, she had been on track for a university studies in art before hesitating at the possibility of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistic expression,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, attire creation, learning how to edit song visuals … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s enjoyable to figure it out as we go.”

Even though building the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the singer taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly delegated her completely original scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They took to the fake blood, soft weapons and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We had a show in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in cloaks, sheepskin, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, though, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is always failing and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a van with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a grand epic, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

We faced additional practical issues that didn’t affect mythic characters. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played SonicBlast festival in the European country and my luggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because there’s not an different option of the performance where I am without a weapon.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “I want to go all the way – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is maintaining the handmade style, guaranteeing each detail is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we grow into. Additionally, I want to make an entrance on a magical horse each show. Remember how some artists ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”