‘Every Night, I Dream of Riding a Unicorn’: Fantasy-Themed Metal Group Castle Rat

Although many rockers have drawn from epic fantasy, only a handful have genuinely embodied the enchanted existence. Sure, they might decorate their album sleeves with monsters, goblins, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but did a member ever been forced to retrieve a missing unicorn horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time peering in the interior of a tour bus, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with both these scenarios and more as they live out their grand tales. From knightly, memorable songs to stunning live shows, attire styling, music videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” says singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a packed show in Cologne to one more in another town – they are playing multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had a blast and the energy was electric. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a plague doctor (bassist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the follow-up record, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that sets them on the edge of greater success.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a much better project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a particular degree of accomplishment as a woman in music working independently. I’ve had numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has grown, so has the breadth of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on course for a fine art degree before pulling back at the idea of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply creativity,” she says. “From making masks, costume design, figuring out video editing song visuals … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s exciting to discover on the fly.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to write it down because all the ideas are,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist self-educated how to create armor – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her brand-new scalemail look to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They embraced the fake blood, foam swords and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We performed a concert in Detroit and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley happily. “Everyone was in capes, sheepskin, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, though, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been easy. “Everything is frequently damaged and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Additionally I get endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to make it feel like a grand epic, then store it into minimal luggage.”

We’ve encountered additional practical issues that wouldn’t have troubled legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because we don’t have an backup plan of the concert where I lack a weapon.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is maintaining the handmade style, ensuring each detail is handmade. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, whatever we achieve. Oh, and I desire to make an entrance on a mythical beast every night. Think about how some artists do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”