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

Although many musicians have taken inspiration from high fantasy, few have truly lived the enchanted existence. Admittedly, they could adorn their album covers with ghouls, goblins, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever been forced to retrieve a missing mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Has a performer spent time squinting in the rear of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they live out their heroic dreams. Starting with medieval-inspired, earworm-heavy anthems to stunning concerts, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re not so much a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a outfit with characters,” states singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they are playing five gigs in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to dress up. It was all super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. It occurred to me, ‘What if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a plague doctor (bass player), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of classic metal icons collaborating to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the edge of greater success.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “This helped a lot stronger record,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a particular degree of accomplishment as a female in music working independently. There have been so many times 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 visual elements. “My motto is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on track for a art school education before balking at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “From making masks, costume design, mastering post-production clips … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to figure it out as we go.”

Even though developing the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – no mean feat, though she confessedly delegated her completely original scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They took to the stage blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the group. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it looked like a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley with affection. “Everyone was in capes, wool garments, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, though, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a grand epic, then store it into a small space.”

We faced additional practical issues that didn’t affect mythic characters. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my baggage – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I am without a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, making sure each detail is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to keep true to, regardless of we achieve. Plus, I wish to appear on a unicorn at all performances. Remember how legends ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”