A rodent-heroine in a metal bikini and Dolly Parton’s hair.
Castle Rat is part of the recent revival of 1980s pulp fantasy aesthetics. The band’s members lovingly drape themselves in the nostalgic and campy fun of comic artist Frank Frazetta art (who also inspired the Conan the Barbarian films). They’ve exploded in popularity in world of metal over the past year.
They’re also controversial. Many fans praise their creative use of props, costumes, and theatre and their raw skill and musicianship. Meanwhile some consider the band nothing more than a gimmick act whose success is entirely dependent on the fact that Castle Rat’s singer Riley Pinkerton, known as the Rat Queen, is a woman whose costumes show off a lot of skin. Worse, critics accuse the band of being an industry plant - something Pinkerton has pushed back on, citing the grassroots approach and crowdfunding that was necessary to fund their latest album and explaining that the band has a DIY approach. She says the band builds costumes and set pieces themselves. She also highlights the ridiculousness of the claim: “You know what's really gonna make us money? This rodent-themed mediaeval doom metal band.”
So, are they really as good as their success would imply, or are the naysayers right? I’m usually skeptical of claims that female musicians are only successful because they’re hot; after all, male musicians in every genre also incorporate sex appeal into their presentations, and no one seems to question the quality of their music based on that alone. With the exception of boy bands, looks aren’t worth much if the music can’t stand on its own merit.
Until last Monday at the Ogden Theatre, I hadn’t seen a show and didn’t know what Riley Pinkerton looked like (I heard them before I saw the album covers). What drew me in was their doom-laden heavy metal sound and their fun lyrics that are reminiscent of classic Dungeons & Dragons, which also owes inspiration credits to Frank Fazetta’s art. I was sold. And I figured my Legend of Drizzt tattoo is a clear journalistic credential for writing this show review.
The crowd was lively and dressed up. It felt like walking into a metal festival that had merged with a Renaissance festival. There were at least a few dressed as the Rat Queen herself, but there were also masks, medieval peasants, elves, vampires, and a wizard with handmade patches on their Gandalf-gray robe, featuring clever phrases such as, “Wenches want me, goblins fear me” and “I install your software.”
Dressed as a roguish assassin, I felt right at home.
I wore boots with heels and found a platform where I could stand right at the barrier to give me a few extra inches of height, but I am barely 5’2 and, of course, when my friends and I became too packed in to move, the tallest men in the venue decided to stand right in front of me. A word of advice to tall folks at concerts: look around you. If the people next to you don’t even come up to your shoulders, don’t stand in the front.
If you look really closely, you can almost see Pinkerton’s head. This is exactly why legendary punk icon and pioneer Kathleen Hanna famously said, “Girls to the front!” at her shows. I may not be a girl, but every time I go to a show and end up in this situation, no matter how early I arrive, I understand why she did that. The only real solution seems to be being one of the first people to arrive, finding a place at the very front, and being bruised and jostled as the mosh pit opens up behind me. So, to the vertically privileged, please keep that in mind. It’s just basic concert etiquette. [And thanks to one of our vertically privileged Wax Trax staffers who snapped some photos for this article.]
A dungeon synth musician called Wraith Knight opened the show, with soulful, sweeping, dramatic pieces that were breathtakingly beautiful. Dungeon synth is a genre that is also known for reminding the listener of vintage Dungeons & Dragons, old-school fantasy games like Daggerfall, and other classic high fantasy of the latter decades of the 20th century, but it’s not all camp; the emotion is earnest, the musicianship impressive, and the composition cinematic and beautiful. I was already familiar with dungeon synth as a genre, but being there for Wraith Knight’s performance was the first time I had ever listened to it and felt like I really understood the appeal of the genre beyond nostalgia. Each piece allowed the listener to be fully entranced, immersing us all in the feeling of wandering through a cold and forlorn woodland, caverns lit by bioluminescent mushrooms, or the haunted halls of a castle steeped in magic before gradually building to a sweeping and dramatic conclusion. It was beautiful.
The next band to come on was Unto Others, a much more high-energy heavy metal act. Their sound was polished, their performance energetic and lively, and their songs catchy and fun. The crowd loved it. There didn’t seem to be a soul in the Ogden who wasn’t headbanging, dancing, shouting along, or throwing their hands in the air. To honor the spirit of the season, they performed a cover of the Misfits’ Halloween, drawing even more enthusiasm. By the time they finished, excitement had built up considerably.
I had heard that Caste Rat’s performances were excellent, that they made use of elaborate props and costumes, and that the band’s lore was artfully woven into all of their shows, but I had avoided watching any videos before the show. I didn’t want to spoil the experience of seeing it unfold live. That may be why myy expectations were blown out of the water. Even straining to see didn’t dampen my excitement.
Anyone who has spent a lot of time in the goth and alternative drag and burlesque scenes (and yes, there is considerable overlap) has seen performers craft elaborate narratives, including full costumes, dance, and clever use of props.
Castle Rat’s tongue-in-cheek, campy, performance had the audience simultaneously laughing and impressed by their talent, creativity, and skill. Their performance style reminded me of what I’ve seen at events such as Julian Blvck’s annual Vampire Masquerade and the autumn Fae Masquerade. Believe me when I say that’s a big compliment.
Castle Rat’s latest album, The Bestiary, also tells a story that was played out on stage. The Realm (the world the Rat Queen, the Druid, the Count, and the Plague Doctor occupy) was threatened by the Rat Queen’s nemesis, the Rat Reaperess, so a wizard created a book called the Bestiary to contain the power of the animals she commanded. The wizard, a performer in a very stylized costume featuring otherworldly glowing eyes, came out onstage several times to fight the myriad creatures, and the Rat Reaperess herself showed up several times in her attempts to steal the Bestiary tome.
After the opening appearance of the wizard, the band opened with “Dagger Dragger” from their 2024 debut album Into the Realm, which introduces the lore of the Realm and its characters. As with the other performances, it was polished, energetic, and extremely fun, and more than a few people sang along.
Throughout the show, each musician had an opportunity to shine. We were introduced to their lore: the Count, a vampire, was once a peasant boy, until a plague swept through his village and the Plague Doctor saved him with a forbidden potion of vampire blood. The Druid works to protect the Realm with his understanding of beasts and, in particular, rats. The Rat Queen, wielding a massive sword and shield, courageously fights the scythe-wielding Rat Reaperess to defend the Realm.
At different points in the show, all but one musician left the stage to allow for a solo performance, showing off the incredible virtuosity and expert skill of the musicians. The crowd was treated to a bass solo, a guitar solo, and finally a drum solo, and we went wild for every one. These little vignettes allowed the spotlight to be shared. It’s not only about Pinkerton’s Rat Queen persona, after all, and they are a band rather than a solo act. Let each musician shine in their own way. It’s this musicianship that sets Castle Rat apart and shows that they’re about more than an aesthetic; if the costumes and lore were stripped away, what would remain would still be a fantastic doom/heavy metal band full of top tier musicians. /
Various creatures from the Bestiary tome, each with a song of their own on the album of the same name - serpent, phoenix, dragon, unicorn, and wolf - appeared onstage to fight the Wizard throughout the show, with the ever-present Rat Reaperess lingering as tension built until, at last, the story reached its climax when the Rat Reaperess came out to steal the tome and kill the Rat Queen once and for all.
The battle was legendary, and the heroic Rat Queen fought with courage and honor to defeat her scheming foe. It was a battle for the ages between dark and light, between life and death, and we all watched with rapt attention until, at last, the Rat Reaperess managed to gain the upper hand and slay the Rat Queen before stealing the tome.
But this story was one of legends and heroes, and it was never meant to end in tragedy. The Rat Queen was not without her allies. As you may or may not recall, one in particular had a talent and a history of saving lives with blood and alchemy: the Plague Doctor.
He knelt beside the heroine’s body and poured a potion into her mouth, then helped her to her feet. Miraculously, the Rat Queen opened her eyes. With a smile, she spat up blood and stood, victorious over death and ready to take the fight to the Rat Reaperess.
Newly invigorated by her survival and by the potion, she riled up the audience and got us chanting, “In! This! Realm!” together, over and over, as a call and response. The audience went wild for her resurrection and kept that energy for the remainder of the show as she vowed to live to fight and defeat her foe again with the help of her allies.
After an encore featuring another hit from Into the Realm, “Cry for Me,” the show ended to enthusiastic applause. All of the performers, including the dancers who had played the wizard, Rat Reaperess, and various beasts, came out and bowed to Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” much like they would in a theater setting.
So, to answer the question: does Castle Rat live up to the hype and deliver substance alongside their performance, or are they just a gimmick band that people only care about because Riley Pinkerton looks good in a scalemail bikini?
Well, I would argue that Castle Rat is one band where you should believe the hype. Pinkerton has a creative vision with the talent and drive to follow through, and she and the other musicians - Franco Vittore, Charley Ruddell, and Joshua Strmic - are all immensely skilled with excellent musical chemistry. It’s obvious they’re having fun, and that fun bleeds right through to their fans and audiences.
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