“I was like, ‘I think it’d be cool if I die and spit up blood and yada yada yada’”: You’ve probably seen their larger-than-life sword’n’sorcery concerts on social media, but Castle Rat’s fantasy shows are rooted in very real death anxieties

Riley Pinkerton of Castle Rat onstage in 2025.

Castle Rat singer/guitarist Riley Pinkerton has explained the real-life anxieties that have shaped their escapist heavy metal shows.

Talking exclusively in the new issue of Metal Hammer, the New York-based musician talks about her experience with death anxiety. She also reveals how the condition has informed the band’s shows, where she performs as ‘The Rat Queen’ and battles ‘The Rat Reaperess’. Or, as she summarises: “I go onstage, I battle death, I die, and I come back to life – because I don’t want to die.”