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While many rockers have drawn from epic fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Certainly, they may adorn their album covers with monsters, beasts, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever been forced to retrieve a misplaced mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a performer spent time straining their eyes in the interior of a tour bus, fixing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they embody their grand tales. From medieval-inspired, earworm-heavy anthems to eye-popping performances, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not just a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a sold-out gig in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing several shows in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a October show, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. Everything was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the energy was incredible. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, evokes images of legendary heavy bands uniting to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that sets them on the edge of bigger achievements.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – I’d always felt a certain amount of accomplishment as a female in music doing everything solo. I’ve had multiple instances where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has grown, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on track for a art school education before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, attire creation, mastering post-production music videos … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to discover on the fly.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to create armor – a difficult task, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They took to the stage blood, soft weapons and handmade props with similar excitement as the band. “We played a concert in the Motor City and it resembled a historical festival,” reminisces Riley happily. “All attendees was in robes, wool garments, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a vehicle with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a mythic tale, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

There have been further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a music event in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an backup plan of the show where I don’t have a blade.”

Goals Ahead

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “I want to go all the way – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is maintaining the handmade style, ensuring everything is custom-made. That’s an element I want to keep true to, whatever we grow into. Additionally, I wish to appear on a unicorn every night. Remember how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”