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Although numerous artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Certainly, they could decorate their album covers with monsters, imps, chained damsels and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to find a lost mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the depths of winter? Did anyone devoted hours squinting in the back of a traveling vehicle, mending their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered such situations and others as they live out their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, catchy anthems to breathtaking concerts, outfit creation, visuals and album art, they’re not so much a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they are playing several shows in the UK this week. “After a couple of performances and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the energy was incredible. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” alongside a pestilence physician (bassist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (percussionist) – continued forward. Their latest album, the band’s second album, brings to mind of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that places them on the edge of greater success.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “That contributed to a lot stronger record,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a particular degree of pride being a woman in music doing everything solo. There have been so many times where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a art school education before balking at the possibility of so much debt. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing clips … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to learn as we go.”

Even though developing the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the singer self-educated how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she confessedly delegated her completely original scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They took to the fake blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the musicians. “We played a show in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, sheepskin, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, though, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “Each item is constantly breaking and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a van with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to make it feel like a grand epic, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an alternative version of the show where I lack a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – we should play huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, guaranteeing everything is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we grow into. Plus, I desire to appear on a unicorn each show. You know how legends do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”