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Although many musicians have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, few have truly lived the enchanted existence. Admittedly, they may embellish their record jackets with ghouls, imps, captive women and strong fighters, but did a member ever have to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Did a guitarist taken the time straining their eyes in the back of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own chainmail?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they embody their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, catchy songs to breathtaking concerts, attire styling, videos and record designs, they’re more than a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” says singer, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport travels from a packed show in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they are playing several shows in the UK now. “We played two shows and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. Everything was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the energy was unforgettable. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a plague doctor (bass player), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (drummer) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the band’s second album, evokes images of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that places them on the verge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “That contributed to a much better album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a certain amount of accomplishment being a woman in music working independently. I’ve had multiple instances where after a show and a person will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scale of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on path for a art school education before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate artistic expression,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the singer learned on her own how to create armor – no mean feat, though she admittedly left her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They took to the stage blood, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We had a gig in Detroit and it seemed like a medieval event,” recalls Riley fondly. “Everyone was in robes, animal hides, armor.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “Everything is always failing and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a mythic tale, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We faced additional practical issues that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my baggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “I aim to reach as far as possible – we should play large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the handmade style, making sure everything is custom-made. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we scale to. Plus, I desire to appear on a mythical beast every night. You know how some artists do the motorcycle thing? That, but on a mythical creature.”