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While many rockers have borrowed from fantasy lore, only a handful have genuinely embodied the enchanted existence. Sure, they could embellish their album covers with ghouls, imps, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever needed to recover a lost unicorn horn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Did a guitarist spent time squinting in the rear of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and additional ones as they embody their epic fantasies. From heraldic, earworm-heavy anthems to eye-popping performances, costume design, videos and record designs, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a full-capacity concert in a German city to another in another town – they have five gigs in the UK now. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to dress up. It was all completely self-made, but we had a blast and the atmosphere was electric. I realized, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a medic from history (bass player), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the follow-up record, evokes images of classic metal icons collaborating to struggle onward through a mythical painted realm – a heroic opus that places them on the verge of greater success.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “That contributed to a more powerful album,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of satisfaction as a female in music doing everything solo. There have been numerous occasions where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has expanded, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My motto 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 hesitating at the idea of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, attire creation, learning how to edit music videos … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to discover in the moment.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the vocalist self-educated how to create armor – a difficult task, though she admittedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They took to the fake blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the musicians. “We played a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “Everyone was in cloaks, animal hides, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, however, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “Everything is always failing and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I get endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a mythic tale, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the performance where I lack a weapon.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I want to go all the way – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, making sure each detail is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we grow into. Additionally, I wish to make an entrance on a mythical beast at all performances. Remember how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”