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Although many artists have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the enchanted existence. Sure, they might adorn their record jackets with ghouls, imps, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but has an artist ever have to find a misplaced mythical horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Did anyone spent time squinting in the interior of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and additional ones as they embody their heroic dreams. Starting with heraldic, catchy anthems to breathtaking concerts, outfit creation, videos and record designs, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a outfit with characters,” explains vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport travels from a full-capacity concert in a German city to one more in Aschaffenburg – they have five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and got booked on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. Everything was completely self-made, but we had a blast and the energy was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a pestilence physician (bassist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the follow-up record, evokes images of legendary heavy bands uniting to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that sets them on the verge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “This helped a much better project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of satisfaction as a female in music doing everything solo. I’ve had multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Listen – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has increased, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on path for a university studies in art before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s exciting to learn on the fly.”

As if building the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist self-educated how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

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 had a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley happily. “All attendees was in capes, wool garments, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, though, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I get endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a mythic tale, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

There have been additional practical issues that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my baggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the concert where I am without a blade.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “My goal is to the top – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the self-crafted look, guaranteeing all elements is handmade. It’s a component I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we achieve. Additionally, I want to ride out on a unicorn every night. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”