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Although numerous musicians have drawn from epic fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the mythical lifestyle. Sure, they may embellish their album covers with ghouls, goblins, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but has an artist ever needed to recover a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Did a performer taken the time squinting in the back of a road transport, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they live out their epic fantasies. Starting with heraldic, memorable tunes to stunning live shows, costume design, music videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a metal band as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a packed show in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing several shows in the UK currently. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the energy was unforgettable. I realized, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – continued forward. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of classic metal icons joining forces to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of greater success.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “This helped a more powerful album,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a certain amount of satisfaction as a female in music going it alone. There have been multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘The band create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on path for a art school education before pulling back at the idea of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistry,” she says. “From making masks, attire creation, learning how to edit music videos … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly delegated her all-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They loved the theatrical gore, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the group. “We performed a show in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” remembers Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, wool garments, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, however, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “Each item is frequently damaged and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a van with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a mythic tale, then compress it into a small space.”

We’ve encountered additional practical issues that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a music event in the European country and my luggage – which had my blade in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an alternative version of the show where I don’t have a sword.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I aim to reach to the top – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to keep true to, no matter what we achieve. Oh, and I want to appear on a unicorn every night. You know how some artists do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”