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Although plenty of artists have borrowed from epic fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical existence. Admittedly, they may embellish their album covers with creatures, imps, captive women and muscular warriors, but did a member ever been forced to retrieve a lost mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Did a guitarist devoted hours squinting in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they act out their grand tales. From knightly, catchy tunes to breathtaking live shows, attire styling, videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they have several shows in the UK this week. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had a blast and the energy was electric. It occurred to me, ‘What if we could have this much fun always?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a plague doctor (bassist), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – continued forward. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of famous rock groups uniting to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the verge of bigger achievements.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a more powerful album,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a specific level of pride as a woman in music going it alone. I’ve had multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on course for a fine art degree before pulling back at the possibility of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate artistic expression,” she says. “Be it crafting disguises, costume design, learning how to edit song visuals … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn as we go.”

Even though building the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the singer self-educated how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They loved the theatrical gore, toy blades and handmade props with as much gusto as the group. “We performed a concert in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” recalls Riley with affection. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, armor.”

This isn’t to say, however, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Each item is always failing and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there’s not an alternative version of the concert where I lack a blade.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I want to go to the top – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the self-crafted look, guaranteeing everything is custom-made. It’s a component I want to keep true to, regardless of we grow into. Oh, and I desire to ride out on a unicorn each show. Remember how some artists ride bikes on stage? That, but using a unicorn.”