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Although numerous rockers have borrowed from epic fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the fantasy way of life. Admittedly, they might adorn their album covers with creatures, beasts, captive women and strong fighters, but has an artist ever been forced to find a missing horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the depths of winter? Did a guitarist taken the time peering in the interior of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they embody their grand tales. From knightly, catchy anthems to eye-popping concerts, costume design, music videos and record designs, they’re more than a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a sold-out gig in a German city to another in another town – they have multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to put on an outfit. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” alongside a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – never turned back. Their latest album, the follow-up record, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a grand composition that places them on the verge of greater success.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “It made it a lot stronger album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a particular degree of pride as a female in music working independently. There have been numerous occasions where after a show and a person will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the breadth of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on path for a fine art degree before hesitating at the possibility of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, attire creation, learning how to edit clips … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

As if building the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – no mean feat, though she confessedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They embraced the fake blood, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We performed a gig in the Motor City and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley fondly. “The whole crowd was in capes, sheepskin, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, however, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a van with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a grand epic, then compress it into nothing.”

There have been other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an backup plan of the show where I don’t have a weapon.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is preserving the self-crafted look, guaranteeing everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we grow into. Oh, and I want to make an entrance on a unicorn each show. Remember how some artists do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”