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While numerous artists have drawn from high fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Certainly, they might embellish their album covers with creatures, beasts, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever have to recover a misplaced mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the midst of winter? Did a performer spent time peering in the interior of a tour bus, repairing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and others as they act out their epic fantasies. From knightly, catchy tunes to eye-popping live shows, costume design, videos and record designs, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a outfit with characters,” explains vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they have multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. It was all completely self-made, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was electric. I thought, ‘How about if we could have this much fun always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

Since then, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and mysterious druid (drummer) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the follow-up record, conjures visions of classic metal icons joining forces to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that places them on the edge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “It made it a more powerful record,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a particular degree of pride being a woman in music doing everything solo. I’ve had numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Listen – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scale of their production design. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistic expression,” she says. “Be it making masks, attire creation, figuring out video editing clips … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

Even though building the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly entrusted her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They loved the stage blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with similar excitement as the group. “We played a gig in Detroit and it looked like a historical festival,” remembers Riley happily. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, though, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is constantly breaking and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with limited room. It’s a fascinating test 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 fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an different option of the concert where I lack a sword.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I aim to reach to the top – let’s do huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is preserving the handmade style, guaranteeing all elements is handmade. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we achieve. Plus, I want to make an entrance on a mythical beast at all performances. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”