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Although numerous rockers have borrowed from epic fantasy, few have genuinely embodied the mythical existence. Admittedly, they may adorn their record jackets with monsters, goblins, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but did a member ever have to recover a missing mythical horn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time squinting in the interior of a traveling vehicle, mending their own armor?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and others as they embody their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, memorable songs to eye-popping concerts, attire styling, videos and album art, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a packed show in a German city to a second one in another town – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was incredible. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

Since then, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” alongside a plague doctor (bass player), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and mysterious druid (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of classic metal icons joining forces to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the verge of greater success.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “It made it a more powerful project,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a particular degree of pride as a woman in music doing everything solo. I’ve had numerous occasions where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scale of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the possibility of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, attire creation, figuring out video editing song visuals … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to discover in the moment.”

Even though developing the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she admittedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They loved the theatrical gore, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We played a show in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley fondly. “Everyone was in robes, sheepskin, armor.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a bus with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a mythic tale, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been additional practical issues that would never have plagued mythic characters. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I aim to reach all the way – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, making sure each detail is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, whatever we grow into. Plus, I wish to appear on a mythical beast each show. You know how some artists do the motorcycle thing? That, but on a mythical creature.”