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Although numerous musicians have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, only a handful have fully embraced the mythical existence. Admittedly, they may adorn their record jackets with creatures, imps, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has an artist ever been forced to retrieve a missing unicorn horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Has a guitarist spent time peering in the back of a road transport, fixing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they live out their heroic dreams. From medieval-inspired, catchy tunes to stunning performances, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they have multiple performances in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. Everything was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the group – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – continued forward. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands collaborating to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the brink of far grander things.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “This helped a lot stronger project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride being a woman in music doing everything solo. There’ve been multiple instances where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the scope of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on course for a university studies in art before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, attire creation, mastering post-production music videos … everything is I have no experience with, but it’s enjoyable to discover on the fly.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her all-new scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They loved the fake blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We played a gig in the Motor City and it looked like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley fondly. “The whole crowd was in robes, animal hides, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, however, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with countless concepts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a van with limited room. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a grand epic, then store it into nothing.”

We’ve encountered additional practical issues that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my luggage – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “This became a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I don’t have a blade.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the days to come. “My goal is as far as possible – we should play large venues,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is preserving the handmade style, ensuring each detail is custom-made. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I desire to ride out on a magical horse each show. You know how legends do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but using a unicorn.”