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While numerous artists have drawn from epic fantasy, rarely any have genuinely embodied the mythical lifestyle. Sure, they could decorate their album covers with ghouls, goblins, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever have to retrieve a misplaced unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time squinting in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own chainmail?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and others as they act out their grand tales. From heraldic, memorable tunes to breathtaking live shows, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re not just a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” explains vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to another in another town – they’re also doing several shows in the UK this week. “We played two shows and received an offer on a October show, where I made a last-minute decision to dress up. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the energy was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have so much excitement always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

Since then, the band – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a medic from history (bass player), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, brings to mind of classic metal icons collaborating to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that places them on the brink of far grander things.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “It made it a more powerful record,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a specific level of accomplishment as a female in music doing everything solo. There have been so many times where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scale of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. At first, she had been on track for a university studies in art before pulling back at the idea of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production song visuals … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn as we go.”

Even though creating the group’s detailed mythology (“The team is pushing me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments wasn’t enough, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she admittedly left her all-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They embraced the fake blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the group. “We had a gig in Detroit and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in robes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “All our gear is always failing and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a van with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a mythic tale, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my luggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an alternative version of the concert where I am without a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “My goal is as far as possible – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is keeping the self-crafted look, ensuring everything is handmade. It’s a component I want to keep true to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I wish to ride out on a magical horse each show. You know how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? That, but on a mythical creature.”