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Although many musicians have borrowed from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical lifestyle. Certainly, they might adorn their album covers with creatures, goblins, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever needed to recover a missing mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has anyone spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and others as they embody their grand tales. Starting with knightly, earworm-heavy anthems to breathtaking performances, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” explains vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a sold-out gig in a German city to another in Aschaffenburg – they are playing several shows in the UK this week. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a medic from history (bassist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – never turned back. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the edge of greater success.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a more powerful album,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a certain amount of satisfaction as a woman in music working independently. There’ve been multiple instances where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on path for a fine art degree before balking at the prospect of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistic expression,” she says. “From creating face coverings, costume design, mastering post-production clips … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s exciting to figure it out as we go.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer taught herself how to make chainmail – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly left her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They embraced the fake blood, toy blades and handmade props with as much gusto as the musicians. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” reminisces Riley happily. “All attendees was in capes, animal hides, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I get countless concepts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a bus with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into nothing.”

There have been other logistical problems that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a worst-case scenario, because there is no an alternative version of the show where I lack a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I aim to reach as far as possible – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is preserving the handmade style, making sure everything is custom-made. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, whatever we grow into. Plus, I want to ride out on a unicorn every night. Remember how legends ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but using a unicorn.”