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While plenty of musicians have taken inspiration from high fantasy, few have genuinely embodied the enchanted way of life. Admittedly, they may embellish their album covers with monsters, imps, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has any musician ever have to retrieve a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time peering in the rear of a road transport, repairing their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and additional ones as they live out their epic fantasies. From medieval-inspired, memorable anthems to breathtaking performances, attire styling, music videos and album art, they’re more than a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a outfit with characters,” says vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in another town – they are playing several shows in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a spooky event, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. Everything was super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. I realized, ‘What if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the group – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The new record, the follow-up record, brings to mind of classic metal icons joining forces to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the brink of bigger achievements.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “That contributed to a lot stronger record,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a particular degree of satisfaction as a female in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has grown, so has the scale of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, 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 exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistry,” she says. “From creating face coverings, costume design, learning how to edit music videos … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

Even though developing the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly delegated her all-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They took to the theatrical gore, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the musicians. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” recalls Riley happily. “Everyone was in cloaks, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is always failing and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I get countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a grand epic, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We faced other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an different option of the show where I lack a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – we should play large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, making sure each detail is custom-made. That’s an element I want to keep true to, no matter what we achieve. Additionally, I desire to make an entrance on a unicorn every night. Think about how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? The same idea, but using a unicorn.”