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While plenty of rockers have drawn from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical existence. Sure, they may adorn their album covers with creatures, beasts, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever needed to find a missing unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Has anyone spent time squinting in the rear of a traveling vehicle, mending their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face such situations and others as they embody their heroic dreams. From knightly, memorable songs to eye-popping live shows, costume design, videos and album art, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-carrier and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a sold-out gig in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “We played two shows and got booked on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was incredible. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a pestilence physician (bassist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. Their latest album, the band’s second album, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands collaborating to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “This helped a more powerful project,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of accomplishment as a female in music going it alone. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has expanded, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on path for a university studies in art before balking at the idea of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply artistry,” she says. “Be it creating face coverings, outfit planning, learning how to edit music videos … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn on the fly.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she admittedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They loved the stage blood, toy blades and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We performed a gig in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” remembers Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in robes, sheepskin, armor.”

This isn’t to say, however, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “All our gear is constantly breaking and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a van with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then store it into a small space.”

There have been other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there is no an alternative version of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “My goal is as far as possible – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the self-crafted look, ensuring all elements is custom-made. This is a feature I want to keep true to, regardless of we scale to. Additionally, I wish to make an entrance on a mythical beast every night. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”