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While many musicians have borrowed from high fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the mythical lifestyle. Sure, they may embellish their album sleeves with monsters, goblins, manacled maidens and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever have to recover a lost mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Did a guitarist taken the time peering in the back of a tour bus, mending their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and others as they live out their heroic dreams. Starting with heraldic, catchy anthems to stunning live shows, costume design, visuals and cover artwork, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” says vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to one more in another town – they have multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

From that point on, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. The new record, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that sets them on the edge of greater success.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “That contributed to a much better record,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a specific level of satisfaction being a woman in music working independently. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scope of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on course for a fine art degree before hesitating at the prospect of so much debt. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistry,” she says. “From creating face coverings, attire creation, figuring out video editing clips … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s enjoyable to discover on the fly.”

As if developing the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the singer self-educated how to create armor – a difficult task, though she admittedly left her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They loved the stage blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the musicians. “We had a show in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” reminisces Riley with affection. “Everyone was in cloaks, wool garments, armor.”

This isn’t to say, however, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been easy. “Everything is always failing and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I get endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a bus with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled legendary fantasy heroes. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a music event in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because we don’t have an different option of the show where I don’t have a sword.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I aim to reach as far as possible – let’s do huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is preserving the handmade style, guaranteeing everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to keep true to, no matter what we grow into. Oh, and I wish to make an entrance on a mythical beast each show. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? That, but with a unicorn.”