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While numerous musicians have borrowed from fantasy lore, few have genuinely embodied the fantasy way of life. Certainly, they may adorn their album covers with ghouls, beasts, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever needed to find a misplaced mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Did anyone devoted hours peering in the rear of a road transport, repairing their own armor?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and others as they live out their epic fantasies. From medieval-inspired, memorable anthems to eye-popping live shows, costume design, videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitarist, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they have multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” alongside a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a more powerful album,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride as a woman in music going it alone. I’ve had so many times where after a show and some guy will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on course for a university studies in art before hesitating at the possibility of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “Be it making masks, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to discover on the fly.”

Even though building the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the vocalist self-educated how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new 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 theatrical gore, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We performed a show in Detroit and it seemed like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley fondly. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “Each item is always failing and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a van with limited room. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a mythic tale, then store it into a small space.”

We faced additional practical issues that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because we don’t have an alternative version of the performance where I lack a sword.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “My goal is to the top – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing each detail is custom-made. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, whatever we achieve. Additionally, I want to make an entrance on a mythical beast every night. Remember how legends ride bikes on stage? That, but with a unicorn.”