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Although plenty of musicians have borrowed from fantasy lore, only a handful have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Sure, they might embellish their record jackets with monsters, beasts, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever have to retrieve a missing unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Did anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own chainmail?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they act out their grand tales. From medieval-inspired, memorable songs to eye-popping live shows, outfit creation, videos and record designs, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they are playing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. It was all completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was incredible. I realized, ‘What if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands joining forces to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a grand composition that places them on the edge of greater success.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “This helped a lot stronger project,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of satisfaction as a female in music doing everything solo. I’ve had so many times where after a show and a person will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has expanded, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a university studies in art before pulling back at the possibility of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate artistic expression,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

Even though building the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the vocalist learned on her own how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly entrusted her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They took to the fake blood, foam swords and handmade props with as much gusto as the band. “We performed a show in Detroit and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” reminisces Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, sheepskin, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, however, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “Everything is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a bus with limited room. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a mythic tale, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

We faced additional practical issues that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We experienced an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there is no an alternative version of the performance where I don’t have a sword.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “I want to go all the way – we should play large venues,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring all elements is custom-made. This is a feature I want to keep true to, whatever we grow into. Plus, I wish to appear on a unicorn each show. Think about how legends use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”