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Although many musicians have borrowed from epic fantasy, rarely any have fully embraced the enchanted lifestyle. Admittedly, they might adorn their album sleeves with monsters, goblins, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but did a member ever have to recover a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Did a guitarist devoted hours squinting in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own chainmail?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they live out their epic fantasies. From knightly, memorable anthems to eye-popping concerts, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in another town – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was electric. It occurred to me, ‘What if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a pestilence physician (bassist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The new record, the band’s second album, brings to mind of classic metal icons joining forces to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that places them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The release was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of pride as a woman in music working independently. There have been multiple instances where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on path for a art school education before pulling back at the prospect of so much debt. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, attire creation, learning how to edit song visuals … everything is I have no experience with, but it’s fun to learn in the moment.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her brand-new scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They took to the stage blood, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We played a show in the Motor City and it looked like a historical festival,” recalls Riley happily. “All attendees was in robes, wool garments, armor.”

This isn’t to say, though, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “Each item is always failing and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I get countless concepts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a bus with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a grand epic, then pack it down into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that would never have plagued mythic characters. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an backup plan of the show where I lack a sword.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I aim to reach to the top – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I desire to appear on a magical horse every night. You know how some artists do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”