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Although many artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, rarely any have genuinely embodied the enchanted existence. Sure, they could adorn their album covers with creatures, beasts, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has an artist ever been forced to retrieve a lost mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist spent time squinting in the interior of a tour bus, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they embody their heroic dreams. Starting with knightly, earworm-heavy songs to eye-popping live shows, outfit creation, videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” states vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in another town – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK now. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to dress up. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘What if we could have so much excitement always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a plague doctor (bass player), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the follow-up record, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the verge of greater success.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her bandmates. “That contributed to a lot stronger album,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a specific level of satisfaction as a woman in music working independently. There’ve been so many times where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on course for a fine art degree before hesitating at the prospect of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply creativity,” she says. “From making masks, costume design, mastering post-production music videos … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

As if building the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They embraced the stage blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the group. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley happily. “All attendees was in capes, wool garments, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, though, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “Each item is constantly breaking and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a grand epic, then compress it into nothing.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there’s not an backup plan of the performance where I don’t have a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “My goal is to the top – we should play huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the handmade style, ensuring all elements is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we grow into. Plus, I desire to ride out on a magical horse each show. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”