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Although numerous rockers have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the fantasy lifestyle. Admittedly, they may adorn their record jackets with creatures, goblins, chained damsels and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Did a guitarist devoted hours peering in the interior of a tour bus, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and others as they act out their heroic dreams. From knightly, earworm-heavy songs to stunning concerts, attire styling, music videos and album art, they’re more than a metal band as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a packed show in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was incredible. I realized, ‘What if we could have this much fun always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a pestilence physician (bass player), aristocratic undead (six-string player) and secretive shaman (drummer) – continued forward. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of famous rock groups collaborating to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that sets them on the verge of far grander things.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “It made it a much better album,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a specific level of accomplishment as a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My motto is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on course for a university studies in art before pulling back at the idea of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express artistic expression,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, costume design, mastering post-production music videos … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to discover in the moment.”

Even though building the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer self-educated how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her completely original scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They loved the theatrical gore, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the band. “We had a gig in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” recalls Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in capes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, though, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “All our gear is always failing and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a vehicle with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been additional practical issues that didn’t affect mythic characters. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I am without a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

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 main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the handmade style, making sure each detail is custom-made. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I wish to ride out on a magical horse every night. Think about how some artists ride bikes on stage? That, but on a mythical creature.”