🔗 Share this article

While plenty of rockers have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, rarely any have fully embraced the fantasy way of life. Sure, they might decorate their record jackets with monsters, beasts, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but has an artist ever have to recover a missing mythical horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Has anyone devoted hours squinting in the rear of a road transport, fixing their own metal mesh?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they embody their grand tales. Starting with knightly, catchy songs to breathtaking concerts, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a outfit with characters,” says vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing several shows in the UK now. “After a couple of performances and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to dress up. It was all completely self-made, but we had a blast and the atmosphere was unforgettable. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a medic from history (bass player), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that places them on the brink of greater success.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a lot stronger album,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a certain amount of satisfaction as a woman in music working independently. There have been so many times where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I respond, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has grown, so has the scope of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. At first, she had been on course for a fine art degree before balking at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production song visuals … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to discover in the moment.”

Even though developing the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her all-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

Regarding the fans? They loved the fake blood, soft weapons and handmade props with as much gusto as the band. “We performed a gig in the Motor City and it looked like a medieval event,” recalls Riley fondly. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a mythic tale, then pack it down into a small space.”

We’ve encountered further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in the European country and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there’s not an alternative version of the concert where I lack a sword.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I want to go all the way – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is keeping the handmade style, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we scale to. Additionally, I wish to make an entrance on a mythical beast every night. Think about how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? That, but with a unicorn.”