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Although plenty of artists have borrowed from epic fantasy, only a handful have genuinely embodied the fantasy way of life. Certainly, they could embellish their record jackets with ghouls, beasts, captive women and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever have to retrieve a misplaced mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Has a performer taken the time peering in the interior of a tour bus, repairing their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and more as they embody their grand tales. Starting with medieval-inspired, memorable anthems to stunning performances, costume design, visuals and album art, 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, guitar player, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in another town – they have five gigs in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. Everything was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the energy was incredible. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that sets them on the brink of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “This helped a much better album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty 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 after a show and a person will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has expanded, so has the breadth of their production design. “My motto is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on path for a art school education before pulling back at the possibility of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistic expression,” she says. “Be it 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 in the moment.”

As if developing the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the vocalist self-educated how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she admittedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They embraced the stage blood, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the group. “We played a gig in the Motor City and it looked like a Renaissance fair,” reminisces Riley with affection. “Everyone was in cloaks, animal hides, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, though, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been easy. “All our gear is constantly breaking and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a van with limited room. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been further organizational challenges that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because there’s not an backup plan of the show where I don’t have a weapon.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the future. “My goal is to the top – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s truly essential to me is keeping the handmade style, making sure all elements is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we achieve. Plus, I wish to appear on a magical horse every night. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but using a unicorn.”