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Although numerous artists have taken inspiration from high fantasy, rarely any have genuinely embodied the mythical lifestyle. Admittedly, they could embellish their album sleeves with creatures, imps, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever needed to recover a misplaced mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Did anyone devoted hours squinting in the back of a road transport, repairing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they act out their grand tales. From heraldic, memorable anthems to breathtaking live shows, outfit creation, music videos and album art, 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 singer, guitar player, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a sold-out gig in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. It was all highly handmade, but we had so much fun and the energy was incredible. I realized, ‘How about if we could have so much excitement always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands collaborating to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a grand composition that positions them on the edge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “It made it a more powerful album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a specific level of satisfaction as a female in music working independently. There’ve been multiple instances where I finished performing and a person will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “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 possibility of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistic expression,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to discover as we go.”

As if building the group’s detailed mythology (“The team is pushing me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she admittedly entrusted her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They took to the fake blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” recalls Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, however, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Everything is frequently damaged and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into a small space.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because we don’t have an different option of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “I aim to reach all the way – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to stay authentic to, whatever we scale to. Additionally, I wish to ride out on a mythical beast each show. Think about how some artists do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”