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Although numerous musicians have drawn from fantasy lore, only a handful have genuinely embodied the enchanted way of life. Sure, they may embellish their album covers with ghouls, goblins, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but did a member ever have to recover a missing unicorn horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and additional ones as they embody their grand tales. From medieval-inspired, catchy songs to stunning concerts, outfit creation, visuals and record designs, they’re not so much a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” states vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in another town – they are playing several shows in the UK currently. “We played two shows and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was electric. I realized, ‘What if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a medic from history (bass player), haughty vampire (guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, brings to mind of classic metal icons collaborating to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that places them on the edge of far grander things.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “This helped a more powerful album,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride as a female in music working independently. I’ve had multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The band create awesome guitar parts!’ and I respond, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on course for a fine art degree before pulling back at the possibility of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistry,” she says. “Be it creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing music videos … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn on the fly.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the vocalist learned on her own how to create armor – no mean feat, though she confessedly delegated her completely original scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They embraced the stage blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the group. “We performed a show in Detroit and it seemed like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in cloaks, wool garments, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, though, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a van with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a mythic tale, then pack it down into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there is no an alternative version of the concert where I don’t have a sword.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I aim to reach to the top – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the self-crafted look, making sure everything is handmade. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we scale to. Plus, I desire to make an entrance on a magical horse at all performances. You know how some artists ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but using a unicorn.”