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While many artists have drawn from epic fantasy, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical lifestyle. Admittedly, they may adorn their album covers with monsters, beasts, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever have to recover a lost unicorn horn from a wintry landscape in the depths of winter? Has anyone spent time squinting in the interior of a road transport, fixing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and others as they embody their epic fantasies. Starting with medieval-inspired, earworm-heavy tunes to eye-popping performances, attire styling, videos and record designs, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a costumed concept band,” says singer, guitar player, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport travels from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in another town – they are playing several shows in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and were scheduled on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. It was all highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. I realized, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a pestilence physician (bass player), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and mysterious druid (drummer) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of famous rock groups collaborating to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a grand composition that places them on the brink of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of accomplishment as a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has expanded, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on track for a art school education before pulling back at the prospect of so much debt. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, attire creation, learning how to edit song visuals … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to discover in the moment.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the singer taught herself how to create armor – a difficult task, though she confessedly delegated her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They embraced the stage blood, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the musicians. “We had a concert in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in robes, sheepskin, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Plus I get numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a van with limited room. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a grand epic, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

We faced other logistical problems that didn’t affect mythic characters. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “It was a nightmare, because there’s not an alternative version of the concert where I am without a sword.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – we should play huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is keeping the handmade style, making sure everything is custom-made. It’s a component I want to keep true to, regardless of we grow into. Oh, and I desire to ride out on a magical horse every night. You know how some artists use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”