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While numerous artists have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical existence. Admittedly, they may decorate their album covers with ghouls, beasts, captive women and strong fighters, but has any musician ever needed to recover a missing mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a tour bus, mending their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face such situations and more as they live out their heroic dreams. Starting with medieval-inspired, memorable tunes to stunning concerts, attire styling, videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitar player, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they are playing five gigs in the UK this week. “After a couple of performances and got booked on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. Everything was highly handmade, but we had a blast and the energy was electric. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. Their latest album, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that sets them on the brink of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “It made it a lot stronger record,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a particular degree of accomplishment as a female in music working independently. There have been multiple instances where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the scope of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on course for a fine art degree before balking at the prospect of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistic expression,” she says. “From creating face coverings, costume design, mastering post-production song visuals … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to discover in the moment.”

As if creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the singer taught herself how to create armor – a difficult task, though she confessedly delegated her all-new scale armor design to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They embraced the fake blood, soft weapons and handmade props with as much gusto as the group. “We played a gig in Detroit and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley fondly. “All attendees was in robes, sheepskin, armor.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a mythic tale, then compress it into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We experienced an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there’s not an backup plan of the concert where I am without a sword.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the future. “My goal is all the way – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is preserving the self-crafted look, ensuring each detail is custom-made. It’s a component I want to keep true to, no matter what we achieve. Plus, I wish to ride out on a unicorn every night. Think about how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? That, but on a mythical creature.”