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Although plenty of artists have borrowed from fantasy lore, only a handful have truly lived the fantasy way of life. Sure, they might adorn their album covers with monsters, imps, captive women and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever been forced to find a missing horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the midst of winter? Has a performer spent time squinting in the rear of a tour bus, mending their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and more as they act out their epic fantasies. From heraldic, memorable anthems to eye-popping concerts, attire styling, videos and album art, they’re not so much a metal band as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a sold-out gig in a German city to one more in another town – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK this week. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, evokes images of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that places them on the verge of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “This helped a more powerful record,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a specific level of pride as a female in music doing everything solo. There’ve been so many times where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has expanded, so has the scale of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a university studies in art before pulling back at the idea of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

As if developing the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They embraced the fake blood, toy blades and handmade props with as much gusto as the band. “We had a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” recalls Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in capes, sheepskin, armor.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “Each item is frequently damaged and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Plus I get endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a vehicle with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into a small space.”

There have been additional practical issues that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played a music event in the European country and my baggage – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a nightmare, because there is no an backup plan of the concert where I am without a blade.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “I want to go all the way – we should play large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is maintaining the handmade style, making sure everything is handmade. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we achieve. Plus, I want to ride out on a unicorn each show. Think about how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”