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Although numerous artists have borrowed from fantasy lore, few have fully embraced the enchanted lifestyle. Certainly, they may adorn their album sleeves with creatures, imps, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but did a member ever been forced to retrieve a missing unicorn horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Did a performer devoted hours peering in the interior of a road transport, mending their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they live out their grand tales. From knightly, memorable tunes to stunning live shows, attire styling, visuals and album art, 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,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a packed show in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they have several shows in the UK this week. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a pestilence physician (bass player), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands joining forces to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that sets them on the brink of greater success.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “It made it a lot stronger album,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a particular degree of pride as a female in music going it alone. There have been multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My motto is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on track for a university studies in art before hesitating at the possibility of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “Be it creating face coverings, costume design, learning how to edit music videos … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to learn on the fly.”

As if building the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly left her completely original scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

Regarding the fans? They loved the stage blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the group. “We had a gig in Detroit and it resembled a medieval event,” remembers Riley happily. “All attendees was in robes, animal hides, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “Each item is frequently damaged and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with countless concepts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a bus with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a mythic tale, then store it into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there is no an backup plan of the show where I am without a weapon.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I aim to reach to the top – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is keeping the handmade style, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, whatever we grow into. Plus, I wish to appear on a unicorn every night. Remember how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”