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Although many rockers have drawn from epic fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the enchanted existence. Certainly, they might adorn their record jackets with ghouls, goblins, captive women and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to retrieve a lost unicorn horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Has anyone devoted hours straining their eyes in the back of a tour bus, repairing their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and more as they live out their epic fantasies. From knightly, catchy tunes to stunning performances, outfit creation, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a full immersive experience.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a costumed concept band,” says singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing several shows in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a medic from history (bassist), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of famous rock groups collaborating to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a grand composition that sets them on the brink of greater success.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “This helped a more powerful record,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a specific level of satisfaction being a woman in music going it alone. There have been so many times where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. At first, she had been on course for a university studies in art before hesitating at the idea of heavy loans. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistry,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, learning how to edit music videos … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to figure it out as we go.”

As if developing the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the vocalist self-educated how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her brand-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They took to the fake blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the band. “We performed a show in the Motor City and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” reminisces Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, animal hides, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, however, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “Everything is always failing and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a bus with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We faced further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played SonicBlast festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there is no an backup plan of the concert where I am without a sword.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “My goal is all the way – we should play large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is preserving the handmade style, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I desire to appear on a unicorn each show. You know how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”