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Although numerous artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the fantasy existence. Admittedly, they could decorate their album sleeves with ghouls, beasts, captive women and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to retrieve a missing unicorn horn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Has a performer spent time peering in the interior of a traveling vehicle, mending their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and others as they act out their epic fantasies. Starting with knightly, catchy anthems to eye-popping performances, outfit creation, music videos and record designs, they’re not just a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a packed show in a German city to another in another town – they are playing five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and received an offer on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a plague doctor (bassist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of famous rock groups uniting to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that places them on the brink of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “That contributed to a much better project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride as a woman in music doing everything solo. There’ve been so many times where I finished performing and a person will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the idea of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

As if developing the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the vocalist self-educated how to create armor – a difficult task, though she admittedly delegated her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They loved the fake blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the band. “We performed a show in the Motor City and it looked like a medieval event,” recalls Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, animal hides, armor.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Everything is always failing and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

We’ve encountered further organizational challenges that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because we don’t have an different option of the performance where I lack a sword.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I aim to reach all the way – we should play large venues,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the self-crafted look, guaranteeing everything is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we grow into. Additionally, I wish to make an entrance on a mythical beast each show. Remember how some artists ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”