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Although plenty of musicians have drawn from epic fantasy, rarely any have fully embraced the enchanted way of life. Admittedly, they might decorate their album covers with creatures, beasts, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever needed to find a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Did a performer spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a road transport, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with both these scenarios and more as they live out their heroic dreams. Starting with medieval-inspired, catchy anthems to eye-popping live shows, costume design, videos and cover artwork, they’re not just a metal band as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” says vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they are playing multiple performances in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a October show, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was electric. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the group – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a pestilence physician (bass player), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that places them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “It made it a much better album,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride as a female in music working independently. I’ve had numerous occasions where after a show and some guy will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has expanded, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a art school education before balking at the prospect of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to apply creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, costume design, learning how to edit song visuals … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s fun to learn in the moment.”

As if developing the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments wasn’t enough, the vocalist learned on her own how to make chainmail – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly left her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They loved the theatrical gore, toy blades and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We played a concert in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” recalls Riley happily. “Everyone was in cloaks, wool garments, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, though, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect mythic characters. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my baggage – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there is no an different option of the concert where I don’t have a blade.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the future. “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 custom-made. It’s a component I want to stay authentic to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I desire to make an entrance on a mythical beast every night. Remember how legends use vehicles in concerts? That, but on a mythical creature.”