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Although plenty of artists have borrowed from epic fantasy, few have genuinely embodied the enchanted lifestyle. Sure, they could decorate their album sleeves with ghouls, imps, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever have to recover a misplaced unicorn horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist devoted hours peering in the interior of a road transport, mending their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and others as they act out their heroic dreams. Starting with heraldic, earworm-heavy songs to eye-popping live shows, costume design, visuals and album art, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they are playing multiple performances in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was incredible. I thought, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (drummer) – continued forward. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the verge of far grander things.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “It made it a more powerful project,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a certain amount of satisfaction as a female in music working independently. There’ve been so many times where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate creativity,” 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 enjoyable to figure it out in the moment.”

As if developing the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to write it down because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the singer self-educated how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly left her completely original scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

Regarding the fans? They took to the theatrical gore, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the group. “We had a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” reminisces Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in capes, wool garments, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “Everything is frequently damaged and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a van with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a mythic tale, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We faced additional practical issues that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there is no an backup plan of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the self-crafted look, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, whatever we achieve. Plus, I desire to appear on a magical horse each show. You know how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”