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Although many artists have taken inspiration from high fantasy, only a handful have genuinely embodied the enchanted existence. Admittedly, they could decorate their record jackets with creatures, imps, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever been forced to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Did anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and more as they act out their grand tales. From medieval-inspired, memorable songs to stunning live shows, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re not so much a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in another town – they are playing five gigs in the UK this week. “We played two shows and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was incredible. I realized, ‘How about if we could have this much fun always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

From that point on, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, brings to mind of classic metal icons collaborating to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that sets them on the verge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “It made it a more powerful album,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a certain amount of pride as a female in music going it alone. I’ve had so many times where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the idea of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production song visuals … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s fun to learn as we go.”

Even though developing the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to create armor – a difficult task, though she admittedly delegated her brand-new 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 took to the stage blood, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the group. “We played a concert in the Motor City and it resembled a historical festival,” reminisces Riley fondly. “All attendees was in cloaks, animal hides, armor.”

That’s not to imply, however, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “Everything is constantly breaking and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a bus with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a mythic tale, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an backup plan of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I want to go to the top – let’s do huge arenas,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, making sure each detail is custom-made. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, whatever we scale to. Plus, I want to ride out on a unicorn at all performances. Remember how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”