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While numerous artists have borrowed from epic fantasy, rarely any have genuinely embodied the fantasy existence. Admittedly, they could decorate their album covers with creatures, imps, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to retrieve a misplaced mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Did anyone devoted hours peering in the rear of a road transport, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they act out their grand tales. Starting with knightly, catchy anthems to stunning concerts, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not just a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a sold-out gig in Cologne to another in another town – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

From that point on, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a medic from history (bass player), aristocratic undead (six-string player) and enigmatic nature priest (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the follow-up record, brings to mind of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that sets them on the edge of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “This helped a much better album,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a specific level of accomplishment as a female in music going it alone. There have been so many times where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the scale of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on path for a art school education before balking at the idea of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express creativity,” she says. “Be it creating face coverings, attire creation, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s fun to discover in the moment.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“The team is pushing me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – no mean feat, though she admittedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They embraced the fake blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the musicians. “We played a gig in Detroit and it looked like a historical festival,” remembers Riley fondly. “All attendees was in robes, animal hides, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, though, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “All our gear is constantly breaking and becomes duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a van with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into a small space.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “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’s not an alternative version of the show where I am without a blade.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I want to go to the top – we should play large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing all elements is custom-made. It’s a component I want to keep true to, regardless of we grow into. Plus, I want to make an entrance on a mythical beast at all performances. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”