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Although many musicians have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical existence. Sure, they may adorn their album sleeves with ghouls, imps, captive women and strong fighters, but has an artist ever been forced to find a lost mythical horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time straining their eyes in the rear of a tour bus, mending their own armor?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered such situations and others as they live out their heroic dreams. From medieval-inspired, catchy anthems to eye-popping live shows, attire styling, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not just a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” says singer, guitar player, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in another town – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK this week. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a October show, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. Everything was highly handmade, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have this much fun always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a medic from history (bassist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of famous rock groups joining forces to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that sets them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “This helped a lot stronger project,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of satisfaction being a woman in music working independently. There’ve been numerous occasions where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scope of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on course for a university studies in art before hesitating at the possibility of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate artistic expression,” she says. “Be it creating face coverings, costume design, mastering post-production song visuals … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn as we go.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the vocalist self-educated how to craft metal mesh – a difficult task, though she admittedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They embraced the theatrical gore, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the band. “We played a gig in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” recalls Riley fondly. “The whole crowd was in capes, animal hides, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, though, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I get endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a bus with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a grand epic, then compress it into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that would never have plagued mythic characters. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because we don’t have an different option of the concert where I lack a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the future. “I want to go all the way – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is maintaining the handmade style, guaranteeing everything is custom-made. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we achieve. Oh, and I desire to ride out on a unicorn at all performances. Think about how some artists ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”