🔗 Share this article

Although numerous rockers have taken inspiration from high fantasy, few have truly lived the mythical way of life. Certainly, they could decorate their album sleeves with monsters, beasts, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but did a member ever have to recover a missing horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Did anyone spent time peering in the back of a tour bus, repairing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they embody their epic fantasies. Starting with heraldic, catchy anthems to stunning concerts, costume design, visuals and album art, they’re not so much a metal band as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” says singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in another town – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. It was all highly handmade, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of famous rock groups uniting to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that places them on the verge of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “That contributed to a lot stronger album,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I’d always felt a specific level of pride as a female in music working independently. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The band create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the breadth of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on track for a art school education before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to apply artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

Even though developing the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer taught herself how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They loved the fake blood, toy blades and handmade props with similar excitement as the band. “We performed a gig in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” remembers Riley fondly. “The whole crowd was in robes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “Each item is constantly breaking and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I get numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a vehicle with limited room. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a grand epic, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been additional practical issues that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there’s not an backup plan of the performance where I am without a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “My goal is to the top – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, guaranteeing all elements is custom-made. That’s an element I want to keep true to, whatever we achieve. Plus, I wish to make an entrance on a magical horse at all performances. You know how some artists use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”