🔗 Share this article

While many rockers have borrowed from high fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Certainly, they might adorn their record jackets with creatures, goblins, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever been forced to retrieve a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Has a performer taken the time straining their eyes in the rear of a tour bus, fixing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and others as they act out their heroic dreams. From knightly, memorable anthems to eye-popping concerts, attire styling, videos and record designs, they’re not just a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a outfit with characters,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a packed show in a German city to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. Everything was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement always?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a medic from history (bassist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions 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.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “That contributed to a lot stronger album,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of 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, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has expanded, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My motto is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on track for a art school education before balking at the prospect of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate artistic expression,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, learning how to edit music videos … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to figure it out on the fly.”

As if developing the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist self-educated how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly delegated her all-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They took to the fake blood, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a historical festival,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in cloaks, animal hides, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “Everything is always failing and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I come up with countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a grand epic, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We’ve encountered further organizational challenges that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because there’s not an backup plan of the performance where I am without a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is keeping the self-crafted look, making sure all elements is custom-made. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I desire to appear on a mythical beast at all performances. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? That, but with a unicorn.”