🔗 Share this article

While numerous musicians have borrowed from epic fantasy, only a handful have genuinely embodied the fantasy lifestyle. Admittedly, they could embellish their album covers with creatures, beasts, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has any musician ever have to find a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist devoted hours squinting in the back of a road transport, fixing their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and additional ones as they live out their epic fantasies. From heraldic, earworm-heavy anthems to breathtaking performances, outfit creation, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not just a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a packed show in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they have five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and received an offer on a spooky event, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was highly handmade, but we had a blast and the energy was incredible. I realized, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a medic from history (bassist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and secretive shaman (drummer) – continued forward. Their latest album, the band’s second album, evokes images of classic metal icons uniting to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the edge of greater success.

The release was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “This helped a much better album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a particular degree of accomplishment as a female in music doing everything solo. I’ve had multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scale of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a university studies in art before hesitating at the idea of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express artistic expression,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, learning how to edit clips … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn as we go.”

Even though building the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – no mean feat, though she admittedly entrusted her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They loved the stage blood, foam swords and handmade props with similar excitement as the group. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” recalls Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, animal hides, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, though, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I get numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been other logistical problems that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we played SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the performance where I don’t have a weapon.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the future. “I aim to reach as far as possible – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, making sure everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we achieve. Additionally, I wish to appear on a mythical beast at all performances. Think about how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”