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Although many artists have borrowed from fantasy lore, rarely any have genuinely embodied the mythical way of life. Admittedly, they might decorate their album sleeves with creatures, imps, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to find a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Did anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the back of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they embody their grand tales. Starting with knightly, memorable anthems to stunning performances, outfit creation, videos and record designs, they’re not just a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to a second one in another town – they have multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to put on an outfit. It was all completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was unforgettable. I thought, ‘What if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the band – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the follow-up record, evokes images of famous rock groups collaborating to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that places them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “It made it a more powerful project,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of pride as a woman in music doing everything solo. 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 respond, ‘Listen – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

With their growing popularity has expanded, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on path for a art school education before hesitating at the prospect of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply creativity,” she says. “From crafting disguises, outfit planning, learning how to edit clips … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s fun to learn as we go.”

Even though developing the group’s detailed mythology (“The team is pushing me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly delegated her completely original scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

Regarding the fans? They loved the fake blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the musicians. “We had a show in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” reminisces Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in robes, wool garments, armor.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “All our gear is always failing and becomes duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have 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 mythic tale, then store it into nothing.”

We faced further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled legendary fantasy heroes. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a music event in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the performance where I lack a blade.”

Goals Ahead

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the handmade style, ensuring everything is custom-made. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we grow into. Plus, I want to make an entrance on a mythical beast each show. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? That, but on a mythical creature.”