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While numerous artists have taken inspiration from high fantasy, few have genuinely embodied the fantasy way of life. Certainly, they may adorn their record jackets with ghouls, goblins, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever needed to retrieve a misplaced unicorn horn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Did anyone spent time straining their eyes in the back of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and additional ones as they embody their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, memorable songs to eye-popping performances, costume design, visuals and album art, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in another town – they have several shows in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. Everything was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a pestilence physician (bass player), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the follow-up record, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands uniting to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that places them on the edge of bigger achievements.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “This helped a more powerful album,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of pride as a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scope of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, attire creation, figuring out video editing music videos … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out in the moment.”

Even though building the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the singer learned on her own how to create armor – a difficult task, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They loved the fake blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We performed a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a historical festival,” recalls Riley fondly. “The whole crowd was in robes, animal hides, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, however, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is constantly breaking and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I get endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a van with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then store it into nothing.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect mythic characters. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because there is no an backup plan of the concert where I lack a sword.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “My goal is as far as possible – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the self-crafted look, guaranteeing all elements is custom-made. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, whatever we achieve. Plus, I wish to appear on a mythical beast every night. Think about how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”