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While numerous rockers have drawn from high fantasy, few have truly lived the fantasy existence. Admittedly, they could embellish their album covers with ghouls, beasts, chained damsels and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to retrieve a misplaced mythical horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Has anyone spent time straining their eyes in the interior of a tour bus, fixing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and additional ones as they embody their heroic dreams. From medieval-inspired, catchy tunes to stunning concerts, costume design, visuals and album art, they’re not so much a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a packed show in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. It was all highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was unforgettable. I realized, ‘What if we could have this much fun at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a plague doctor (bassist), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of famous rock groups joining forces to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that places them on the verge of greater success.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her bandmates. “That contributed to a much better project,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a specific level of accomplishment being a woman in music working independently. I’ve had multiple instances where after a show and a person will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “My motto is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a art school education before balking at the idea of so much debt. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to apply creativity,” she says. “Be it crafting disguises, attire creation, mastering post-production music videos … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, indicating her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to make chainmail – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They embraced the fake blood, foam swords and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We had a show in Detroit and it resembled a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, though, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Each item is constantly breaking and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into a small space.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there is no an alternative version of the show where I don’t have a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “I aim to reach as far as possible – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is keeping the self-crafted look, ensuring all elements is handmade. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I desire to ride out on a mythical beast every night. You know how legends ride bikes on stage? That, but using a unicorn.”