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Although numerous rockers have drawn from epic fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical lifestyle. Sure, they may embellish their album covers with ghouls, beasts, captive women and strong fighters, but has an artist ever needed to find a lost mythical horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Did anyone spent time peering in the interior of a tour bus, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and more as they act out their grand tales. From heraldic, memorable songs to stunning concerts, costume design, visuals and record designs, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in a German city to one more in another town – they are playing multiple performances in the UK this week. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a pestilence physician (bassist), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The release was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of accomplishment as a woman in music going it alone. There have been numerous occasions where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on track for a art school education before balking at the prospect of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply creativity,” she says. “Be it making masks, attire creation, figuring out video editing music videos … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to learn as we go.”

Even though developing the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the vocalist self-educated how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly entrusted her brand-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They took to the fake blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the musicians. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley fondly. “All attendees was in robes, animal hides, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, however, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “Each item is constantly breaking and ends up repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I get countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into nothing.”

There have been other logistical problems that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘oh shit’ 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. “This became a nightmare, because there is no an alternative version of the performance where I lack a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “I want to go all the way – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is preserving the self-crafted look, ensuring everything is handmade. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we scale to. Additionally, I wish to appear on a magical horse each show. Think about how some artists do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”