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While numerous rockers have taken inspiration from high fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the enchanted way of life. Certainly, they might adorn their record jackets with ghouls, goblins, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever been forced to recover a missing unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time squinting in the interior of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and additional ones as they act out their heroic dreams. Starting with knightly, memorable songs to breathtaking live shows, attire styling, visuals and album art, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they are playing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and received an offer on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have this much fun always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

From that point on, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a pestilence physician (bassist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. Their latest album, the band’s second album, brings to mind of classic metal icons joining forces to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “This helped a more powerful record,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a specific level of satisfaction being a woman in music doing everything solo. I’ve had numerous occasions where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the breadth of their production design. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on track for a fine art degree before pulling back at the prospect of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to apply artistic expression,” she says. “From making masks, outfit planning, mastering post-production song visuals … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s fun to discover in the moment.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she admittedly entrusted her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They loved the theatrical gore, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We performed a show in the Motor City and it looked like a historical festival,” reminisces Riley happily. “All attendees was in cloaks, wool garments, armor.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “Everything is frequently damaged and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I get endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a van with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my baggage – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an alternative version of the show where I don’t have a blade.”

Goals Ahead

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “My goal is as far as possible – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is keeping the self-crafted look, ensuring each detail is custom-made. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, whatever we grow into. Plus, I wish to appear on a unicorn each show. Remember how legends use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”