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While plenty of rockers have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, few have truly lived the enchanted existence. Sure, they might decorate their record jackets with monsters, beasts, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has any musician ever needed to recover a misplaced unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time squinting in the interior of a road transport, mending their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and additional ones as they act out their epic fantasies. Starting with medieval-inspired, memorable tunes to stunning live shows, outfit creation, videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” states vocalist, guitar player, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle speeds from a packed show in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing several shows in the UK currently. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. Everything was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the energy was electric. I thought, ‘What if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the group – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a plague doctor (bassist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – never turned back. The new record, the follow-up record, brings to mind of classic metal icons uniting to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the edge of greater success.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “It made it a more powerful record,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a particular degree of pride as a female in music working independently. There’ve been so many times where after a show and a person will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the breadth 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 track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the prospect of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to figure it out in the moment.”

As if developing the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the singer learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly left her all-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They embraced the theatrical gore, soft weapons and handmade props with as much gusto as the musicians. “We performed a concert in Detroit and it resembled a medieval event,” reminisces Riley fondly. “Everyone was in cloaks, wool garments, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been easy. “Everything is always failing and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a van with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there’s not an backup plan of the show where I don’t have a weapon.”

Goals Ahead

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “My goal is to the top – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, ensuring each detail is handmade. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, whatever we achieve. Oh, and I want to appear on a mythical beast at all performances. You know how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”