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Although many artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, few have genuinely embodied the mythical existence. Sure, they could adorn their album covers with creatures, goblins, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever have to find a lost mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Did anyone taken the time peering in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own metal mesh?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they live out their heroic dreams. Starting with knightly, catchy anthems to eye-popping concerts, attire styling, music videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a outfit with characters,” says vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a sold-out gig in a German city to one more in another town – they have several shows in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a October show, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. It was all highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have this much fun at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands joining forces to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that places them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The release was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of satisfaction as a female in music going it alone. There have been so many times where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I created all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has increased, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “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 pulling back at the prospect of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, costume design, figuring out video editing clips … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s fun to figure it out on the fly.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer self-educated how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly left her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They took to the stage blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We had a concert in the Motor City and it looked like a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley happily. “All attendees was in capes, sheepskin, armor.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Plus I get numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a grand epic, then compress it into nothing.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued mythic characters. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my baggage – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an backup plan of the performance where I don’t have a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “My goal is as far as possible – we should play huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we grow into. Plus, I wish to appear on a mythical beast each show. Think about how some artists use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”