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Although numerous musicians have taken inspiration from high fantasy, rarely any have truly lived the enchanted existence. Sure, they might decorate their album sleeves with ghouls, goblins, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but did a member ever needed to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a performer taken the time squinting in the interior of a road transport, fixing their own armor?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered such situations and others as they live out their heroic dreams. From heraldic, earworm-heavy anthems to breathtaking concerts, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” explains singer, guitarist, blade-handler and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing several shows in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had a blast and the energy was electric. I thought, ‘How about if we could have this much fun at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (percussionist) – continued forward. Their latest album, the band’s second album, evokes images of legendary heavy bands collaborating to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that positions them on the brink of greater success.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “This helped a much better record,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a particular degree of pride as a female in music going it alone. There’ve been numerous occasions where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the scale of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on course for a fine art degree before balking at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s creating face coverings, attire creation, learning how to edit song visuals … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s fun to discover as we go.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she admittedly left her brand-new scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They loved the theatrical gore, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the band. “We performed a show in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in capes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, though, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a van with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been additional practical issues that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there is no an alternative version of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I want to go all the way – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s truly essential to me is keeping the handmade style, guaranteeing everything is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, whatever we achieve. Oh, and I wish to appear on a mythical beast every night. Think about how some artists ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”