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Although numerous artists have drawn from high fantasy, rarely any have genuinely embodied the enchanted existence. Admittedly, they might decorate their album sleeves with monsters, goblins, captive women and strong fighters, but has any musician ever been forced to recover a lost mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time peering in the rear of a road transport, mending their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and additional ones as they embody their heroic dreams. From heraldic, catchy anthems to stunning live shows, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. Everything was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun at every show?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – continued forward. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that sets them on the edge of greater success.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “It made it a much better album,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a specific level of satisfaction as a woman in music going it alone. There have been so many times where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the scale of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on track for a art school education before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistry,” she says. “Be it making masks, attire creation, figuring out video editing music videos … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to figure it out as we go.”

As if building the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly left her all-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They took to the fake blood, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the group. “We had a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” recalls Riley with affection. “Everyone was in capes, animal hides, armor.”

This isn’t to say, however, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “All our gear is constantly breaking and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played SonicBlast festival in the European country and my luggage – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the concert where I lack a weapon.”

Future Ambitions

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “My goal is as far as possible – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the handmade style, ensuring all elements is custom-made. It’s a component I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we grow into. Oh, and I desire to appear on a unicorn each show. Think about how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”