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While plenty of artists have borrowed from high fantasy, rarely any have genuinely embodied the fantasy lifestyle. Certainly, they might decorate their record jackets with monsters, goblins, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has an artist ever been forced to find a missing mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Did anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the rear of a traveling vehicle, mending their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and additional ones as they embody their grand tales. From heraldic, memorable tunes to stunning live shows, attire styling, music videos and record designs, they’re not so much a metal band as a total artistic immersion.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” explains vocalist, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in a German city to another in another town – they are playing five gigs in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was electric. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a plague doctor (bassist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – continued forward. The new record, the band’s second album, conjures visions of famous rock groups collaborating to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that places them on the brink of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a much better record,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of accomplishment as a female in music going it alone. There’ve been numerous occasions where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My motto is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on path for a university studies in art before hesitating at the possibility of so much debt. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate artistic expression,” she says. “Be it crafting disguises, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to learn in the moment.”

As if creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the singer learned on her own how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They loved the stage blood, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the group. “We performed a gig in the Motor City and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley with affection. “All attendees was in capes, wool garments, armor.”

However, this doesn’t mean, though, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “Everything is constantly breaking and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a mythic tale, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there is no an alternative version of the performance where I am without a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I want to go as far as possible – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring each detail is custom-made. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we achieve. Plus, I desire to ride out on a unicorn each show. Remember how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? That, but using a unicorn.”