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CALIGULA'S HORSE

Progressive Metal • Australia


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Caligula's Horse picture
Caligula's Horse biography
Founded in Brisbane, Australia in 2011

Taking their name from the mad Roman emperor and his beloved steed Incitatus, CALIGULA'S HORSE is an Australian progressive rock/metal band intent on bridging the gap between dynamic, meaningful songwriting and instrumental prowess.

The brainchild of guitarist, songwriter and producer Sam Vallen, CALIGULA'S HORSE - initially composed of just Vallen and vocalist Jim Grey - released its digital debut "Moments From Ephemeral City" in April 2011, and received instant acclaim from lovers of all strains of progressive music across many continents. Originally intended as a studio-only project, Vallen and Grey put out feelers for a live band soon after the album's release, assembling the current lineup of Geoff Irish on drums, Zac Greensill on guitar and Dave Couper on bass and vocals.

CALIGULA'S HORSE's approach to songwriting is uncompromisingly eclectic, but no less accessible to audiences of all different musical styles. They take influence from such bands and artists as Devin Townsend, Pain Of Salvation, Opeth, Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, Steve Vai, Frost, Periphery, Karnivool, Muse, Steely Dan, The Beatles, and Frank Zappa amongst many others.

After months of rehearsing the recorded material, and also recording two additional tracks as the "Colossus" EP - released in September of 2011 - the "C-HORSE", as some devotees like to abbreviate it to kicked off with live shows in October 2011. These are early days for a diverse and enthusiastic bunch of young virtuosos, but 2012 looks to be the breakout year for CALIGULA'S HORSE.

Find Caligula's Horse on facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/caligulashorseband

Bio provided by band, edited by progmetalhead

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CALIGULA'S HORSE discography


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CALIGULA'S HORSE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.91 | 170 ratings
Moments from Ephemeral City
2011
4.08 | 251 ratings
The Tide, the Thief & River's End
2013
3.91 | 269 ratings
Bloom
2015
3.95 | 197 ratings
In Contact
2017
3.66 | 118 ratings
Rise Radiant
2020
4.14 | 70 ratings
Charcoal Grace
2024

CALIGULA'S HORSE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

CALIGULA'S HORSE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

CALIGULA'S HORSE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

CALIGULA'S HORSE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

4.32 | 35 ratings
Colossus
2011
4.17 | 6 ratings
The Tempest
2020
4.00 | 6 ratings
Slow Violence
2020
3.57 | 7 ratings
Valkyrie
2020

CALIGULA'S HORSE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Charcoal Grace by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.14 | 70 ratings

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Charcoal Grace
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

3 stars Galloping gallantly over the vast plains of the metal universe, Australia's CALIGULA'S HORSE has nurtured the qualities of a fine thoroughbred in the prog world where the murky bardo area of progressive metal and progressive rock merge into brackish waters. These Aussies have been in the top tiers of the prog metal world for well over a decade now releasing a series of critically acclaimed albums with radiant rise to the upper echelons of prog metal royalty with the combo effect of 2015's "Bloom" in tandem with 2017's "In Contact." The band evoked a larger than life prog metal congeries of tricks and trinkets that has allowed the band to stand out amongst the legions of progger metalheads vying for a piece of the action but these crafty chaps from Brisbane have always been a step or two ahead of the competition.

Changes are what the 2020s are all about the CALIGULA'S HORSE has certainly not eschewed its own series of challenges. In the last four years since "Rise Radiant" was released the band has officially seen guitarist Adrian Goleby exit from the team and now officially a quartet with Sam Vallen handling all guitar duties on the band's sixth studio album CHARCOAL GRACE which still rock all those Steely Dan influenced add2 chords like no other. CHARCOAL GRACE gracefully offers nine tracks at 62 minutes of playing time and although the famous twin guitar attacks have now been completely abandoned for a more streamlined approach, the album continues the plethora of polyrhythms, the clusters of complexity and the same overall atmospheric ambience meets djent-ish chugging sessions all dressed up with Jim Grey's fragile vocal intricacies.

Taking on a more Riverside meets Leprous demeanor, CALIGULA'S HORSE has traded the dueling axe action for a more keyboard saturated series of drifting cloud covered atmospheres that find heftier contrasting bouts of prog metal reinforcement. While tamped down a few notches from top peak prowess mode, CHARCOAL GRACE delivers a rather predictable procession of prancing prog rockers like a well-trained steeplechaser navigating a predictable course of action. The band plays it safe and sticks to the playbook for the most part with the expected prog by numbers approach that many a modern prog metal band has fallen victim to and an approach that aims to drift subtly into a more "commercial" acceptance by taming the rough around the edges aspects while amping up the melodic contrapuntal resonance of the complimentary layers of instrumentation.

"The World Breathes With Me" offers CALIGULA'S HORSE fans an instant comfort zone game plan with lush atmospheric developments before erupting into the chugga-chug marathon of djent-fueled guitar plucks and corresponding bass and drum obsequiousness. Add an obligatory four part concept suite of the title tracks and you can't go wrong but the problem is that at this point in the 21st century, this style of prog metal sounds completely out of fashion and in many ways bands such as CALIGULA'S HORSE have become a fossilized self-induced retro scene of their own idiosyncratic making. Is it bad to continue to make music that doesn't "progress" like the term "progressive" implies? Well, that's the million dollar question of course and left to the individual to decide for him / herself but for yours truly there comes a time where it sounds like a band is beginning to regress and there, my musical friends, is the pasture CALIGULA'S HORSE seems to have retired to after a fruitful run on the racetrack.

It's always difficult for me to be too harsh on bands that have found a comfort zone and a fanbase and have a difficult time balancing the progression part with the cash in to make a living in an increasingly more expense planet to reside upon but at this point this type of prog metal just sounds generic to me and therefore no matter how well played and how perfectly executed in every way, what really matters at the end of the day is how do the tracks speak to me and after sitting through CHARCOAL GRACE and imbibing the sonic frequencies that bathe my very soul, i am left feeling indifferent and unmoved by the dramatic series of sounds that are supposed to evoke some sort of reaction. To be honest, the airy fairy sounding bands in the prog metal world never have appealed to me as much as the more adventurous thrill seekers but every once in a while a band like Pain of Salvation or Leprous proves me wrong with instantly contagious emotionally connective composiitons. Unfortunately CALIGULA'S HORSE doesn't evoke that same visceral reaction and CHARCOAL GRACE does even less than previous offerings. Not a bad album by any means but sounds a bit too middle of the road for my liking.

 Charcoal Grace by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.14 | 70 ratings

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Charcoal Grace
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by Dapper~Blueberries
Prog Reviewer

5 stars I never really was too big on Caligula's Horse. I found their albums quite alright, but never too special for me to want to revisit them. They are kinda within the same threshold as bands like Leprous and Haken, being these newer prog metal groups revitalizing the genre in new ways, however even though I do enjoy some of their songs I never really thought they brought something new and fresh to the table, or something that really wowed me personally. However, with the turn of the decade in 2020, they would release Rise Radiant, an album that brought their usual sound and mixed djent with it. I thought, though, that album to be still alright, but I could certainly note the group moving to the right direction. Four years later after that turning point, they would release Charcoal Grace in January 26th of this year, and not only do they improve in a major way with their new found love for djent, but also infused some stellar greatness with the seams of this album to make it my personal favorite of their releases.

This is a six track album, though the big title epic in between is split up into multiple songs, kind of like what Marillion did with Fuck Everyone And Run, and An Hour Before It's Dark with their big epics. Probably the only "bad" thing about this stellar release, but I can certainly live with it, and there are two also very stellar bigger tracks of The World Breathes With Me and Mute that aren't split up, so I am not too bothered by it.

So what I appreciated from Rise Radiant was their readiness to change things up into more of a djent kind of style, and they continue that forward. The thing that is evident upon this fact is the lead single of Golem, my favorite track off the album. It has meaty, chuggy guitars, whilst also having that particular Caligula sound that they carried throughout their career. I really enjoy this song, as it just feels like a true improvement of their sound in not just a total shift, but in an evolutionary upwards motion. Listen to this song in comparison to something like Slow Violence or Marigold. Certainly similar sounding, but there is a clear maturity that exists within Golem, and the rest of the album that I never quite found within the rest of their projects. For that matter, I certainly appreciate it a lot more.

This maturity probably has something to do with the band's lead guitarist, Sam Vallen, taking his hand at producing and mixing the album, and he is really good at what he does here. There is a certain ethereal energy that goes through each of the songs, particularly the longer, and some of the more quieter tracks. I really enjoy this very floaty, almost mystical production, and I bet if he continues to produce albums for the band he'll get better and better.

However, I think the real meat this album does right is a new genre mix within the Caligula sound. Adding on top of the djent, they followed a bit of what groups like Earthside had done and combined post rock within the mix. Now, this post rock is rather small, admittedly, only really noticeable in the bigger tracks, and it certainly isn't as highly invigorating as what Earthside had done, but there is no denying that this band has been exploring a bit more textures and ambience to make something very beautiful. The title track, the 22 minute epic of Charcoal Grace shows this more post rock direction better, as whilst it is very metal and heavy hitting, there is an underlying layer of beauty that I find to hold similar feelings to groups like Mogwai and We Lost The Sea. You can hear it a lot more within the parts of A World Without and the beginning of Give Me Hell. Honestly, this is very awesome for me, not only as a prog fan, but as a post fan too. Seeing a band experiment, at least slightly with more genres into their mix is super fun to hear, especially for a band that has been as long running as Caligula.

I really have zero idea if there is anything really negative to say about this album, as each track holds some very great substance. Maybe Sails and The Stormchaser is a bit forgettable within the mix, but man that guitar solo on Sails certainly is powerful, and The Stormchaser just has a lot of oomph within its five minutes that I cannot help but to still hold at least a lot of love for the two of them.

It is a bit odd for me to have a masterpiece this early in the year, since usually the really good stuff comes a bit later, usually in the summertime, but man January has turned out some stellar stuff, and Charcoal Grace is amongst the heavy hitters of this year already. If we get something like Charcoal Grace, I wouldn't be surprised if this year ends up being as universally loved as 1974 or 1997. Definitely 100% give this one a shot, even if you may not quite enjoy progressive metal I can certainly say this is a record that could really appeal to anyone. Don't quote me on this if I end up being wrong, but I think this may be Caligula's Horse's magnum opus right here. The band can only move upwards from here.

Best tracks: Golem, Charcoal Grace, Mute

Least best tracks: Sails, The Stormchaser

 Charcoal Grace by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.14 | 70 ratings

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Charcoal Grace
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by alainPP

5 stars "The World Breathes with Me" worked, contrasting intro; a deluge of djent guitars opens the piece, louder and faster than a melting DREAM THEATER; an air to free oneself from the pandemic, from its annoyances; raw power on modern prog metal, the one where you don't get bored, emotion with Jim's Hakenian voice and Sam's solo-rhythmic riffs; a bit of LINKIN PARK, KARNIVOOL for an orgasmic musical flight, going from a light flow to a riot of limpid and incandescent sounds. "Golem" and its deluge of riffs to signify the pain, the torment of the pandemic; a machine-gun riff, heavy vocals, everything to show the simmering alienation; closer to a PERIPHERY shooting everything that moves.

"Charcoal Grace I: Prey" and the title in 4 parts: cinematic intro as we say today; orchestral eyeing VAI, DREAM THEATER, technically perfect; Jim singing airy, soft while the bass vibrates; sinister air, varied with a softness fusing metal and dreamlike progression; the finale increases, making me think of the sweet madness of PAIN OF SALVATION; a crystalline arpeggio follows with "Charcoal Grace II: A World Without" on a latent musical derivation, a strong progressive moment after this introduction; consensual verse on an atmospheric Devin, on a fruity TESSERACT; immersive, spatial break, we left in this ship far from the earth, from the pandemic, the softness of the guitar amplifying "Charcoal Grace III: Vigil" with the raw arpeggio launching Jim on a minimalist phrasing, laying down this quadrap- tyque looks fluffy, I hear the snow falling; acoustic and melancholic ballad leering on LEPROUS then "Charcoal Grace IV: Give Me Hell" continues, basic metronomic riff on an imposing rhythmic base; PAIN OF SALVATION in the background, yes it's CALIGULA'S HORSE which ends with the violins in the distance; the sound becomes black, it makes you want to headbang, to pout, like this lost and abandoned child, the ravages of divorces spoken; the gentleness of the start has let the heaviness settle in; take a break reminding me of SAXON, the phrasing then the maelstromic metallic djent explosion takes you to the guts, the air becomes animal, wild, brutal, yes your head can no longer control itself; a final guitar solo pulls you together before the obvious grandiloquent flight, immense over these 24 minutes.

"Sails introductory guitar arpeggio; the ballad, the nursery rhyme to rest from this flood, it seems done on purpose; the Rotheryen solo yes I didn't see it before but now the feeling is close; a slow melody with a feeling of keyboards from Banks too, ah the prog is good sometimes. "The Stormchaser" takes up a sustained air for this piece which leans towards the fabulous PAIN OF SALVATION, as much for the voice as for the complex tune, as much for the captivated choirs as for the energetic chorus; there is the beauty of the guitar break with a dose of spleen, there is the easy melody which unfolds and bewitches; clear, effective. "Mute" with Jim who tries his hand at a capella, like Einar from LEPROUS; the explosion of grapeshot, return to the spleen ballad, hold a shivering flute; the return of heavy grapeshot suddenly, sheltered but not Jim soothes us with his high-pitched voice, a siren who distills his words to hypnotize us; break with the divine flute, not a Scandinavian one that recalls ancient times, a current one that amplifies the progressive movement; the sound becomes post-rock, extremely emotional before leaving metal-melodic with Sam who now bewitches us.

CALIGULA'S HORSE OMNI as I like to write it.(5 in the genre)

 The Tide, the Thief & River's End by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.08 | 251 ratings

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The Tide, the Thief & River's End
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by UMUR
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars "The Tide, The Thief & River's End" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Australian progressive rock/metal act Caligula's Horse. The album was released by Australian label Welkin Records in October 2013. Itīs the successor to "Moments from Ephemeral City" from April 2011 although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the "Colossus" EP from September 2011. The quintet lineup who recorded the debut album and the "Colossus" EP is intact.

Stylistically the material on "The Tide, The Thief & River's End" is a continuation of but also a developed and more mature version of the progressive/alternative rock/metal of the two preceding releases. Caligula's Horse are a technically skilled unit fully capable of delivering relatively sharp and hard edged metal riffs and rhythms, challenging instrumental sections, and progressive song structures, but also more subtle, emotional, and organic sounding progressive/alternative rock. Sometimes I think Iīm listening to a combination of A Perfect Circle and Dream Theater, but fortunately Caligula's Horse are much more than just a copy of those artists. They create some very emotional and intricate music, which is highly memorable and melodic (listen to the big hook closing "Into the White"), while still not being easily accessible vers/chorus pop/rock.

The basis of the music is guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, but the vocal part of the music is quite intricate with both harmonies and choirs being an important feature of the music. In addition to that some parts of the album features guest performances on flute, violin, clarinet, and piano. "The Tide, The Thief & River's End" is as a result a very dynamic release. The dominant mood is melancholy, but Caligula's Horse still manage to incorporate uplifting moments, so this is not a particularly dark release. Itīs cleverly composed and even though itīs pretty accessible, itīs complex enough to challenge the listener, both with the performances, but also with the dynamic shifts and the composition style.

"The Tide, The Thief & River's End" is produced by guitarist (and main composer) Sam Vallen, and Vallen has crafted a sharp, powerful, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. Upon conclusion "The Tide, The Thief & River's End" is a strong sophomore full-length studio album by Caligula's Horse. Theyīve moved forward while still holding on to what made them great on the previous releases. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

 Colossus by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2011
4.32 | 35 ratings

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Colossus
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by UMUR
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars "Colossus" is an EP release by Australian progressive rock/metal act Caligula's Horse. The EP was independently released in September 2011. Caligula's Horse was formed in early 2011 by guitarist Sam Vallen and lead vocalist Jim Grey and the band released their debut full-length studio album "Moments from Ephemeral City" in April 2011. At that point the band contemplated disbanding, but as fan reactions were so positive they decided to carry on and solidify the lineup who recorded the debut and tour with that lineup. Itīs the same quintet lineup who recorded the two tracks featured on "Colossus".

Both the EP title track and "Vanishing Rites (Tread Softly Little One)" are around 5 minutes long making "Colossus" a 10 minutes long listen. The first thing I notice when listening to the title track is that itīs one of the more heavy and aggressive songs from the early catalogue of Caligula's Horse. At the same time it also features beautiful melodic song lines, a soaring chorus, and quite exquisite vocal harmonies and choirs. "Vanishing Rites (Tread Softly Little One)" is not quite as heavy (although it certainly also features some very heavy parts) and features a more playful mood and interesting dynamic changes. Both tracks are high quality compositions and production wise a step up from the sound on "Moments from Ephemeral City".

The original EP is probably a hard to find release these days, but the two tracks are featured on the InsideOut Music reissue of "Moments from Ephemeral City" as bonus material, and function well there as part of that album. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

 Moments from Ephemeral City by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2011
3.91 | 170 ratings

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Moments from Ephemeral City
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by UMUR
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars "Moments from Ephemeral City" is the debut full-length studio album by Australian progressive rock/metal act Caligula's Horse. The album was independently released in April 2011. Caligula's Horse was formed in early 2011 by guitarist Sam Vallen and lead vocalist Jim Grey and the rather interesting band name was chosen by Grey and refers to Roman Emperor Caligulaīs favorite horse Incitatus, of which many myths and stories exist. "Moments from Ephemeral City" is a self-produced effort, and Vallen is credited for producing, engineering, mixing, and mastering the album (in addition to writing most of the material and playing guitars).

The original version of the album features 7 tracks and a total playing time of 42:37 minutes, while the InsideOut Music reissue features the two tracks from the September 2011 "Colossus" EP as bonus material.

Stylistically the material on the album is alternative/progressive rock/metal. Grey has a strong voice and a passionate emotive delivery, which isnīt far removed from the voice and vocal style of Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle). It doesnīt take more than a few seconds to realise how skilled and pleasant sounding a singer he is and how much he brings to the music. His harmonies and choirs are exquisite too. He often sings mellow and subdued, but the album does feature a couple of slightly more loud and aggressive vocal parts. Nothing extreme though, and the vocal part of the music is generally very melodic and catchy. Itīs not overtly complex music, and itīs great to be able to sing along to many of the soaring choruses, but on the other hand itīs not simple vers/chorus structured music either. There is generally a bit more to it, and most tracks feature some pretty interesting and creative instrumental sections in addition to the melodic and hook laden verses and choruses.

The tracks are obviously composed by a guitarist, because "Moments from Ephemeral City" features loads and loads of beautiful acoustic parts, blistering guitar leads, heavy syncopated guitar riffs, and many creative guitar playing ideas, which make the album and adventurous and engaging listen throughout. The rhythm section are well playing too, and Caligula's Horse are arguably an incredibly talented bunch. Drummer Geoff Irish was also involved in progressive metal act Quandary with Vallen.

Considering that "Moments from Ephemeral City" is an independently produced release, itīs quite impressive in almost every possible way. The musicianship are on a high level on all posts, the songwriting is inspired, creative, and filled with emotion, and the sound production suits the material well. But if I have to make one small complaint it would actually be regarding the sound production, because the distorted guitar parts do stand a little weak in the soundscape, and a more meaty and heavy sound on those sections could have provided those parts with a bit more punch and bite and made the transitions from the mellow and melodic parts have more impact. Iīll tell you right away though, that itīs a minor issue and "Moments from Ephemeral City" is still overall a well sounding release featuring a professional sound production.

Itīs safe to say that this is a quality release and a very impressive debut album by Caligula's Horse. I cannot believe that these guys contemplated disbanding after the release of "Moments from Ephemeral City", but apparently that was the case. Thankfully they decided to continue and solidified the recording lineup to tour in support of the album and also released the "Colossus" EP later in 2011. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

 Bloom by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.91 | 269 ratings

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Bloom
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by MisaVelvet

2 stars Ranking every song:

1. Bloom - Really good, but a bit short. Bad thing is this song is a part of the next one... 4.5 / 5

2. Marigold - I dont get the hype about this song. People say it is the best on the album however i think this song is boring and I listen to only because of Bloom because one transits into other so basically it is a one song. 2 / 5

3. Firelight - Nothing special but i kinda like this song. 3,5 / 5

4. Dragonfly - I only like middle part of the song - guitar solo and piano. Middle part is really good but it is like 2-3 mins out of almost 10 minute song. 2,5 / 5

5. Rust - Ewww probably the worst on the album. However I can't say it is that horrible 1,5 / 5

6. Turntail - Boring song, guitar solo is cool but is too short 2 / 5

7. Daughter of the mountain - i kinda like this song but not really. Its not bad at all 3 / 5

8. Undergrowth - Boring acoustic ballad. Not catchy, not intresting musically 2 / 5

Not my favorite album by them at all

 In Contact by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2017
3.95 | 197 ratings

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In Contact
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by lukretio

5 stars With their fourth album, 2017's In Contact, Caligula's Horse managed to write one of the best and most notable progressive metal albums of recent decades. The creative and compositional leap that the band took between their previous release, 2015's Bloom, and In Contact is astounding. While Bloom let foresee that Caligula's Horse is a hugely talented band, that album did not quite succeed in channelling this talent into a fully-accomplished musical statement. Given that Bloom was already their third album, one might have been excused for wondering whether Caligula's Horse would ever manage to break big or whether they would instead remain one of the eternally unfulfilled promises of prog metal. In Contact simply blows all doubt out of the water, showcasing a band at the apex of their creative powers.

The formula the band uses on the album is remarkable in its simplicity: they start with a catchy, melodic alt-rock sound and push it to its utmost limits by using it in the context of structurally, harmonically and rhythmically complex songs. The result is an album that somehow manages to strike the perfect balance between compositional brilliance and emotional accessibility, and that has the capacity to stun the listener on first listen with its melodic immediacy, but also keeps drawing him in for more with its depth and complexity.

There are three key qualities that make of In Contact a prog metal masterpiece. First, the album bursts with absolutely stunning melodies, monstrous earworms that will inexorably get stuck in your head without ever being corny or cheesy. And I am not just talking about the vocal melodies, beautifully delivered by a Jim Grey in a state of grace. The album also contains plenty of tasty melodic instrumental leads that often complement and compete with the vocal lines. These leads are mostly performed by Sam Vallen's guitar, but there is also an awesome sax lead on the last song "Graves" performed by Shining's frontman Jørgen Munkeby.

Second, these melodies are used outside of a conventional verse/chorus structure that subordinates the melodies of the verse to the chorus and uses repetition to anchor the song. In most songs of In Contact there are no verses and no choruses. There is simply a succession of separate melodic figures perfectly flowing into one another without break of continuity. The melodies are so infectious that often it is almost like listening to songs that only contain choruses. In a few songs ("Will's Song", "Song for No One", "Graves"), the quality of the melodies is so high that the effect is simply awe-inspiring.

Third, each song, and the album as a whole, transmit a sense of moving forward, of being on a musical journey that is bigger than the sum of its parts. This is partly achieved by avoiding the circularity and repetition of traditional song structures, but also through the rich and varied sonic palette that Caligula's Horse use across the 10 tracks of In Contact. Spirited djenty guitar riffs and complex polyrhythms are alternated with soft acoustic moments ("Capulet") that sometimes even veer toward delicate synth-pop ("Love Conquers"). Elsewhere, we have emphatic shouted choruses that add a touch of post-hardcore aggression to the music ("Will's Song", "The Cannon's Mouth", "Graves"). The band even manages to throw in a piece of spoken poetry ("Inertia and the Weapon of the Wall") without making it feel out of place, somehow. There is also lots of color on the album: electric and acoustic guitars, Hammonds, sax, and synths are all aptly used to inject variety in the songs.

The best example of what this albums sounds like can be found on its closing track, the 15-minute long prog-epic "Graves". This is the musical peak of the album and is packed to the brim with awesome vocal melodies and great instrumental breaks. The opening section contains some of the most emotional signing of the album (when Grey sings "Faint heart?"). After a jazzy instrumental break, the song transitions to a splendid choral counterpoint with multiple voices at the unison creating a somber, almost sacred atmosphere that eventually finds relief in a beautifully serene vocal melody ("He sees me?"). The song picks up in intensity again soon afterwards and, after a few more twists and turns, it culminates in an epic chorus with shouted vocals over a foreboding King Crimson-esque sax solo. Pure brilliance. There are so many good ideas in this song that other bands would have made a whole album out of them.

In summary, In Contact is, to date, the creative peak of Caligula's Horse. It is an exhilarating album, one of those rare records where everything just falls into place. Stuffed with brilliant melodies, complex compositions and daring experimentation, this is simply any prog-lover's dreamworld. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in prog, but also to anyone who is looking for music that is complex and thought-provoking while at the same time remaining authentic and emotionally accessible.

(Originally written for The Metal Archives)

 Bloom by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.91 | 269 ratings

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Bloom
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by lukretio

3 stars Released on Inside Out, one of the world leading contemporary prog rock and metal labels, Bloom is the third album of Australian prog-metallers Caligula's Horse and is the record that made the Aussies known to the prog world ? gaining them interviews in the UK Prog magazine and wide coverage on various prog and metal webzines. It is an album that shows all the potential of the band and I remember liking it quite a bit when I bought it back in 2015. But listening to it now, 5 years and 2 albums after its initial release, I cannot help but feel that Bloom is the sound of a band still trying to find its footing and its own identity.

Bloom is by no means a bad or unsatisfactory record. It simply does not reach the compositional heights that Caligula's Horse will touch on their subsequent, monstrous album, In Contact, nor does it have the brazen immediacy and catchiness of the band's most recent release, Rise Radiant. In a way, Bloom can be described as an early precursor of both these records. One can detect traces of the compositional adventurousness that will find full expression on In Contact. But one can also sense the band's ambition to reach wider audiences by flirting with poppier and more accessible melodies, a route Caligula's Horse will fully embrace with Rise Radiant. The result is an album that is caught halfway between the adventurous and the glossy, alternating moments of creative greatness with episodes that are more mundane and do not completely convince.

Compositionally, the album has a neat structure. It is bookended by two gentle, partly-acoustic pieces that remind me of Opeth at their calmest (especially on the title-track "Bloom"). Albeit somewhat forgettable, these songs work well as opening and closing tracks of the album. The remaining 6 songs come in three varieties. We have two poppier pieces, "Firelight" and "Turntail" (both chosen as singles), that try and captivate the audience with catchy choruses and memorable melodies. These are among the weakest tracks of the album in my opinion, and not because of their poppy undertones: I am usually a big fan of bands that bring pop influences into their prog, such as Leprous or Ulver. However, Caligula's Horse sound like they are trying too hard to write songs that are instantly likeable, relying too much on big, overly emotional choruses that outshine the instrumental performances and come across as overstated. I cannot help but feel that these two songs are the musical equivalent of "empty calories food": tasty on first bite, but hardly nourishing or filling.

Caligula's Horse fare far better on tracks like "Marigold" and "Rust", that are rockier, more aggressive and, in a word, more substantial. The band's djenty metallic riffs come to the fore on these two tracks, reminding me of Leprous. Structurally, the songs could have been cut down a bit to avoid repetition (especially "Marigold"). They nevertheless shine as the most accessible, headbangable pieces of the album. These songs would probably make an even stronger impression if they were supported by a better production. I feel that the guitar sound (here as on the rest of the album) is too dry and thin, lacking depth and bass tones. The drum sound is also quite horrible. This somewhat reduces the impact that these songs could have on the listener.

With the remaining songs, "Dragonfly" and "Daughter", Caligula's Horse attempt to write two so-called "prog epics" ? tracks that are compositionally more expansive and that twist and turn between different moods and themes to take the listener on a bold musical journey. However, the trick is to make sure one does not lose the listener along the way, but instead gently leads him by hand through the many peaks and valleys of the journey. Caligula's Horse will master the art of writing such prog epics on their next album In Contact, but here they only partially succeed. On "Dragonfly" there are too many twists and too few reference points, making it a rather exhausting and disorienting journey. Things get better on the other epic, "Daughter", thanks to the use of more memorable melodies and better transitions between the multiple parts of the song. On both tracks, I can sense the influence of Opeth and Porcupine Tree, especially in the mellower passages, as well as more alt-rock influences that remind me at times of a band like The Dear Hunter.

Overall, Bloom is an interesting but underdeveloped album, that today I appreciate more as an early omen of Caligula's Horse's future greatness than for its 8 songs. Although I did like it when it was first released, I do not see this as an album that I will go back to many times in the future. With hindsight, it is clear that Caligula's Horse were just getting started with Bloom, and they will release much stronger music in their subsequent albums. If you are new to the band, I suggest to skip this and start directly with In Contact, instead.

(Originally written for The Metal Archives)

 Rise Radiant by CALIGULA'S HORSE album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.66 | 118 ratings

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Rise Radiant
Caligula's Horse Progressive Metal

Review by lukretio

3 stars With their fifth album, Rise Radiant, Caligula's Horse follow the recent trend of a few other prog metal bands of mixing their trademark heavy sound (in this case, a djenty form of prog metal) with more mainstream pop/rock sensibilities. Leprous, with their 2019 album Pitfalls, is an obvious example, but also Haken with 2020's Virus tread a similar path. Needless to say, this development did not sit well with some of the fans of these bands. But I am not one of those: I did love both albums (Pitfalls being my Album of the Year for 2019), so in principle Rise Radiant fell on very welcoming ears. Unfortunately, however, this album did not fully 'click' with me, as I felt that it is a bit of a hit and miss, with only a few songs reaching the spectacular levels of the band's previous output.

Let's start with the good news. Caligula's Horse have always delivered their healthy dose of prog workouts on their albums, and Rise Radiant is no exception. 'Salt' and the two interconnected closing tracks, 'Autumn' and 'The Ascent' (the best song of the album), offer musical tour-de-forces that will please long-time fans of the band. All sonic trademarks of the band are on display here. While not reaching the complexity of songs from the band's previous album In Contact, the structure of these three songs is sufficiently intricate to keep things unpredictable and interesting. There is a strong emphasis on dynamics (here as on the rest of the album), with a continuous alternation between stripped-down, quiet parts and djenty, rhythmically complex sections. But even at their heaviest, Caligula's Horse never lose sight of melody as Jim Grey's melancholic but strangely uplifting vocal melodies, often sung in falsetto to increase the emotional punch, take centre stage in the mix. These songs are not too different from what the band has offered on previous albums, except for a general toning-down of aggression in the music and a heightened attention to keeping the melodies simple and catchy.

Elsewhere on the album, Caligula's Horse take more decisive steps towards their new sonic identity. The song structure is vastly simplified on tracks like 'The Tempest', 'Slow Violence', 'Oceanrise' and 'Valkyrie', which largely stick to the verse/chorus/middle-eight/chorus sequence of mainstream pop/rock. The arrangements are also kept quite simple and linear, with variations mostly consisting of a thickening of the sound in the repetitions of the verse. The verses are usually soft and dark, with Grey's relying heavily on his lower-register and the instruments quieting down to the point that often only acoustic guitars or the bass are left to provide an harmonic counterpart to Grey's croons. This creates a stark contrast with the choruses, which are instead fuller, heavier and uplifting. It's all very well-done and perfectly geared up to create maximum cathartic effect, which makes these songs very easy to like on first listen.

And this is where the bad news start. While songs like 'Slow Violence', 'Oceanrise' or 'Valkyrie' make an immediate impression, it unfortunately does not last, as the simplified structure makes the songs quite predictable and, in the long-run, uninteresting. What's more, the fact that these songs are all cut from the same cloth in terms of structure and dynamics leaves me with the feeling that the album lacks variation and is too monotonous. In addition, although the melodies are catchy and hummable, they are often not terribly interesting and tend to slip out of my mind not long after I have heard them. More generally, I feel that the album lacks moments that make my ears properly perk up. I can probably count these moments on the palm of one hand: 'The Tempest' (the best of the bunch of simpler songs) features a killer opening/closing riff, an interesting vocal phrasing on the verse and a gorgeous chorus; 'Salt' contains some beautiful vocal harmonies; and there is some exciting guitar and vocal work on 'The Ascent', particularly on the verse and the closing choral section. Not much else really stands out for me. This is a big difference compared to an album like In Contact, which was literally bursting with memorable, head-turning moments that made you want to put the record on again as soon as it finished.

And this is probably the biggest limit of Rise Radiant: while pleasant and well-produced, it is not a record that I can see myself turning to again and again, because I simply do not feel that it has the same long-lasting listening value of albums like In Contact or Bloom. I cannot help but draw a comparison between Caligula's Horse's new musical direction and the evolution of Leprous, the band that I find sonically closer to Caligula's Horse. While the Norwegians have managed to take the best qualities of pop music (accessible, memorable melodies; subtle and sophisticated arrangements) and merge them with the unpredictability and forward-looking attitude of prog, Caligula's Horse seem to have also borrowed from pop its less appealing qualities: predictability and lack of musical depth. I don't want this criticism to sound too negative, though, because Rise Radiant remains a very listenable album - just not as exciting or enthralling as I would have hoped the new Caligula's Horse album would be, especially after a heavy-weight like In Contact.

Thanks to bonnek for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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