ALBUM REVIEW: Rise Radiant – Caligula’s Horse

It is a well documented fact that Australia has produced some of the most exceptional alternative music talent the industry has to offer. The gargantuan Southern-hemisphere land mass is responsible for some of the greatest names embedded deep within the rock and metal hall of fame, and yet at the beginning of a new decade, there is still a vast plethora of talent determined to continue burning the fuse bright and make that Commonwealth nation proud. For nigh on ten years, CALIGULA’S HORSE in particular have been toiling under almost lab-like conditions to reinvent the very fabric of progressive metal, and perfect the art of heavy music infused with the kind of poetic majesty that very few would even dare attempt.

Those already in the know will likely have been dazzled by 2015’s Bloom and 2017’s In Contact; a record widely regarded by supporters and critics alike as being one of the greatest albums to ever be recorded. The latter stands as a 67-minute conceptual opus that continued to delve into dense characters developed by the band in their earlier discography and brought a whole new understanding of refined, narrative laden songwriting. The fact that they have placed emphasis upon evolving with each release bodes well for fans, especially with the fifth instalment to the band’s discography tipped to be their most potent musical statement yet.

Rise Radiant immediately faces the herculean task of living up to its predecessor, but where most bands would have chosen to adapt and try something new in light of such a challenge, CALIGULA’S HORSE have pursued a much more valiant route, opting to ameliorate an already unequivocal formula. From the moment The Tempest opens the show, we hear the unmistakable tone of a band we have grown to love, and moments later any doubt of their ability to reignite our hearts is gone. The opening riff towers tall before cascading into the sedative vocals of Jim Grey and wonderfully intricate guitar work. The track lulls and climbs like waves of the storm from which it’s named, showcasing the softest of flourishes and chasmic riffs in equal measure.

If The Tempest were successful at annulling our apprehension, then the rest of the album only elaborates on that notion. Slow Violence continues the impeccable form like a test tube baby of towering OPETH riffs and PLINI-esque solos. It quickly becomes apparent that the band have set out to indulge in the widest polarisation of their sound to date, with the record feeling heavier and more brash than previous work, yet also even more deft and crafted with ever more artistry. Each note is a brushstroke, and not many tracks demonstrate that better than Salt.

The album’s third instalment opens with simple piano keys, before swelling into another sky-scraping, technically gifted riff. Jim Grey‘s voice continues to bleed emotion, wandering through the mix with surgical precision. Unusually for such a gifted vocalist, he very rarely takes the limelight. Instead he implements his voice like an instrument, knowing precisely when to open the taps and when to sit back in a soft whisper. This allows each other component to take an equally important place in our experience, and this weighted balance makes for one of the most emotionally engaging listens that will be released this year; or decade for that matter.

Given their past successes, the size and scale of CALIGULA’S HORSE‘s offering here is not unprecedented, but that doesn’t stop it from being impressive. Once Salt concludes its trance after nearly eight minutes, Resonate offers a slight respite. Shorter and more interludial in format, it sets up the floor perfectly for Oceanrise to deliver another haymaker. After a while superlatives do nothing to describe just exactly how this album makes you feel, and again we are transported into the band’s beautifully narrated world by choppy guitar work and watertight prog metal wizardry. To say that Sam Vallen‘s solos are frighteningly effective would simply be an understatement.

Whether or not Rise Radiant is quite as good as past CALIGULA’S HORSE records will always be open to interpretation, but for a band to write three of prog’s most prolific albums in succession is no easy feat. As the record continues with Valkyrie, there is no doubt that they have done exactly that, and firmly inscribed their name in the history books. Even more so when Autumn changes the tone of the album entirely. This track is much more serene – the expansive plateau stretching out from the mountainous terrain we have encountered thus far. Gorgeous and teeming with some of the most thought provoking music in the band’s discography, it is juxtaposed perfectly against the opening to the final track, The Ascent.

If this song is indeed an ascent, it is one up a sheer cliff face, immediately slamming into us with ferocious guitar and ever-changing metallic landscape. And then near silence. It feels like a summary of everything we’ve heard across the previous 35 minutes, jumping from energetic to emotive in seconds and feeling like an arduous journey in it’s own right. The vocals soar, the guitar feels almost otherworldly and the technicality on display is akin to some of the best prog bands to walk the face of the earth. New listeners will listen to Rise Radiant with their jaws on the floor, but fans will watch on with a wry, relieved smile. CALIGULA’S HORSE have done it again.

Rating: 10/10

Rise Radiant is set for release May 22nd via InsideOut Music. 

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