Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Caligula's Horse
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: year_month
Running time: 44:55
Rating: 4/5
Australian bands have always wanted to prove themselves with something special, something that sets them apart from the dominant commercial scene. That naturally goes for the bands inspired by progressive acts too. So far the Aussies have made themselves heard with bands like Karnivool, Alarum, Dead Letter Circus and Ne Obliviscaris, and there’d be a few more to dig up. These bands undoubtedly don’t stand out for any standards you’d automatically pin on American bands.
Caligula’s Horse aren’t newcomers, but they never quite got the attention they deserved. Their promotion just wasn’t as visible before as it is this year, with the band now under the Inside Out umbrella. Above all, though, that also shone a light on singer Jim Grey’s other outfit, Arcane, which hits harder than Caligula’s Horse. Caligula’s Horse do use metal elements, but they put alternative rock front and center. The combo isn’t new, mind you — Americans already served up something similar with Rishloo and Fair to Midland.
The opening of this Australian quintet’s third full-length is mellow at first, then wakes up and shows its aces, and that carries on into the track Marigold. It feels like the start of some progressive rock concept album, hinting that plenty more is going to happen on the record. In Caligula’s Horse’s case, you could say that’s true. Bloom delivers eight varied tracks, with pleasant melodic stretches, rhythmically more demanding passages and dreamy parts that are more on the soothing side. Caligula’s Horse can write a more commercially minded song with a nice chorus, like Firelight, or a more demanding, progressive-leaning one, like the 9-minute Dragonfly, where not everything is predictable. This is where Jim Grey’s vocals really come to the fore — he takes free rein over the calm passages and shows a real knack for building lines. Besides the calm in the vein of Opeth and Riverside, Caligula’s Horse also show some punch in riffs that flirt with djent. Rust is a good example. Otherwise, more rock-oriented approaches dominate, which don’t rely on complexity alone but give the whole thing a common thread. To close, the band offers the acoustic Undergrowth, letting us know that sweetness isn’t foreign to them either — though thankfully there isn’t much of it.
The sound of the record itself is more than good. No instrument sits in the background. The guitarists’ solos aren’t overdone. The rhythm section is nicely dynamic. Jim Grey shows a feel for melody with his tuneful vocals, though at times you’d expect something more aggressive from him so the heavy parts could stand out more. Even though there’s no major progress over the predecessor The Tide, The Thief & River’s End apart from a fuller sound, it makes no sense to claim the band has stagnated with Bloom.
With Bloom, Caligula’s Horse have once again shown their potential and what makes the Australian scene special. Blending alternative and progressive rock makes sense for this band and looks promising too, even if it’s not exactly groundbreaking innovation.
Lineup
Sam Vallen – guitar
Jim Grey – vocals
Zac Greensill – guitar and vocals
Dave Couper – bass and vocals
Geoff Irish – drums
Production
Sam Vallen
Tracklist
01. Bloom
02. Marigold
03. Firelight
04. Dragonfly
05. Rust
06. Turntail
07. Daughter Of The Mountain
08. Undergrowth
