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Review: Caligula’s Horse, Thekla
Given the competition from Wolves in the Throne Room down at the Fleece and fellow countrymen King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard over at the Beacon, Brisbane prog-metallers Caligula’s Horse did exceptionally well to pack out the Thekla.
First up are Four Stroke Baron (“a band that over seven billion people don’t know about”), who were previously seen opening for VOLA and Voyager at the Fleece. The sound’s a little muddier than last time, but they make excellent use of their 30 minute slot to deliver an impressive set of thoroughly modern prog/tech-metal.
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Although The Hirsch Effekt hail from Hanover, they sound nothing like the Scorpions. But such slight disappointments are swiftly put aside, as the trio’s genre-defying music proves highly effective, with thunderous drumming and impressive, if slightly under-used harmony vocals, the epic Otus from their new album Urian being a particularly strong calling card. They’re the kind of band you might expect to stumble across on one of the smaller stages at ArcTanGent and be so impressed that you stick around for the rest of the set. And possibly buy the T-shirt too.
Caligula’s Horse are on an entirely different level, with frontman Jim Grey vying for the accolade of cheeriest chappie in prog-metal. The quartet have much to be pleased about, as new album Charcoal Grace is arguably their best to date and they’ve honed their performance of it on a tour that has already wended its way across Europe. While not as openly poppy as Voyager, the Horse’s distinctively Australian brand of prog-metal is unfailingly melodic, driven by Grey’s spot-on high, clear vocals.
They open with the first two tracks from the album – The World Breathes With Me and Golem – Grey preparing us for maximum enjoyment of the latter by remarking: “Find that piece inside you that gives a fuck about what anybody else thinks . . . and throw it away.” Did that decades ago, mate. But thanks for the advice.
Then he invites us to hop into a metaphorical time machine to revisit previous albums in chronological order, beginning with the euphoric title track and Marigold from 2015’s breakthrough, Bloom. The 2017 concept album In Contact is represented by Dream the Dead and a thrilling The Hands Are the Hardest – performed live for the first time in seven years.
Only jolly Caligula’s Horse would think it wise to release an album with the uplifting title Rise Radiant in 2020, but this proved to be another step forward and is revived tonight for three songs – including The Tempest, with which they opened their cracking set at ArcTanGent last year.
Then it’s back to Charcoal Grace for the atmospheric standout The Stormchaser and set closer Mute, which gives co-founding guitarist Sam Vellen an opportunity to shine. And finally they return to Bloom for the encore of Daughter of the Mountain.
With more recentish recruits Dale Prinsse on bass and Josh Griffin on drums proving more than equal to the challenge of this complex yet accessible music, Caligula’s Horse are deservedly becoming established as one of the genre’s leading lights. Expect to find them playing in a much bigger venue next time they return to Bristol.
All pix by Mike Evans
Read more: Metal & Prog Picks: June 2024
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