Dear readers, we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with an Australian band with a Progressive Metal/Rock sound. We welcome Caligula’s Horse.
Hello, how are you?
“Good! Weâve been touring more than ever this year and Iâm currently on some much needed downtime between trips.“
What is the meaning of your band name Caligula’s Horse?
“Caligula was a famous despotic Roman emperor, and there were many (likely apocryphal) stories about his relationship with his horse, Incitatus – making it a consul being the most commonly repeated. Jim (our singer and my co writer) and I were both devotees of this history and these stories and when we formed our band â long before we really had any aspirations as to where it could go etc. â we thought Caligulaâs Horse was a funny and interesting story to use.“
You play fresh and modern Progressive Metal/Rock, where does your passion for this sound come from?
“Iâve always been excited by dynamism and colour. Metal can feel a little one-dimensional, and the benefit we get from the âprogressiveâ substyle is an open-mindedness to these qualities, allowing us to experiment with dynamics, colour, structure, rhythm, etc. in a manner unconstrained by the imperative to fit into the specifics of genre â things we shouldâ or âshouldnâtâ do.“
The new album “Charcoal Grace” was released in January 2024, how would you describe this work?
“Itâs a reflection of our experience of the pandemic years, and the way our worldview changed watching the worldâs behaviour in this time. Itâs also a manifestation of reconnecting with our identities as musicians after being locked at home for years.“
Long tracks including a suite that gives the album its title, how did the album concept come about?
“Concepts usually form alongside music for us â one influences the other back and forth until we happen upon something we can follow to its conclusion. The CG suite is a fictitious narrative that allowed us to explore a lot of the albumâs themes through a human story. In that sense, itâs a cautionary tale about the nature of hatred and trauma.“
Both the music and the vocals are very intense, what themes do the lyrics deal with?
“The lyrics are about coming to terms with generational trauma and the decision to forgive. The characterâs internal battle comes under duress â instituted by both their own memories and misgivings, and their parentâs inevitable death through illness, which adds an unavoidable temporality to the decisions they face.“
Many of our readers and your fans are wondering if there will be a chance to hear the new album live, do you have any plans in this regard?
“Weâve historically done albumâs in full in the past, but only in Australia. Itâs simply too expensive to bring a tour like that overseas at this stage (being that it is a little more niche than a regular tour). I wouldnât say never, but realistically it isnât particularly likely outside of our home country.“
How do you think the way of gigging has changed in the last 15 years? What has changed for you?
“Interestingly gigging is probably the thing that has changed the least for us. We came up through the transition to internet 2.0 and the dominance of streaming services and so we saw music distribution change fundamentally throughout our career, amongst many other things. All the while we grew as a touring band, playing bigger and bigger venues, and the only thing that really changed there was the scope and perhaps the technology.“
The band was formed in 2011, how has your sound evolved over the years?
“Every album is a microcosm for us â we deliberately try to contrast our past musical approaches with each album, so thereâs that on an album-to-album scale. Bigger picture though, weâve matured as songwriters and expanded the vocabulary we have available. In CH we write for us foremost; we can only be sure something is good if it makes us feel something. Weâve gotten better at this confidence and abandon over the years. As a result, I think the emotion-on-our-sleeve component of our music has expanded. Charcoal Grace is definitely the apex of this so far.“
The music market has changed a lot over time, how difficult is it (if at all) to establish yourself today by offering a more refined gere like yours?
“I feel very sorry for bands coming up nowadays, especially outside of the more broadly trendy and popular styles (in Australia itâs metalcore). There are infinite bands out there, and peopleâs attention spans have never been shorter, especially with the foregrounding of âcontentâ above art. I think the short answer is âextremely hardâ. Hopefully we as a global collective start to move away from the instgrams and TikToks of the world at some point soon.“
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music by proposing Progressive Rock/Metal?
“Focus on your art above all else. Nothing matters more than your songs, and once you have those, and youâve started developing a live show that complements them, the rest is just a game of incremental steps. Iâd caution young bands to focus on their personal/social reputation too â be nice to everyone you interact with and make friends. People talk, and itâs important that youâre not that problematic figure when those conversations happen.“
Do you have any other activities or artistic passions outside of music?
“Most of my interests are in the realm of music, be it production, academia (I hold a doctorate in music and teach at university), or performance. Other than that I like to spend time with my family, travel, hike, and play TTRPGs/TCGs/and video games!“
I thank Caligula’s Horse for the interview, wishing them all the best for the continuation of their artistic career.
“Thank you!“
Purchase “Charcoal Grace” here: https://caligulashorse.lnk.to/CharcoalGrace-Bio
Purchase “Charcoal Grace” Deluxe Edition here: https://caligulashorse.lnk.to/CharcoalGrace-DeluxeEdition
Lineup:
Jim Grey / Lead Vocals
Sam Vallen / Lead Guitar
Josh Griffin / Drums
Dale Prinsse / Bass
