Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace, out now!

[Crow]

okay nvm y'all are right salt is pretty good. not great, it has some spots that feel a bit off.

but like all the 4-5 minute tracks here just do nothing for me. they're all paint-by-numbers djent-prog. no surprises and no emotional core to them. the ascent has its moments but it's just moments, it's not consistent the whole way through. autumn is still pretty alright. it doesn't move me but it's pleasant.
the production i can see being a little flat but it doesn't super bother me? it's more just the songwriting that doesn't work for me.
can we all agree that slow violence is the worst CH song to date, btw? besides the spoken word track i can't stand. the worst actual CH song. that intro is so jank, the song is the one that most feels like it's ripping djent/alt-metal tropes, the chorus isn't particularly good, the solo's... ok i guess but it doesn't save the song. mostly it's just the intro tho i think it sounds atrocious

i'm not saying it's necessarily a bad album because it isn't but it's not... very exciting. definitely doesn't feel like their a-game.

[The Walrus]

SV is not their worst song

The band always uses djent "tropes" as you put it so I don't see why suddenly SV is this big offense *shrug*

[Buddyhunter1]

listen to The Tide, The Thief, and River's End, it's their best album by not a small margin

I might check this one out since you've specifically called it out - I've heard a few songs from this band when they came up on Spotify but I could not tell you a single thing about them for the life of me. Other than that they sounded vaguely Haken-esque but without like, any of the personality or excitement. They just went in one ear and out the other. Nothing memorably good. Nothing memorably bad. The singularity of modern prog metal averageness. Genetically modified to be as inoffensively passable as humanly possible. I have seen the end

[Elite]

The singularity of modern prog metal averageness. Genetically modified to be as inoffensively passable as humanly possible. I have seen the end

[cramx3]

The singularity of modern prog metal averageness. Genetically modified to be as inoffensively passable as humanly possible. I have seen the end

I think what they do better than Haken or other modern prog metal bands is display an emotion in the vocals and lyrics.  I think, that is what might be missing from the new album.  It doesn't come off as poetic the way Bloom and In Contact do, so I can see how maybe they fall a bit under that description but I think you should give another listen and you may pick up on the things that do separate them from the others.  Also, the more rock sound that isn't prog they seem to have a bit of in them.  Song like Firefly for example that isn't very proggy but has a nice emotional rock feel to it. 

[Crow]

i mean, haken used to be good at conveying emotion too - aquarius and the mountain say hello, and visions has its moments too, but affinity-onwards that part of them kinda disappeared 

the mountain and the tide, the thief, and river's end both came out in the same fall of 2013 which was just a really good year to be a 2010's prog metal band i guess

[The Walrus]

I don't know how you don't hear emotion in Jim's singing on this record. There's just as much as any other CH record.  I must have different ears from ya'll...

[LordCost]

To me they didn't change that much since The Tide to Rise Radiant. Every new album I feel they change just the minimum not to be accused to have done the same album as before. I can't see them doing something completely different in future too, Jim Grey vocal lines and voice tends to produce a certain type of music, Sam Vallen guitar work has a recognizable style too.
Can't see how one of the last 4 C-Horse album can be strongly preferred to other ones.

Still, to disprove my point, a friend that never cared for them before told me today that he liked The Tempest a lot. He likes metal and bands like Alter Bridge, maybe their turn to a less proggy and more direct approach (someone talked about this album is more alt metal than prog) can win them some more fans.

[Crow]

oh i'm not saying the vocals aren't the best part of this album because they 100% are
like i said the longer tracks i all like and the shorter ones aren't bad (mostly) but they're a bit flatter

[cramx3]

I don't know how you don't hear emotion in Jim's singing on this record. There's just as much as any other CH record.  I must have different ears from ya'll...

I think this goes back to production, and I should say I love his vocals on this so I'm not really ripping him, just saying I think that's what seperates CH from a Haken.

[Elite]

Song like Firefly for example that isn't very proggy but has a nice emotional rock feel to it. 

Firelight, or Dragonfly?

[me7]

The vocal lines on Rise radiant are indeed less catchy than on Bloom. But I don't find them less interesting, they have a certain weirdness that I usually appreciate in retrospect, sort of a timeless quality.

[Mladen]

Song like Firefly for example that isn't very proggy but has a nice emotional rock feel to it. 

Firelight, or Dragonfly?

I'm pretty sure he meant Dragonlight.

I'm enjoying the new album so far, but I'm having a hard time picking a favorite song. As a whole, it's a nice listen, though.

[cramx3]

Song like Firefly for example that isn't very proggy but has a nice emotional rock feel to it. 

Firelight, or Dragonfly?

I'm pretty sure he meant Dragonlight.

I'm enjoying the new album so far, but I'm having a hard time picking a favorite song. As a whole, it's a nice listen, though.

actually meant Firelight, love that song.  Nothing against dragonfly, I guess that fits my description too although thats more proggy, Firelight is more like an alt rock song.

[cramx3]

Not sure if anyone's physical CDs or digital downloads included the cover songs, but my amazon donwload did.  Thoughts on those two?  I actually really enjoy them, but I'm not familiar with the originals.  Just think those songs came off pretty well on their own.  Jim sounds fantastic on both and I'm not sure who the female singer is, but I enjoy it.  Nice bonus 

[The Walrus]

I like 'em! They're far from my favorites on the album, but as bonus tracks, good stuff. More CH is always good in my book.

[cramx3]

I like 'em! They're far from my favorites on the album, but as bonus tracks, good stuff. More CH is always good in my book.

Yea, I wouldn't compare them to the album nor would I rate them higher than the album tracks, but it's pretty enjoyable as bonus songs.  I just think Jim sounds so good on these.  I really hadn't focussed on them initially, but lately I've been listening more and really like them, specially Message to My Girl.  That's really well done.

[The Walrus]

Jim is one of those vocalists who never caught my attention much at first, but the more I listen to the band, the more I appreciate him. He's so good!

[Mebert78]

This album is insanely good.  I'm addicted.  I loved In Contact, and this album is just as good if not better.  They followed up a great album with another great album, like DT with Awake following Images and Words.  In my opinion, Caligula's Horse has now cemented a spot among the progressive metal heavyweights. 

All the songs are awesome, but "The Ascent" is such an inspirational/powerful song.  I literally can't stop listening to it.  Amazing lyrics.  And I love the artwork.  I picture it as being a person's happy place that can be reached if you can figure out how to achieve the ascent.

My favorite lyrics from the album:

"The way is forward,
The fall will take form into ascent,
You are the sun,
Rise radiant."

[cramx3]

Yea, I've had many more listens since release and agree that it's a really good and strong album.  I'm really not sure which of the last three I like more, all are very strong from front to back IMO.

[Lethean]

I pre-ordered this album but didn't listen to it right away.  I've now heard a fair bit and I think it's really strong.  I don't think it's as good as In Contact, but it's possible that could change over time.  I really hope they're able to come tour next year and put on another great show.

[The Walrus]

I pre-ordered this album but didn't listen to it right away.  I've now heard a fair bit and I think it's really strong.  I don't think it's as good as In Contact, but it's possible that could change over time.  I really hope they're able to come tour next year and put on another great show.

[axeman90210]

Hi, my name is Bill, I'm new to Caligula's Horse, and the Rust - Turntail combo has been embedded in my brain for weeks now

[ariich]

Turntail is great, one of my favourites.

Have to say, I'm liking Rise Radiant more and more with every listen. I took a break from almost all non roulette listening so I could focus on my roulette, but returning to the album now and it's pretty fantastic. Still not quite on a par with the majesty of In Contact, but now on a level with the two before that. It has a sort of emotionality to it that's a little different to what they've done before, which I really like.

[cramx3]

I'm a big fan of Turntail, such a fun song

[axeman90210]

On my first listens there's nothing on Rise Radiant that immediately hooks me like Turntail or Songs For No-One (maybe my favorite song so far), but I do want to spend some more time with it.

Also curious as to people's thoughts generally on the spoken word piece from In Contact? I'm not always in the mood for a three minute spoken word piece, but the delivery of the last few lines going into the next song gives me goosebumps just about every time.

[ariich]

On my first listens there's nothing on Rise Radiant that immediately hooks me like Turntail or Songs For No-One (maybe my favorite song so far), but I do want to spend some more time with it.

Rise Radiant is definitely a grower, in my opinion.

Also curious as to people's thoughts generally on the spoken word piece from In Contact? I'm not always in the mood for a three minute spoken word piece, but the delivery of the last few lines going into the next song gives me goosebumps just about every time.

I know some people (Cyril) hate it, but I absolutely love it. It's so evocative and powerful and the way it leads into the next song is amazing.

[cramx3]

I'm typically not a fan of spoken word but I feel it's really well done on In Contact.  It comes off as pretty powerful and poetic.  Also agree with Ariich that Rise Radiant is a grower but I kind of feel like everything other than Bloom/Marigold was a grower for me. 

[Crow]

Yeah I almost never skip songs on albums but I skip that one every time tbh

[LordCost]

I don't think it's a grower honestly, quite the opposite. The only song I took 7 or 8 times before enjoying it is The Ascent, and now it's the one I want to listen the most. I am not spinning much anymore the album honestly.
I probably overplayed Salt and Autumn, while the 4 alt-metal tracks are still very enjoyable when I listen to them, even if not so frequently.

[gazinwales]

Australian Tour Dates in April, will be my first gig since Opeth in November 2019, can't wait.

[cramx3]

  that's great, they have a new guitarist now?  I hope they can reschedule that US tour, would love to see them again

[lonestar]

that's great, they have a new guitarist now?  I hope they can reschedule that US tour, would love to see them again

For reals... The biggest tour loss of covid man. I was fucking pumped for that show

[Mladen]

I saw these guys a couple of days ago in Budapest and it was a fantastic gig. They are touring as a four piece with backing tracks taking care of certain bits and pieces, but it's a very good performance overall. As much as I love the shorter tracks from the most recent release, the epics from In contact were actually the highlight. At the end, the guys came over to greet the fans and take photos, it was a great evening.

[cramx3]

Nice.  They'll be in the US in less than a month for another show at ProgPower.  Very excited for that, but I kind of hope they don't do Graves.  They did that last time and I'd love to see them play some other songs in it's place.  I mean, it was epic so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if they do it again, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uslgwQ9lMMI