Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace

2024-01-26 08:00:17

We have been working for many long years Caligula’s Horse towards the modern prog rock Olympus. The Australian quartet likes things to be artful and demanding, they also like to play with courage and have been on the verge of making it to the Champions League for ages. Will this succeed with your sixth studio album? „Charcoal Grace“ was created under the impressions of pandemic hopelessness, influenced by global upheaval and unrest, and still looks for the silver lining on the horizon.

The centerpiece is of course the four-part title song, which takes up an impressive 24 minutes. The way “Prey” lays the foundation with buttery, epic sound surfaces and gives the necessary space for the magical musical development is immediately captivating. Crunchy, oppressive riffs and sometimes thunderous drums intensify the action before “A World Without” focuses primarily on the quieter nuances and ends with a prog fanfare. After the ballad-like, fragile interlude “Vigil,” “Give Me Hell” concludes with some of the heaviest moments of the entire album, playing with metallic extremes and virtuosic string sorcery.

But even beyond this hussar ride, Caligula’s Horse knows how to impress. The final “Mute” is of course given a lot of (deserved) attention, and not just because of the impressive playing time of twelve minutes. In fact, the Australians manage to pack all the qualities into an opus magnus. Above all, the long part with an angry djent influence and falsetto singing (memories of early Liserstille come back) ensures pure, lasting enthusiasm. But the thoughtful break with a careful build-up to the next big explosion also commands respect and impressively shows how far the band has come.

With a running time of over an hour, Caligula’s Horse doesn’t show a single length. That alone commands respect, but ultimately it is the musical unity that makes an absolute impression. In the end, every single track here could have been used as a representative, as “Charcoal Grace” presents itself as strong, rousing and epic in its demanding, monumental entirety. In fact, the Australians have finally managed to capture all the qualities and capture them on record. The result is a small modern prog masterpiece – sometimes artistic and playful, sometimes rough and tough – of the most enormous caliber. And the light of hope shines brighter than ever.

Rating: 9/10

Available from: January 26, 2024
Available via: Inside Out Music (Sony Music)

Website: caligulashorse.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/caligulashorseband