RISE RADIANT

Aussie prog metal forerunners Caligula's Horse harvest a collection of rampant sounds on their 2020 studio release titled 'Rise Radiant', the follow-up to the excellent 'In Contact' from 2017. Ever since its establishment, the band has been recognized as an act crafting a very fine mixture of progressive metal instrumentation with melodic and uplifting writing, resulting in some uncommon but extremely pleasant compositions. And 'Rise Radiant' is no exception - this is an album that preserves the technicality of the C-Horse sounds but aims to expand its scope with the introduction of a few crossover moments that blend a rather poppy sensibility with a tamer, toned down sound and writing. For what concerns the vocal work, which is one of the core aspects of the band's sound, the listener might not find the usual astounding, bold vocals but a rather controlled, thoughtful and intelligent use of Jim Grey's voice, which is quite commendable.

And in the light of these thoughts, we might see how the true "radiance" lies within the beautiful contrasting tones of the entire LP - the presence of both lighter and darker shades is a really pleasant surprise as it was also much needed for Caligula's Horse's catalogue. Some powerhouse tracks like the ballsy opener 'The Tempest' or the prog-anthem 'Slow Violence', an electrifying single that offers a tremendous blend of powerful riffs and unrivaled rage, or the fast-paced 'Valkyrie', all offer a counterpoint to the nurturing and calm nature of tracks like 'Salt' and 'Autumn', the only problem of which might be that they could have eventually transmitted the same feel with a slightly shorter length. But opposed to this we have a powerful album closer - 'The Ascent', which probably sums up excellently both the thematic and the sonic ventures of 'Rise Radiant', which nevertheless remains a very strong entry into the discography of Caligula's Horse.