Rise and shine. Rise Radiant is the 2020 album by Caligula’s Horse: a punchy, uplifting record that distils everything the Australian prog-metallers do best.

The short version

The 2020 album by Australian progressive metal band Caligula’s Horse, released on Inside Out Music, and their fifth studio release. Their most focused and potent statement to date, it channels the band’s trademark blend of heavy, technical prog and soaring, uplifting melody into eight tight, powerful songs. Themes of self-belief, resilience and survival run through the record, delivered with real fire and heart. Punchy yet expansive, ferocious yet touching, it is Caligula’s Horse at their most direct and inspiring.

Focused and fierce

Following the ambitious In Contact, Caligula’s Horse tightened their focus for Rise Radiant, their fifth album, aiming for their most concentrated and potent work yet. The five-piece — singer Jim Grey, guitarist and producer Sam Vallen, guitarist Adrian Goleby, drummer Josh Griffin and new bassist Dale Prinsse — delivered eight songs of real power and precision. Where In Contact spread its wings across a sprawling concept, Rise Radiant is leaner and more immediate, trading some length for punch. The result is a record that hits hard and lifts high, brimming with the band’s signature blend of muscle and melody.

The sound

Rise Radiant is punchy, uplifting prog metal, pairing heavy, technical riffing with big, soaring choruses and a real sense of positivity. Sam Vallen’s intricate guitar work and the syncopated drive of the rhythm section give the album its force, while Jim Grey’s expressive, high-flying vocals give it its heart. The band dial back some of their heaviest djent tendencies in favour of melody and momentum, adding crossover colour without losing their edge. Ferocious in places and tender in others, it is a focused, feel-good record that never sacrifices ambition — drawing comparisons to the likes of Karnivool and Haken.

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The songs

The single ‘The Tempest’ opens the album in storming fashion, all drive and soaring melody. The short, gorgeous ‘Resonate’ is a highlight of a different kind — a restrained, synth-tinged gem that lodges in the memory at once. And the near-eleven-minute closer ‘The Ascent’ is the album’s epic centrepiece, sweeping between dizzying heights and quiet depths to bring the record to a stirring finish.

Reception and legacy

Rise Radiant was warmly received and earned some of the band’s strongest reviews yet, praised for its focus, its melodies and its uplifting spirit. Reviewers welcomed the leaner songwriting and the album’s feel-good energy, with the epic ‘The Ascent’ and the delicate ‘Resonate’ among the most admired moments. It charted in several countries and further widened the band’s international following. Though touring plans were disrupted by the events of 2020, it remains a much-loved entry in the Caligula’s Horse catalogue.

The verdict

Rise Radiant is Caligula’s Horse at their most focused and inspiring: punchy, melodic, uplifting prog metal with real power and heart. Come for the storming ‘The Tempest’ and the epic ‘The Ascent.’ Sitting between the ambitious In Contact and the acclaimed Charcoal Grace, it is a high point of modern Australian prog — essential listening for anyone who loves their prog metal muscular, melodic and full of feeling.

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