REVIEW/ 9/12/24 BLOOM BY CALIGULAS HORSE

I really do not intend of making these more than a week apart from eachother. Fact of the matter is I love writing reviews, it's just work is so draining, and I tend to write my reviews after my days over, so by the time I start them, I'm basically dead. That being said, It's time to review my favorite band. Caligulas Horse's, Bloom. This album came to me my first year of college, no one really liked me, I was in a Vermont far from anyone who did care about me, I was basically alone in the world starting anew. This was a done on purpose, I wanted to be alone, and start from the beginning, but I didn't know how lonely it'd be. The roommate who was supposed to be there with me, hated me, I hated him, So I lived by myself when he moved out very, very early on. Many sleepless nights of me grinding homework, or Yu-Gi-Oh with heavy metal in the background, feeling nothing from it. After I decided to listen to some Earthside, I happened upon them by accident when I entered into a music hall uninvited years prior. Now Earthside is a tale for another day, but the moral of this story is that without them I'd never be into Progressive Metal as much as I am today. Tuning into the Earthside radio on spotify, I happened upon Rust, by Caligula's Horse. Now all the primer out of the way, the reason why I poured my heart a bit there is because that is just what Caligula's Horse does. Even in Prog Metal standards, they're unique; never has a band been so gentle, and yet so harsh, so emotional, but also understanding. The lyrics in Bloom reveals a tale of control, jealousy, death, and the celebration of life all around the daughter of the mountain, the goddess in bloom. The opening tracls Bloom, and Marigold is about the blooming and growth of this daughter of the mountain, lets just call her, Grace, its a soft and gentle song that ends loud and grand in the arrival of Grace. In her light all hope is not lost. This grandness follows into Marigold, a song following a self described king. He's jealous of Grace, and the radiance she produces, and the love she is given by his people, threatening violence to her, and the people under her light, via stranglation. With his hands he has the power to change the world, for the best or the worse, and within his hands, and the loss of Grace, he see's that it's his responsibility to use his wealth, and power to bring back the hope that he took for granted, as much as he can, before he too falls into the undergrowth. Now I'm not gonna go in depth with all the songs off the album, Firelight is sloppy, Undergrowth and Daughter of The Mountain need a bit more time in the oven, that is to say they are still really good songs. Firelight is uplifting after Marigold's descent into despair, Undergrowth and Daughter of The Mountain add much needed context and characterization to this story. Rust is a song about despair. unlike Marigold, Rust is without jealousy, but employs a level of realism, and understanding that Marigold touched upon. The repeating Fuck your prayer for Rain, Pray for Rust with the imagery of eyes looking at him, and hands clawing on him, filled me with a sense of togetherness I haven't experienced with music before. I've always had trouble feeling people watch me all the time for the way I act, dress, and compose myself and It's all maddening, having trouble meeting new people did not help with this feeling, so having a song that understands the unbridled emotion of fuck you all, leave me be because I refuse to conform with your way of life, without being in your face, and loud about it, made be feel less alone in the world. That's Caligulas Horse's thesis; understanding human emotions, while being gently and comforting about it. The best way I'd describe Caligulas Horse is a really good friend. The final song I'd like to describe is Dragonfly. A song about jealousy and the lengths you'd go through to see your way through. The narrator is a man, who follows in Grace's light. He desires her radiance, he wants to feel all the warmth she gives out in his cold life. He would do anything for one last taste of her grace. His jealousy and depravity ultimately led him to kill her, his obsession with her made his life fall apart, as he dug himself many graves just to get a glimpse at her again, so in cloak and dagger he takes her life. A slow burn, but such a beautifully compossed song, with such soft lyrics it makes you feel safe, and warm inside as if you were this man, under Grace's light-however by the end of the song it gets harsher, and angier as we now feel his depravity, it's such an emotional rollercoaster, I love it. Despite everything I've said about the other songs in this review, they're all amazing, Sam Vallen, the Guitarist is a doctor in music, he understands the guitar more than I understand myself. Jim Grey sings as if it's his primary function in life, his range and style can change at a dime and it all sounds so beautiful. Every other member knows their purpose and plays their part and it all makes an etheral experience that hardly any bands try and fail to do. Most prog metal is preachy, but Caligula's Horse stays in their lane and understand rides smoothly. I know prog and especially the folkier stuff isn't everyone's cup of tea, but this album must be heard atleast once so your soul can thank you later, 10/10, fuck it 11/10.