Caligula’s Horse: Brisbane prog-metal export wraps up tour at The Zoo

HE STARTED out in a cathedral choir, now he’s raising hell as a prog-metal merchant with a global following.

Choirboy-turned-rocker sings himself Horse

A CATHEDRAL choir might not be the usual proving ground for a hard rock musician, but Caligula’s Horse co-founder Jim Grey is one cultured metalhead.

“I’ve been singing since I was a kid. I was a member of the St John’s Cathedral Choir for my entire schooling, and was on a scholarship for that as well at a private school,” Grey says.

“(So) I’ve been doing that for a long time, and I actually studied jazz and classical voice at the conservatorium post-school as well,

“And I’ve been making music in bands and playing in live rock music venues since before I was old enough to be in them. So I’ve been doing it for a long time!

“And of course the other guy Sam (Vallen) is currently doing his PhD in music as well, so we’ve all gone through a tertiary musical process.”

Caligula's Horse founders Zac Greenslil (left) and Sam Vallen.

As well as “the prized possession of Rome’s infamous despot”, Caligula’s Horse was the name of the solo project that ultimately brought the band together.

“Sam our guitarist wrote practically an album’s worth of solo material — it was gonna be a little solo project for him, just a one-off album — and he asked me to come and guest on one of the tracks as a vocalist,” Grey recalls.

“And we had a great time — obviously we got on really well and had a really cool creative process going — so we decided that I was gonna sing on the whole album.

“And then we basically went, OK, we’ve gotta put a band together now cos the response to the album was pretty great as well.”

Since that genesis the band have been turning out albums and EPs at a cracking pace, with Bloom their third album in four years.

“We’re workaholics, man! We never wanna stop making music, and I don’t think we ever will, to be honest,” Grey says.

“You’ve got a love for the thing that you do, as well as a skill that you craft over time, and a working relationship that you build, and that grows as well.

“So with each album, the writing process and then the recording process is quicker and quicker.

“Bloom was maybe six months from inception to total fruition — the actual pressing of the album was totally finished in that time — so it was really really quick.”

Caligula’s Horse is at the vanguard of a flourishing progressive metal scene in Australia which is finally starting to gain attention both domestically and abroad.

“We do have, in that underground sense, a strong following all across Western Europe and through the United States as well, lots of people wanting us to get over there,” he says.

“But of course being an Australian artist the biggest challenge is that huuuuuge financial outlay just to even get over there, let alone tour for a month.”

Caligula’s Horse, supported by Chaos Divine, The Stranger and Rise Overrun, wrap up their Australian tour at The Zoo, Fortitude Valley, on Saturday, April 23. Tickets at oztix

Zac Greensill and Sam Vallen in full head-bang mode.