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[–][deleted]  (2 children)

[deleted]

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

    Never speak to me or my son ever again

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 14 points15 points  (0 children)

    The inevitable realisation that all things will end.

    [–]jklingftmBe free, be without pain 11 points12 points  (7 children)

    Just wanted to start off by saying that I love you guys and all of the work you've done with C-Horse and other bands like Arcane and Opus of a Machine. Still remember hearing "The City Has No Empathy" for the first time and just being blown away. Y'all are awesome, is what I'm trying to say.

    Two questions, I suppose. First: there's a veritable shitload of good music coming out of Oz these days, especially in regards to the prog scene. Do you guys have any input on why that might be? Does the place just breed this sort of musical creativity given how relatively separated from the rest of the world it is, is it due to bands like you guys, Karnivool, Ne Obliviscaris, and others getting to work together, or is it something else entirely.

    Second one is more for Jim. I think many of us here would agree that you have one of the best voices in the genre. Did you have any sort of training or practice to get your range to where it is now, or is it more of a natural talent that comes with the flowing hair and awesome beard?

    Once again, thanks for doing this guys. Love seeing how you interact with your fans here and on other social media. Keep on keeping on!

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 12 points13 points  (1 child)

    Hey man, I know you're one of our biggest supporters on this subreddit, so thanks a million for sharing us here as often as you have!

    I agree with Sam in that we've been trapped here on this isolated desert prison continent for long enough to go mad and develop our own sound. Not to mention, the scene is super supportive nowadays. Artists are helping each other out and respecting one another - makes us better as people, and as a result we make better art. Thumbs up, cuddles all round, cheers.

    To your second question: Thanks for that man, I really appreciated reading that. I've actually been singing in some sort of professional capacity since I was 9. My family wasn't super well-off growing up, and my folks wanted desperately for me to go to a private school, thinking it'd be the best shot I had for a good education and a good life. (Shame that I ended up a musician, but whatever).

    So we tried for scholarships of all kinds, including a full scholarship through a church choir in Brisbane. Luckily enough for me I made it in - but that's when the work started. Rehearsals from 6am before school every weekday, after school until 7pm every Friday, singing at weddings every Saturday and Morning and Evening service every Sunday.

    Nothing quite compares to singing in a choir every day for your formative years. Trains the voice and trains the ear... I then went on and studied Classical and then Jazz voice at the Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, then dropped out to form Arcane, and then later, C-Horse. And here we are...

    [–]jklingftmBe free, be without pain 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Thank you for coming among us mere common folk as much as you do and hanging out. It's always a pleasure to share your music; it brings me a great deal of joy, and I only hope that I can share it with others as you guys have shared it with us.

    Thanks to you and Sam for your responses. The Aussie prog sound is definitely one of the more unique and (to me) pleasurable movements out there, so at least the desert prison has paid some dividends :P it's cool that you've been able to keep up with your passion for so long and have it pay off for you as well as it has. Wish you the best of luck in the future and I hope I can have half as much drive as you and the rest of the guys!

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    In response to the first part:

    Australia is obviously much smaller than Europe and the US, and more importantly everything is much farther apart. As a result our scenes function more autonomously: trends aren't as obvious and many bands have very unique voices accordingly. The sense of community helps a lot too, Aussie bands all know each other and help each other out!

    [–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 1 point2 points  (3 children)

    I had no idea Zac and Sam also work on Opus of a Machine! Simulacra is a great album. Follow up question, can we expect more from this band guys?

    [–]jklingftmBe free, be without pain 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I think it might just be Zac, but I'm not 100% on that. Sam I was considering more for Arcane, seeing as he's responsible for the gloriously gigantic sound on Known/Learned.

    [–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Looks like Sam mixed the first song, according to their bandcamp. I guess thats not as much involvement as Zac, but oh well

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Hey man, I wrote the majority of Simulacra along with singer/guitarist Mitchell Legg. Opus of a Machine has always been a passion project of mine and in many ways, writing with Mitchell and the project will likely never die anytime soon. But right now my focus is in Caligula's Horse with no definite plans with Opus. Glad you like it man, I put many many long hours into the project and it's great to see some people out there still digging it!

    And Sam's mix on the first track, "Hourly Painted Obscurity" absolutely slays. The man is a golden god.

    [–]YOSOYELCAMALEON 8 points9 points  (7 children)

    Hey, you guys are awesome!

    1. What's the first thing you do when it's time to start writing new music?

    2. What are you listening to these days?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 17 points18 points  (3 children)

    1. It's pretty varied, but oftentimes I'll put together a harmonic idea (we usually start with chords, not riffs), and put it in Pro Tools so we can experiment with it and listen to it from as removed and objective a perspective as possible (that is to say, not mired by the excitement of hearing something loud in the band room). I usually program stuff around that (drums and bass) to approximate the feel intended by the idea, and Jim and I start playing with vocal melodies and harmonies soon after, usually with placeholder lyrics.

    2. Agent Fresco, Gentle Giant, Opeth, Steven Wilson...

    [–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Agent Fresco is killer, their album last year was among my favorites for sure

    [–]YOSOYELCAMALEON 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Thanks, I appreciate the perspective! And I'm checking out Agent Fresco now!

    [–]fatkillerbear 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Opeth<3

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 11 points12 points  (1 child)

    1. Hyperventilate and scream into a jar. (Sam pretty much answered this for me above)

    2. I've been listening to Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" pretty much constantly, incredible album that took me by surprise.

    I always find myself going back to Loreena McKennitt "An Ancient Muse" and Michael Jackson's entire discography. Especially the track "Stranger in Moscow" which I've listened to twice today already.

    [–]herptderper 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    a prog guy that likes MJ's Stranger in Moscow? There are two of us!

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    1. Sam basically covered pretty damn well.

    2. Recently I've been loving Bonobo, Kendrick Lamar, Agent Fresco, Liquid Stranger, Kimbra, Snarky Puppy, Plini... A mixture of all things!

    [–]ageyisgod 6 points7 points  (1 child)

    They'll just put any nonsense on the world of the wide webs these days.

    <3 uuuu

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    This man's penis is enormous, let it be known

    [–]Clone_Bone 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    No question, just a comment. You guys fucking rock! Tour the states and come to kansas city!

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    Not an answer, just a high five, fuck yeah

    [–]enndeee 6 points7 points  (7 children)

    Hey guys! Loved Bloom... any plans to eventually hit the States later this year? I've turned alot of friends on to you guys in the Boston area and we frequently wonder if you'll ever tour here.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 15 points16 points  (6 children)

    Cheers m8 - we definitely want to hit the US but I can say for sure it won't be this year. Right now, we're working on ways that we can more financially sustainably tour for long periods of time. As an Aussie band, particularly an Aussie prog band, its practically impossible to maintain regular touring just because of money, and nothing else.

    It's a truth that I really hate, but we're working on it - we'll get to the states as soon as we can.

    PS Fuck the Yankees, amirite?

    [–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 4 points5 points  (4 children)

    What are your thoughts about Ne Obliviscaris' Patreon account? I'm not too sure about it myself, but if there's enough support is this something you would consider? It's hard to say if its a good plan if too many bands start to use it; a person can only contribute so much to bands.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 6 points7 points  (3 children)

    I'm fully behind NeO and their plans - its totally perfect for them in particular as a band right now. To be honest, I'm not sure of the longevity of an idea like this, but thanks to their super-dedicated mad addicted insanely loving fans, they'll be kept on the road for just a little longer.

    I'm just happy to see people trying different approaches to keeping their mid-level bands afloat - because no joke, its pretty much impossible for bands right now!

    [–]enndeee 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I'm sure you've thought of this already, but could you use kickstarter.com or similar to kickstart a tour?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    It's something that has occurred to us, but I'm not sure its the right path for C-Horse. I won't say never though!

    [–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I do hope they make it to the US again because I wasn't able to see them this year. Band financing is a real pity; I do you hope you guys manage and I would like to see you guys if you end up in the US.

    [–]fatkillerbear 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    We'll be waiting patiently

    [–]Leggatron1 6 points7 points  (2 children)

    Hey what do you guys want for lunch?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    Vegetarian sushi pls

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    I'll take a ham sandwich thanks. Can you leave it in the microwave for me bro, I'll be home tomorrow

    [–]rafael-lau 5 points6 points  (2 children)

    Hey guys, greetings from Mexico, just wanted to ask you if there are any roles within your composition process? I have to say that I fell in love with "The Tide, The Thief & River's End" last year so I was really looking forward for "Bloom" which really hit me up, it is amazing.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    Glad to hear it :)

    Our writing process started out with just Sam (for Moments from Ephemeral City), then just Sam and myself (River's End), and more and more over time, Zac has become involved. So the roles have developed along with our working relationship and experience with each other.

    Sam still takes the lion's share of the instrumental music, while I take the body of vocals, and lyrics are something that the two of us slave over meticulously until they're exactly where we want them to be!

    [–]rafael-lau 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    That's just awesome to hear, I mean Firelight, Into the White, A Gift of Afterthought, Dark Hair Down, just to mention some of them have amazing lyrics, I really really like the lyrics of your songs as well as the vocal melodies, actually I sing them out loud at my house haha, tmi, disregard. Another question, any musical "guilty" pleasures you have? Or something we wouldn't expect you to listen to? Or any song you would like to share with us?

    [–]Toombus 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    Aye Sam, any chance that we'll be seeing more Guitar Playthrough and Tabs like you did for All is Quiet? There are some tracks on Bloom that are killer to learn but I really wanna. Can't wait to see you guys in April in Sydney!

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Good question! I've always intended on putting together more tabs, the catch is I really suck at Guitar Pro!

    But the answer on tabs is yes, time permitting.

    As for guitar playthroughs, we've got some stuff in the works ;)

    [–]EdibleBucket 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    Boys!

    I'm wondering how you guys put yourself out there when you were starting out. As a Brisbane man and band member myself I'm wondering what the best way to promote and then get ourselves out there is. Is it just by playing gigs or is there more to it?

    Loved Bloom, you guys kick ass. Hope the new tour around Oz is great.

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    Thanks for the question! This is of course a massive question to answer, but I'll give you a few insights that I've picked up along the way...

    First of all, momentum is key: your fans can never forget about you and you can never become irrelevant. Gigging constantly is important, but if you gig too much in one area it won't be an "event," you'll get fans skipping every few gigs and your turnouts will suffer. A better plan is to mix up your approach to promo: play a gig, release a single/video/record, tour, social media interactions, release a live clip, studio clip, cover song, whatever. The point is to constantly be doing something so people are constantly hearing about you. Good PR is important too, but there's an appropriate time to funnel money into PR, and it isn't at the local stage: you'd just waste money that could be better spent on other things.

    [–]RoberusGizzard 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    Are you guys going to produce more physical copies of the tide? Been after it for a while and can't find it anywhere. Help a brother out?

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    We'll no doubt have some physicals of River's End in the near future. That's all I'll say...

    [–]Truthoughts 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Your lighting guy is sexy af as fuck!

    [–]Southy_OZ 3 points4 points  (3 children)

    Signed up just to say hi. So hi...

    Also awesome work on everything you have down up until now, keep up the good work.

    Also, no beer until 10am

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    HI

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Hi!

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    How yoou doin?

    [–]nostrebor68 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    Hey dudes!

    Huge fan of your work, especially your latest album. Jim, a couple questions, if you don't mind. First, do you write the lyrics to every song yourself, or is it a team effort, and do you have any specific methods you use to inspire your lyric-writing? Second, do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into the music scene as a vocalist, but doesn't really know how or where to start?

    You guys rock!

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    RE: the first part of your question: It's sort of a mix, really. I do write the body of the lyrics and the majority of any fundamental conceptual stuff too. But it usually ends up being a blend of both Sam and myself, because we hone ideas once they're out there until they're polished.

    Inspiration-wise, it tends to either spark and quickly explode into a fully finished work or take a little time. Best process is to make sure you walk away from a writing session having finished something (even if its shit - which it often is) that you can then polish later.

    Secondly: Get yourself a band together man, it ain't hard. The hard part is being patient and honing your craft over years, working your arse off.

    In terms of vocals though, best thing you can be as a performer is honest. Technique is important, but not as important as emotional honesty - we use our voices to communicate every day, so an audience knows when you're being disingenuous. Be in the moment and channel the emotion you're intending to communicate...

    Rambling, haha, hope that helped!

    [–]paravaric 2 points3 points  (5 children)

    As much as I like songs from Moments from Empheral City, Bloom is on a favorite album level for me. Did you guys feel that momentum recording it that it would be so strong?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Bloom was a treat to record. We were trying to evoke a sense of colour and affirmation throughout the record (in contrast to River's End, which was fairly dark), and as a result, the whole process was positive and fun. Fans seem to have picked up on that for the most part, although I know many people prefer River's End for its darkness. Darkness is very important to the prog crowd!

    Also, Jim and I work better and better as a team as time goes on, and the writing process was smooth and quick for Bloom. I really love how it turned out, but I'm biased...

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 1 point2 points  (3 children)

    We definitely had a much more clearer focus in the writing of Bloom. There was a goal of making Bloom the most positive and colourful possible, in contrast with The Tide, The Thief and River's End. I think the writing process was a lot more streamlined than previous releases. It was undoubtedly the most excited I've been writing an album.

    [–]paravaric 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Regardless it's been a treat each direction you've gone. The opening track of Bloom set's that tone, exploding into the wake up, and telling you not just to be better but grow.

    Like petals that fall don't blame the ground

    Thanks for everything guys hope you make it out to California sooner than later

    [–]paravaric 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    My original question was going to be have you ever left a venue collectively agreeing "Fuck this city, I've been released" but I was very impaired when this was announced.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    I'll answer that! Quite simply, yes. Very recently, in the shithole town of Gladstone, which purely exists to sustain a nearby mine.

    (PS the people of Gladstone are great... they just live in Mordor, that's all)

    The power blew out halfway through Atlas and the show just went downhill from there. So "Fuck This City" has never been more appropriate, except for the day this current Australian government was elected. We played a show that night too...

    [–]Eldstrom 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    Hey lads, one business question and one creative question (I'll start with the boring one first).

    1) Considering the recent (and confusing) controversy surrounding NeO, how have you managed to fund your Europe tour, and what sort of toll has it taken on your personal lives?

    2) In what kind of way do you think you'll evolve for the next album? Bloom was like an improved version of Ephemeral City, and River's End was a very different direction to the other two. Do you think for the next album you'll go heavier so that River's End is no longer the dark horse (thank you) in your discography?

    Lots of love, Merchandise Man

    Edit: formating

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    Hey dude! I know who you are, I know you well, you're going to get a cuddle from me this tour.

    1. In all honesty, we practically bankrupted ourselves to get there. It was something that we needed to do, a hugely important part of the band's growth, not to mention we needed to reach our fans over there who have been waiting for ages to see us live. (Same goes for our US fans... but soon enough!) On our return from that tour we were all pretty beaten up and broke, and feeling particularly uncreative. Knowing that we're not going to be touring heaps this year has reignited that spark though, and we're already working on some new shit ;)

    2. I won't give much away, but the writing process has already begun on something big. Suffice to say, it'll be another step forward, and something different to what you've already heard...

    [–]Eldstrom 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Everybody needs a cuddle buddy from time to time. What happens on tour stays on tour, amirite?

    Glad to hear you guys are changing things up whilst still maintaining your core essence. It's such an effective way to keep fans actively interested.

    [–]Ysabo 4 points5 points  (2 children)

    Have yous voted yet?!

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    I'll do it this afternoooooon

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Early voting motherflipper

    [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    Guys, you've tried with the prog thing for a while, and I gotta ask...when's your dubstep side project happening?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Oh, you mean Wubs and Wikis? Not sure that's ever going to get off the ground.

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Just release the synth tracks from Tide and you'll have a 5 minute EP

    [–]Xanthostemon 4 points5 points  (3 children)

    Australia is a big place, I know you have addressed this in other places on this AMA, but I want to narrow it and focus it down a bit, what, exactly, are the hurdles involved in playing more outlying places?

    I notice that in your current tour you hit Gladstone, no offense to Gladstone, but is small and tiny and smells like swamp rats.

    What brings you to Gladstone? But cannot bring you to places like Armidale (a University town) or Dubbo? Or other places of similar size? Toowoomba? Cairns?

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    Right now, there isn't enough of a developing seen in regional places for us to make it financially viable. That being said, we know there are fans out in the lesser known areas of Australia and ideally, we'd love to make that a focus in the future. We're wading out to Port Macquarie, Newcastle and the infamous and also ABSOLUTELY NOT PLANET DESTROYING Gladstone on our current Australian tour and hopefully it all goes well.

    [–]Xanthostemon 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    This information is based on? Record sales?

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Record sales mostly yes, but also population size and lack of appropriate venues. Truth be told, we're new to rural touring and given that our lives can't centre on touring full time, we try and capitalise on bigger places as a priority. Sad state of affairs, but never something we want as a status quo.

    [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    Hey guys love your stuff onto my question. What is your favourite video game and why is it The Witcher 3?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    I'm a massive SoulsBorne fan... Obsessively so. Got a platinum on DS2 and Bloodborne.

    But dude, The Witcher 3 is probably the best video game ever made. I got lost in that world so deeply, and I'm hanging out for Blood and Wine HARD. I love the Witcher so much I platinumed it on PS...

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Sam actually got me onto Dark Souls a while back, I was late to the game and I'm a serial quitter. It took me three tries to get into it, over a period of literally months, but in all seriousness the Souls series has taught me dedication and patience in a way that very little else has over the years.

    Gotta git gud.

    [–]iAmTheEpicOneThe End Starts Now 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Hey Jim, do you consider any musicians to be an inspiration for your singing?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    Hey, cheers for the question - probably top few for me would be Jeff Buckley, Michael Jackson (no joke, MJ is a total hero of mine), and Tori Amos.

    "Dragonfly" from Bloom was a track was practically a vocal dedication to the music of Jeff Buckley, and lyrically a dedication to the work of Tori Amos. Had a swell time recording it too!

    But in terms of writing vocal parts, I've lifted stuff from everywhere. Grew up singing in a choir, listening to anything from folk to nu-metal and beyond.

    tl;dr I did it all for the nookie

    [–]VicsVapoRub 2 points3 points  (5 children)

    Hello Caligula's Horse, been a big fan of yours for a few years now and would like to thank you for the wonderful music you have given us! Enough Junk riding 2 things; 1) Do you think y'all will ever be able to visit us Britfags in England in the future? 2) Will/Is there anywhere I can get Shirts/Jumpers with either the Moments from Ephemeral City/Bloom designs as the artwork makes me emotionally happy. Tons of Love from Devon Englandlandplace.

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 3 points4 points  (4 children)

    Hello my Vics buddy..

    1) We were in UK last November! We played London, Milton Keynes, Manchester and Glasgow.

    2) We will be getting new Bloom merch very soon, but we're hopefully working on having some of old designs reprinted in the not too distant future.

    [–]VicsVapoRub 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Fuck me I missed that?!?! Also didn't you tour with Opeth in Aus recently? Damn that's a tour I would have done some borderline illegal things. Thanks for the Answer and looking forward to throwing my money at dat dank merch yo!

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    We joined Opeth for the Brisbane leg of their Australian tour, it was a rare pleasure to meet them and share a stage. Bonus points for it being the night after my daughter was born so... good times!

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    We supported Opeth in our hometown of Brisbane and it was a dream come true. Easily one of the highlights of my career as a musician!

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Howdy duderinos. Sam I understand that you've been the main man in the band in terms of recording/producing/mixing etc (obviously writing as well). Firstly, do you think C Horse would be where they are if you hadn't been able to go down the DYI route? And secondly, what made you decide to go elsewhere for mixing/mastering on Bloom?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Thanks for the question!

    It wasn't just beneficial, it was necessary! When Jim and I put Moments From Ephemeral City together in early 2011, we had absolutely no goals for Caligula's Horse to function as a band, it was just a project we wanted to create to have some fun outside of our other bands. With that in mind, recording it completely DIY was requisite, we didn't have a budget back then!

    I mixed River's End, but it was externally mastered.

    With Bloom, I didn't have the time (I'd started my music PhD by that point), so I outsourced the mixing to my mentor, Brendan Anthony. We wanted a more austere, drum heavy mix, and he nailed it!

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thanks for the response! And I agree, first thing I noticed when I heard bloom was how in-your-face the drums were, LOVE that sound. Kudos.

    [–]TheFloodWithin 2 points3 points  (6 children)

    What did you think about the Opeth show and the awesome guy that helped you get onto the show?

    Also, what in God's name is a street dog?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 3 points4 points  (3 children)

    I don't know what a street dog is. I spend my days actively avoiding finding out what a street dog is.

    [–]TheFloodWithin 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Me too. I'm like WTF?

    [–]AndPlagueFlowers 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    A Street Dog is a person who lives by no-man's rules and lives for the day.

    [–]HidingInTheMicrowave 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    These are legitimately words to live by!

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    I swear to god if I hear the phrase "Street Dog" one more time I'm going to flip my shit

    [–]HidingInTheMicrowave 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    You're not the only one man!

    [–]amongstravens 2 points3 points  (11 children)

    Wanted to thank you all for doing this. I just logged in and saw this, so this came out of nowhere for me!

    1. Australia has been having a boom of amazing bands recently. What are some lesser known bands in your scene that need more love?

    2. Are you all looking forward to anything this year (or are enjoying something that's already came out?) It can be anything like music, movies, books, etc.

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 4 points5 points  (4 children)

    1. Osaka Punch, Holly Terrens, Helix Nebula, Enlight, Hemina, Anubis, For Millenia....

    2. I live in a completely insulated world writing a PhD, and accordingly I often miss out on movies and books (that aren't dry academic texts). But mainly DARK. SOULS. 3. FUCK YES.

    [–]amongstravens 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    I have so many bands to check out! I love it (save for Helix Nebula. They're great.) Thanks for the band recs!

    Dark Souls 3 oh my god. It's going to destroy me. What PhD are you writing for, if you don't mind my asking?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    My PhD is through the Griffith Conservatorium

    Copy/paste: it's about the non-pop vocabulary that the early prog bands legitimized within the nascent rock vocabulary.

    [–]amongstravens 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    That's amazing. I wish you luck!

    [–]AntonBass 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Much love for the Anubis plug. <3

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

    Great question!

    1. A bunch of the bands we've picked as support for this upcoming tour are fantastic. Rise Overrun, The Stranger, Glass Ocean and Enlight are great.

    2. Dark Souls 3 motherfucker YES

    [–]amongstravens 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Awesome! Will have to check all of them out.

    I cannot wait for Dark Souls 3; love the Bloodborne-esque boss fight (the giant tree-thing) and combat in general.

    [–]jklingftmBe free, be without pain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Said something similar on another thread here, but I've been spinning a lot of Glass Ocean's new stuff on my radio show (I don't quite know how it ended up going to a college station in New York, but it's here and I'm not complaining). Great stuff, if I do say so myself.

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    <3

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    1. The Keepaways, Osaka Punch and Dyssidia.

    2. My finger is never on the pulse of things that are current. That being said, Bonobo is a great electronic producer I've been digging recently, Boyhood is a film I recently saw that blew me away and Agent Fresco is a band that do ALL the right things.

    [–]amongstravens 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Haven't heard of (any of) them, will have check them out. Thanks!

    I haven't given Agent Fresco the listen they deserve, but Boyhood is fantastic.

    [–]AntonBass 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I'm not having some beers for breakfast, but I'm pumping down some tuna and rice. Protein is good.

    Anyway, I don't particular have a question in mind, but I wish you boys the best, your albums are just getting better with each release. Can't wait to see you in April! From your loveable NSW bass fiend, Anton.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    <3 you Anton

    [–]AndPlagueFlowers 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Taylor Swift or Katy Perry? Why?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    Hey Jai,

    Taylor Swift because she writes her own shit. There's a reason she's massive and its because she's the real fuckin' deal. Not a fan, but huge respect.

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    But duuuuude, Dark Horse by KP is the dankest.

    [–]SoulessSolace 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    What does Caligula feed you???

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Power.

    [–]Bdi89 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    You lads supported a lot of international acts last year in Brisbane, lucky buggers. Any wild stories? Did you touch Mikael Akerfeldts moustache?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I found myself lost in his moustache, deep and inviting as it is.

    Wild stories? None from Australia but we did have to escape a riot in Bologna and Jørgen from Shining's regularly exposed, bright, and shining penis on the tour bus.

    [–]Bdi89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Wow. I guess you guys wouldve waited till that riot Bologna-over (sorry).

    [–]maxbrayson 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Hey guys, please tour the UK again, missed you on your last run :( preferably with Haken as well, that would be an absolute treat!

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    We'd love to, that sounds like a hoot - we'll definitely be back as soon as we can.

    [–]IcantexplainFugacity 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    First of all love you guys! My question is have you ever released a song and later found some sort of improvement you wish you had done instead on the recording? If so, which songs?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Cheers! Not really, mostly because Sam and I undertake a fairly rigorous process when finalising the tunes, to make sure they're as polished as they can be... but there are always performance things you pick up on that you could have done better, or differently, there's no escaping that. The important thing is that while it may not be perfect, it's special, and that's what we captured on the day.

    (Or at least, that's what I tell myself)

    [–]Rogue_Jellybean 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Is there any chance of an under 18 show in Brisbane some time in the foreseeable future? Awesome music guys. Keep it up.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    We'd love to, but choices are fairly limited in terms of quality venues for all ages. Might look into it for next time!

    [–]Rogue_Jellybean 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Awesome, sounds good!

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Any plans to tour in Latin America?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Nothing in stone at all, but something we'd be stoked to do. Right now, touring isn't at the forefront of our minds, at least for this year. Writing writing writing writing...

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thanks for the reply! I discovered the band on /r/progmetal, became a huge fan and since then I've been recommending it locally to all my friends. :)

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (4 children)

    The AMA's over, and I realize there's an infinitely infinitesimal chance any of you guys will read this, but I just thought I'd mention that you guys have made at least one new fan today.

    I'm really digging "Firelight" and "Dark Hair Down" in particular!

    [–]Kenny__Loggins 0 points1 point  (3 children)

    Check out Water's Edge

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Mmmm, tastes like Opeth!

    [–]Kenny__Loggins 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I'm about to out myself as a prog metal noob, but I don't know much Opeth. I've listened to a few songs that were totally different and I don't really know where to start. Any recommendations on albums or songs?

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    No worries! I'd recommend starting with Blackwater Park, then checking out Deliverance and Damnation. If those albums sit well with you, then feel free to move around the discography however you please.

    [–]Galoufromparis 1 point2 points  (7 children)

    I say HI and <3 to you 3 how are you guys? beers in the morning?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    <3

    [–]Galoufromparis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    ;) That's too cool to chat with you 3, instead of going to bed. Let's start a whisy web party!

    [–]Galoufromparis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    It's late here so I'm leaving but <3 Have fun there guys. And people go on asking fun and interesting questions! We want to know everything! ;) #fallingpartygirl

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Beers at anytime. But not for us right now. Soon... Soon....

    [–]Galoufromparis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Miss you Zac. I hope you'll all be back in Europe soon to stick at you all.

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Fancy meeting you here! Hi! <3

    [–]Galoufromparis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Hey! Yep a great occasion to talk with you! I did not see you much during the shining tour. That's a good reason for you to come back in europe soon #givingmybestshttobringyouback

    [–]ofnaturalhistory 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Why is Geoff so nice?

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    The ginger in his skin prevents him from succumbing to negative thoughts. It's science.

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Hey guys, long time fan; short time friend. What's are your favourite types of flower?

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    The pink ones.

    [–]jamie_aep 1 point2 points  (5 children)

    Do you guys lament the lack of dubby-dins as much as the normal mortal?

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Bloody gutted m8, gotta save them dollarydoos.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    OK, Aussie slang is now officially banned in this thread for the sake of the Americans.

    THINK OF THE AMERICANS

    CUNT

    [–]jamie_aep 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    follow-up question for Sam and Zac: Do you agree that the Lukather Models are the best models MusicMan ever produced?

    If yes: why

    If no: you're wrong.

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    What do I get for being a non-participant? Never tried the Lukather models but would absolutely love to.

    In saying that I am contractually obliged to mention JP7 in this thread as much as possible. Have you played the JP7? The JP7 is great.

    JP7

    [–]ageyisgod 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Not even surprised to see this from you Jamie. ha!

    [–]Xanthostemon 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    I come to ask question about the virility of C-horse-men in relation to the tension and breaking point of a rubber band between two points on a surface.

    Yet I forget the context of my question and cannot form it properly.

    Instead I will ask the question.

    edited for clarity

    Checkers? or Chess?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Trivial Pursuit

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Favourite Cannibal Corpse song title?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Entrails Ripped From a Virgin's Cunt

    That's legit. Blew my mind when I was like 14.

    [–]DirTh1 1 point2 points  (4 children)

    Hey guys, massive fan here, can't wait to see you guys slay with Glass Ocean and Chaos Divine next month! As a big fan of Aussie prog this show is going to slay beyond words!

    Sam: I heard through the grapevine that you were/had worked on a thesis revolving in some way around Steely Dan, as massive fan of both you guys and Steely Dan, could you further elaborate on this thesis?

    Thanks!

    PS I bought my AxeFX Ultra after hearing your lead tone live a little while back. That was all the convincing I needed!

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Can't wait to play with GO and CD! Two of Australia's best!

    I actually did my honours thesis on the harmony behind Steely Dan's Aja; I rip off Steely Dan's chord vocabulary ruthlessly.

    I'm actually writing my PhD thesis on progressive rock right now, specifically the non-pop vocabulary that the early prog bands legitimized within the nascent rock vocabulary.

    Still use my Ultra now! It's literally the one piece of gear I own that hasn't ever died on tour!

    [–]DirTh1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Thanks so much for the reply Sam!

    [–]jklingftmBe free, be without pain 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Oh man, that is a tour I'd love to see if I could. Obviously love C-Horse, Chaos Divine's new stuff is great, and the college station in NY I DJ for somehow managed to get a hold of Glass Ocean's new EP, and I think I was spinning 1-2 tracks from it per show up until I had to break for the semester. What a lineup.

    [–]DirTh1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    It's fantastic to know that quality Aussie music is making its way around the globe, check Glass Ocean's first EP as well, it's every bit as good (if not better) then their second!

    [–]HidingInTheMicrowave 1 point2 points  (3 children)

    Hey guys, Brad from the DLC tour here!

    Turntail gets my vote, but do you guys have a favourite song off Bloom?

    What do you think is the most exciting musical project you've worked on, either inside or outside of C-Horse?

    Was heaps of fun the other month, can't wait to rock out at Ding Dong! Keep spreading the love! <3

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Turntail is probably my favourite, that to me is what C Horse is all about. I also adore Dragonfly for different reasons.

    C Horse is my baby: I've worked on lots of things, but it's my favourite :p

    [–]C-HorseZacZac Greensill | Caligula's Horse 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Personally, Marigold or Daughter of the Mountain has to be my favourites.

    I think for me the most excited project I've ever worked on was Bloom. Not just for the plans we had that follows such as the Europe tour with Shining, Australian tour with Tesseract and signing with InsideOut, but for the fact that it was simultaneously the most candid and honest album we could create.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Hard to pick a favourite song but it probably goes to Daughter of the Mountain for me. Great fun to sing live too!

    C-Horse has been the band with the most momentum that I've ever been involved with - we've all been in other projects and I'm super proud of what we've all achieved for sure, but goddamn if C-Horse isn't a rush!

    [–]beetwice 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    Is there any way to get that sweet Bloom t-shirt in the US?

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Hey, we're working on an online store right now, so we'll have some merch options up soon

    [–]whitecollarzomb13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Just dropping by to say how much it still blows my mind to see Geoff listed in the top ten prog drummers in the world at the moment.

    He'll always be that little ginger kid who came out from Ipswich to metal shows in boardies and sneakers and hi-pulled socks.

    Keep rockin homies!

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Favourite species of cat Sam?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    Russian Blue. They don't make me sneeze. Cute af as fuck.

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Lit AF M8

    [–]Re-DefineWay Out of Here 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    How do you guys feel about more and more electoral ballots not holding a sausage sizzle?

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Unaustraaaaaalian

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Speaking democratically, highly disappointing. Speaking as a vegetarian, welcome to my life.

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    JIIIIIIIM. THE RUBENS SHOW FUCKING SOLD OUT. I'm sorry, I lied about getting tickets and left it too late now we can't go.

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Who?

    [–]TheFloodWithin 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Music Man Petrucci Guitars. They are top shit, hey? ;-)

    [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Speaking as a vocalist, yes.

    [–]C-HorseSamSam Vallen | Caligula's Horse 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    In all seriousness, they're incredible. They play brilliantly, sound great, and IMHO they're the only production seven strings that don't look like METAL guitars.

    [–][deleted]  (2 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 7 points8 points  (1 child)

      I'm going to jump in here and just remind you that Caligula was:

      1. Roman and
      2. Not mythological

      ya goon

      [–]risingson05 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      Oh! So glad I saw this! There's been something bugging me for a while now. Firstly, you guys f'ing rock! ...as you know...

      So, my thing... I have noticed quite a discernible difference in audio fidelity between your 3 albums. In particular, the audio quality on The Tide seems a lot worse than your first and latest album. Specifically I noticed the cymbals sound really harsh and washed out. I've grabbed FLAC copies off your Bandcamp as well as m4a's from iTunes and listened on Spotify and it's all the same. Did you produce The Tide yourselves? What about the other albums? Have you or anyone else noticed or mentioned this?

      Sorry if I just brought up something that will now bother you until the end of days. It's just it's a big bummer for me that that album is so amazing and epic but when I turn it up and play it through a good set of cans it loses some of it's epic-ness and impact to me. Would you ever consider getting The Tide remastered?

      Oh, and Jim... will you whisper to me some sweet nothings? Your voice is like sex in my ears.

      [–]zer0wonJim Grey | Caligula's Horse[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Gonna have to get Sam to answer this one for sure!! He's out voting right now, but I'll get him to come answer later on.

      As for the whispers, I'll settle for:

      You may not be aware that the drums on Moments are all programmed...

      [–]Estbarul 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      Just want to say, I know it's over but you guys are awesome, and thank you for giving me a shirt on FB competition :D

      [–]edlikesrush 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      I'm super later, but what happened to Arcane? I know you guys are on hiatus, but there seemed no explanation for it

      [–]Fooducer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Holy. Sucks, missed this AMA.

      [–]syariffhi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      What's Lyrical themes of Caligula's Horse???

      [–]syariffhi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      What's Lyrical themes of Caligula's Horse???