Caligula's Horse are like twilight: Since their foundation in 2011, the Australian progmetal formation has characterized a lyrical balance of light and darkness. On "In Contact", she indulges in this artistic approach in two ways, presenting not only her own art, but also that of the figures she has created. Singer Jim Grey gave us information about this experiment.
eclipsed: Four albums in six years of band history - that's pretty productive, I'd say.
Jim Grey: We can't help it. Sam [Vallen; guitar] and I are bored if we don't work towards something new. We never rest on our laurels. If something is finished, we are already looking forward to the next project in order to develop further. Staying busy is the only way for us to exist!
eclipsed: "In Contact" is designed as a four-part concept. Please give an outline of the contents.
Grey: At the center of each chapter is an artist. There is the painter, the composer, the poet and the sculptor. Each of them strives for something. They're trying to improve their lives. Uknowingly, they're all striving for the same dream. In their world, every work of art is an attempt to remember a dream that we all once shared but have forgotten over time. This striving is the central motif. However, individual arcs of action also exist. I didn't want to be trapped in the sci-fi aspect of the dream, but to focus on humanity and to investigate what connects the characters as human beings - and thus probably also us - with each other.
eclipsed: How did your own experiences or those of other real role models shape the figures?
Grey: Hardly, actually. But in [the final track] "Graves" there are elements that have been influenced by my fears and feelings, especially about [the subject of] fatherhood. The character experiences something similar to me, although it is certainly not an autobiographical story. For several years I have been struggling with psychological problems, which also shines through. Tragedy resonates in the stories, not all end well. This is probably a mirror of my mental condition when I got to know the characters and understood their motivation.
