Words – Shelby Lane
Photos – @photo.amai
CALIGULA’S HORSE have secured a distinctive place in contemporary progressive music, balancing emotional honesty with technical sophistication. Since forming in Brisbane in 2011, they’ve maintained a focused artistic direction that many progressive acts only reach much later. Their sound is instantly recognizable boasting a fusion of expressive melody, complex rhythmic structures, immaculate production, and deeply personal storytelling. While much of progressive metal leans toward clinical precision or theatrical scale, CALIGULA’s HORSE offer something warmer, more intimate, and ultimately more resonant.
Blissfully offering us ‘Dream The Dead’, ‘Bloom’ and ‘Marigold’ – CALIGULA’S HORSE succinctly conjure up an ethereal and undulating sonic tapestry, What impressed most was the band’s command of dynamics. They know exactly when to let a phrase breathe and when to unleash. ‘Dream the Dead’ was a highlight — atmospheric, gripping, and delivered with an intensity that silenced the crowd.
By the time their set closed, Caligula’s Horse had accomplished what every support act dreams of: they didn’t simply fill the time; they elevated the evening. What I truly love about CALIGULA’S HORSE is how they give so much space to the listener – a rarity amongst the ever-growing and chronic wall of sound that surrounds modern metal music. Its pensive nature is well thought out, brooding in its majesty that needs to be observed and appreciated. CALIGULA’s HORSE allure is their quiet grandeur which feels fresh, original but humble and grateful. Supporting OPETH demands artistry that resonates beyond technical skill — it requires atmosphere, mood, and sincerity. CALIGULA’S HORSE brought all three in abundance. Their performance felt not like a band opening for legends, but like one stepping confidently toward that pedestal themselves.
OPETH’S performance at the PALAIS THEATRE was a masterclass in atmosphere — a journey through darkness, grandeur, and sheer sonic power. From the opening riff of ‘Master’s Apprentices,’ the room was instantly seized, the band’s crushing rhythms and Åkerfeldt’s commanding growls filling every corner of the venue. The stage seemed to vibrate under the weight of the music, the audience immediately pulled into a world where tension and melody collided in exhilarating fashion. ‘The Leper Affinity’ followed with precision and intensity, a perfect one-two punch that had the crowd erupting in recognition, fists raised and heads nodding in unison. Every note hit with purpose, every riff a reminder that OPETH’s heavier roots remain as commanding as ever.
The hypnotic pull of ‘§7’ provided a stark contrast, the atmosphere shifting from visceral power to spectral elegance. Åkerfeldt’s voice floated between shadow and light, his phrasing delicate yet commanding, and the theatre seemed to collectively exhale in hushed awe. The quiet tension lingered as the band navigated each subtle dynamic, letting the music breathe and giving the audience space to absorb every haunting nuance.
Energy surged again with ‘The Devil’s Orchard’ and ‘The Grand Conjuration,’ each song building momentum in distinct ways. ‘The Devil’s Orchard’ offered groove-laden, almost swaggering rhythms, while “The Grand Conjuration” unfolded as a sprawling, ritualistic storm, spiralling riffs and pulsing stage lights wrapping the audience in a near-tangible sense of drama. The theatre itself seemed alive with the music, every wall and balcony resonating with the weight of OPETH’s sound. Amid this intensity, ‘To Rid the Disease’ drifted in like smoke — fragile, haunting, and deeply human. Its clean vocals and delicate arrangement provided a moment of quiet reflection, a poignant pause that made the surrounding heaviness hit all the harder, emphasizing the band’s mastery of tension and release.
‘§3’ deepened the introspective mood, casting a brooding spell over the room as the band explored shadowy, atmospheric passages. Then, without warning, the long-anticipated “Demon of the Fall” erupted. The opening riff ignited the crowd into ecstatic motion, and the performance carried every ounce of its reputation — feral, cathartic, and triumphant. Headbanging, air-guitaring, and cheers rippled across the hall as OPETH balanced sheer aggression with intricate melodic flourishes, leaving the audience caught in a whirlwind of sound and sensation.
‘Ghost of Perdition’ closed the main set in epic form, its labyrinthine melodies and vicious riffs embodying OPETH’s dual nature: simultaneously beautiful and brutal, cerebral and primal. Every transition, every vocal shift, every nuanced guitar passage landed with clarity and force, leaving the audience enthralled and fully absorbed in the band’s narrative world.
For the encore, ‘Deliverance’ arrived like a storm. Its relentless, iconic riff drove the theatre into collective awe, the rhythm section precise and punishing while Åkesson’s guitar soared above it all, carving intricate leads through the dense, pulsing fabric of the song. Åkerfeldt’s growls and clean passages interwove flawlessly, commanding attention without overshadowing the hypnotic drive of the instrumentation.
By the time the final, echoing chord dissipated into the ornate ceilings, the audience remained suspended in a rare, almost reverent silence – a shared recognition that they had witnessed something monumental, a night where brutality, beauty, and atmosphere coalesced into a singular, unforgettable experience. OPETH didn’t just perform – they transported, blending brutality, beauty, and atmosphere into a night that felt timeless, visceral, and utterly unforgettable.
Huge thanks to the The Palais Theatre, CALIGULA’S HORSE and of Course OPETH for having us.
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
