In Contact

2011’s Moments From Ephemeral City established Australian quintet Caligula’s Horse as one of the top up-and-coming progressive metal acts worldwide. As it—and follow-ups The Tide, The Thief & River’s End and Bloom —showcased, the band’s knack for mesmerizing rhythms and riffs, enchanting melodies and vocals, alluringly poetic lyricism, and elegant dynamic shifts (between light and dark personas) is virtually unmatched by any stylistic sibling. Fortunately, the group’s fourth studio outing, In Contact, ranks alongside them as another beautiful, commanding, and all-around impressive album. While it doesn’t offer anything too surprising or outright outdo its predecessors, its emphasis on conceptuality, narration,…