Acid Magus Post New Single “Caligulater”; Hope is Heavy Due in July
Time for a second single as reconfigured South African heavy psychedelic rockers Acid Magus lava-flow their way closer to issuing their sophomore full-length, Hope is Heavy, through Mongrel Records. We get a month on that release — July — as the now-five-piece answer last month’s reveal of “Demon Behemoth” (posted here; also ‘dehemonth?’) with “Caligulater,” the lyrics of which posit your boss, landlord, etc. as one of the more reputedly cruel of Rome’s emperors. If you’ve ever had a job in an office and watched some wanker lord over it like a middle-management fiefdom, or, you know, paid to purchase absolutely anything at any point in the last three years and spent more money to get less of whatever you’re buying, surely it’s a relatable perspective.
Adding a second guitar and bringing in a new frontman aren’t minor changes for the band to undertake, particularly in light of how well their sound worked on 2021’s Wyrd Syster (review here), their debut album. “Caligulater” and “Demon Behemoth” drop hints of some shifts in approach, with a heavier foundation beneath bright-toned, semi-airy post-psych leads and more forward and purposeful vocal melodies. There’s a definite aspect of solidification here that makes me curious how the record will pan out around these tracks, but nothing Acid Magus have yet unveiled has been discouraging, which is about the absolute least you can say about the songwriting that’s coming to the forefront.
Don’t let me keep you. Both tracks are at the bottom of the post. You know what to do. PR wire had this to say:
Acid Magus unleash massive new single Caligulater from forthcoming album Hope Is Heavy
Pretoria based South African experimental rock band Acid Magus have been making waves in the music scene since their well received 2021 debut release Wyrd Syster. Now a 5-piece, 2023 sees the band returning stronger than ever with a new vocalist and addition of a second guitarist plus a forthcoming album Hope Is Heavy, set for release in July 2023 via Mongrel Records. New single Caligulater comes off the back of the albums immersive debut single Demon Behemoth which released in February this year.
Continuing the cynical theme established with Demon Behemoth, Caligulater derives its name from the infamous emperor Gaius, otherwise known as Caligula. He was the megalomaniacal third emperor of Rome, a man steeped in violent and sadistic excess. In short, not a cool guy. Guitarist and songwriter Keenan Kinnear delves into the message behind the song, “Caligulater explores my feelings concerning myself and my place in society. My own existential crisis and self-imposed vitriolic outlook on the world when at my worst. The “they” in the main hook, “they made us, betrayed us and enslaved us” can be applied to any subject. It could be Caligula himself concerning the citizens of Rome circa 37 AD or your parents, boss, society as a whole etc. It can even apply to yourself in the end.”
Buy / Stream Caligulater: https://orcd.co/caligulater
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