This is the 2nd studio album from industrial/classical/noise singer/musician from Southern California, Kristin Hayter, more famously known as Lingua Ignota. Even Kristen herself has trouble describing what music she makes, but from what I’ve heard so far, the best I can describe it is a fusion of vocal classical music, church hymns and noise rock. It is very personal music, describing not only her religious upbringing as a church cantor but the rage and despair she has felt in her life. Lyrically, her music has a similar theme of abuse and CALIGULA is no different, named after the sex fiend Roman emperor who was not only known for being sex obsessed but for being an insane emperor who sadistically tortured and killed a lot of people. Hayter named it after the Roman emperor as she saw it as a commentary on our current political era “on the edge of collapse” as well as a commentary on abuse and abuse survivors, particularly her experience as a survivor. She has always written about this in her young career, but ever since the tour of her last album, All Bitches Die, she got attention and a platform to record this album in a studio instead of a shack in the woods and an audience hungry for a musical beatdown.
I listened to this album for mainly that very reason. I wanted passionate, noisy music that will leave me on the edge of my seat. I was listening to songs from her latest album, SINNER GET READY, and that piqued my interest in Lingua Ignota, so I listened more and liked more of her music. I followed her Twitter (she is a very interesting person to follow, BTW) and amid all the fun times on there, I found out some really troubling news. She went public with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Alexis Marshall, lead singer of one of my favourite noise rock bands, Daughters. Now I understand anyone can say anything on the Internet, but these are serious allegations and when I first heard about them, I was inclined to believe Hayter in this situation. It was really disheartening for me, because Daughters’ last album, You Won’t Get What You Want, is one of my favourite albums ever and this situation brings up the “separating the art from the artist” debate which I don’t know what to make of. So I thought I’d listen to the Lingua Ignota album I heard was most about abuse and misogyny, CALIGULA. SINNER GET READY may have been about, or at least partially inspired by Hayter’s relationship with Marshall, but that’s a story for another time.
CALIGULA is an absolute hell raising ride from start to finish. It’s dark and noisy, but it has this beautiful, relatable vulnerability to it.
Mixing is a little iffy for me, particularly with the vocals which I think should always be foremost, but it does work pretty well with the noisy backgrounds as everyone’s fighting to be heard and crashing together in a beautifully ugly way. Unfortunately, this is pretty uniform, even with the softer tracks, which isn’t my cup of tea. Effects are great, however. The drum sounds on this record have that Pawtucket sound that makes the snare sound like a gunshot. I really like the use of reverb on this album. Given the classical influences, it feels like you’re playing this noise record in a grand concert hall and the sound fills the room beautifully. It’s funny to me how Kristin Hayter’s vocals were apparently recorded on a cheap microphone, on which her screaming was clipping the signal nonstop, juxtaposing that high gloss sound with primal screams.
Speaking of this sound, composition is really cool. It has this nice range from strings and pianos to industrial, doom-caked bass hits and I love that diversity in instruments and how they’re used. DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR has these dramatic strings then these lumbering bass hits and quivering pianos that feels like being left for dead in a snow covered forest to become the meal of a 30 foot tall monster! While not perfect, structure is pretty interesting as well. Song structure is fun, especially with the noisier tracks. I feel like IF THE POISON WON’T TAKE YOU MY DOGS WILL comes to a bit of a lull for most of the track, but then this album wows me with a burst of catharsis on MAY FAILURE BE YOUR NOOSE. Album structure is pretty good as well. While I’m not crazy about these songs ending abruptly especially if they end it off with noise, I like how this album takes earlier ideas and repurposes them, especially towards the end, to add that unifying thread throughout the album. Also, I like the cool-down periods on this album cropping up like FRAGRANT IS MY FLOWER’D CROWN.
Lyrics are a huge selling point for me. Hayter’s voice is something else. Her screams are powerful and terrifying enough to scare anyone, especially someone who has never heard her music before. (If you hear BUTCHER OF THE WORLD for the first time and don’t get jump scared by her vocals, you’re not human). Not only that, but she also has these beautiful clean vocals that have a lot of body, especially with her lower register, showing up on the opener FAITHFUL SERVANT FRIEND OF CHRIST, which not only has her beautiful voice, but beautiful harmonies. Each song is dripping with emotion thanks to Hayter’s vocals. The lyrics are incredibly dark, because they are uncomfortably realistic. CALIGULA is an album about abuse and the aftermath of it which includes the denial and gaslighting from anyone connected to the abuser and even those who are not. This album takes you through the murderous highs of BUTCHER OF THE WORLD and MAY FAILURE BE YOUR NOOSE to rally behind as Hayter’s desire for bloody revenge against her abusers is palpable. But with these highs come lows, like the sadness in FRAGRANT IS MY FLOWER’D CROWN and SORROW! SORROW! SORROW! CALIGULA will make you feel uncomfortable with its lyrics and, well, everything else, and that’s what makes it such a powerful and special album.
CALIGULA is a horrifying depiction of abuse and what happens after that abusive relationship ends. It is told with horrifying screams, industrial noise and a high-gloss string and piano section. This album is a large, intimidating monster of an album, but it showcases Hayter’s deepest and darkest vulnerabilities in a heartbreaking and intriguing way. If you do not fear CALIGULA, you will.
I'm giving this one a Decent 9/10.
FAVOURITE TRACKS: FAITHFUL SERVANT FRIEND OF CHRIST, DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR, BUTCHER OF THE WORLD, MAY FAILURE BE YOUR NOOSE, FRAGRANT IS MY FLOWER’D CROWN, SORROW! SORROW! SORROW! , SPITE ALONE HOLDS ME ALOFT, FUCKING DEATHDEALER, I AM THE BEAST
LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: DAYS OF TEARS AND MOURNING
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