Aussie electro rock band Caligula have returned with Bloodlines, their first album in more than 25 years, and it’s out today.
Fronted by original vocalist Ash Rothschild, along with founding members Jamie Fonti on keyboards and guitar and brother Sean Fonti on bass, as well as Kyle Barr on drums and guitarist Mark Tobin, Caligula have revisited their gothic rock, electronic-tinged sound, bringing it into 2026.
Bloodlines is the band’s first full-length album in over 25 years and their first major body of work since their reformation in 2017. It’s the long-awaited follow-up to 1994’s Rubenesque and comes after the group celebrated their 30th anniversary last year.
After Rothschild initially left the group, the Fonti brothers formed the band Primary with Connie Mitchell (of Sneaky Sound System fame). Meanwhile, Rothschild continued to work on projects such as Panic Syndrome and Graveyard Rock Stars.
The band reformed in 2017 and has released music since 2021.
Taking to social media, Caligula have explained that the release of Bloodlines is “very special.” They described the process of returning with the album as a “deeply cathartic journey” that allowed them to process “grief, loss and everything life throws at you.”
“Today is a very special day for us. After more than 25 years, Caligula’s new album Bloodlines is finally out in the world,” the band wrote.
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The statement continues, “This record has been a deeply cathartic journey for me personally. It became an incredible therapeutic outlet to help process grief, loss, and everything life throws at you. What started as music became something much bigger a lifeline, a way to shut out the noise of the world and reconnect with ourselves through creativity.”
Caligula also expressed pride about the album and gratitude towards the very patient fans. They added, “I honestly couldn’t be prouder of this album or more grateful to my bandmates for walking this path together. The love, support, messages, streams, and people coming out to the shows means more to us than I could ever properly put into words.
“To everyone who has listened to our music over the years and supported this comeback thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This band has always been more than just a band to us.
“Alongside the album release, we’ve also dropped the new single Bloodlines and the video for it as well. We’d absolutely love for you to give the album a spin and experience the fruits of our labour.”
Check out the Bloodlines video and the album below.
To celebrate the release of Bloodlines, Caligula will perform two exclusive album launch shows taking place at Melbourne’s The Old Bar on Saturday, 23 May, and Sydney’s Waywards Ballroom on Saturday, 6 June.
Both nights, the band will be joined by different special guests, making each show a must-attend event for fans of Australian alt-rock. You can find tickets here (Melbourne) and here (Sydney).
