Sam Vallen is the lead guitarist and musical director of Australian progressive metal band Caligula’s Horse, as well as a producer, songwriter, and music educator. He holds a doctorate in music from the Queensland Conservatorium. With Caligula’s Horse, Vallen has released five critically-acclaimed records, the latter three through German progressive record label Inside Out Music (Sony). Caligula's Horse has toured the world both as a headline act and alongside the likes of Mastodon, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Tesseract, and many others. In 2020, Caligula’s Horse released their fifth record, 'Rise Radiant' to worldwide critical acclaim. 'Rise Radiant' is an album about overcoming, facing up to one's challenges, and the indomitable character of the human spirit. It is Caligula's Horse at their most creative, energetic, vibrant, and concise. In 2022, Vallen released ‘Flicker’, his first solo offering after almost a decade at the Caligula’s Horse helm. ‘Flicker’ merges adventurous and dynamic progressive rock songwriting with soaring guitar work and an intricate and colourful arrangement. It embodies the depth of Vallen’s skillset as a world-class guitarist, songwriter and producer.