Caliban have been among the most consistent bands in all of Metalcore the last 25 years. One of the best things about them is that they’ve managed to tweak their sound along the way, while maintaining their integrity.
By all accounts, any fan of bands like As I Lay Dying, Unearth, All That Remains, and August Burns Red should know and love Caliban. I was lucky enough to be shown them back in 2003 with “Forsaken Horizon” and have been hooked ever since.
The perfect blend of big melodic choruses, destructive breakdowns, and crushing riffs; Caliban is as prime of an example of “how to Metalcore” as it gets.
I’ve always loved guitarist Denis Schmidt’s clean vocals, and they’ve continually improved the last 20 years. Unlike some of their contemporaries, they’ve included some Alternative elements into their style the last decade without completely changing who they are.
Some of the best examples of Caliban 2022 are the opening track “Dystopia”, “Darkness I Became”, “Hibernate” (Among their most melodic songs to date), and the keyboard heavy “The World Breaks Everyone”. Meanwhile, on the more traditional style, “VirUS”, “Phantom Pain”, “Swords”, and “mOther” could have fit pretty much anywhere in their post-2003 discography. “VirUS” fittingly includes Marcus Bischoff from Heaven Shall Burn. If you know anything about Caliban’s history, you’ll know the long standing companionship these 2 bands have.
Anytime I see this underrated band from Germany coming out with a new album, I get excited. Automatically, I know it’s going to be great. What I really look forward to is seeing these guys live for only the 2nd time.
Do yourself a favor and listen to everything this band has done, including the new album “Dystopia”. You won’t regret it.
Rating? 4/5
Review by Marcus Miller
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