Caliban
The Awakening

August 2008
Released: 2007, Century Media
Rating: 1.0/5
Reviewer: Simon Lukic

Six albums into their career and Germany’s Caliban have stayed true to their metalcore roots. THE AWAKENING offers listeners no real surprises and as the band state in the accompanying bio, the album is “a mix of all the stuff we do best”.



Whether or not THE AWAKENING is a summary of what the band does best, it certainly sounds much like its predecessor THE UNDYING DARKNESS, which sounded much like its predecessor THE OPPOSITE FROM WITHIN if I remember correctly. Unlike bands such as As I Lay Dying and All That Remains - as well as the undisputed kings of the sub genre, Killswitch Engage - Caliban has stayed within the boundaries of their sound without any real deviation. You can therefore expect plenty of breakdowns and the tortured screams of vocalist Andreas Dörner and not much else. While I haven’t been very positive, Caliban if anything, are to be respected for staying true to their sound, even though metalcore has well and truly passed its use-by date.



Even though I find Caliban’s music quite tedious, those interested – mainly already established fans of the band will know what to expect and they should appreciate the album for what it is. Me, I’ll pass.