They re not KILLSWITCH rip-offs! - This band is much heavier than killswitch people. Sure they sing the choruses and the songs are somewhat catchy, but KSE are much more mainstream than this band. This album is brutal metal-core at its finest. From track 1 to the last, they don t let up. It is much better than their last cd which I thought was just another metal-core cd. This one is different and it has a little extra something. I love this album and you might too if you ll stop listening to these idiots saying they have ripped KSE off. This band has been around for ten years! They were before KSE. Ilove killswitch as much as the next guy, but I also love CALIBAN and this is a ferocious album that deserves to be heard. Long live METAL-CORE!
german metalcore originators - this band has been around since 1996 (before you knew what hardcore was)they were one of the poineering bands in the german hardcore scene. bands like kse are good and all but kse is no aftershock (aftershock the original band of the members who founded kse, adam and strozel and with adams brother toby on vocals). but yea back ta caliban dood. german metalcore originators along with bands like jane, aclys, acme, or any of the other german bands on per koro and lifeforce records back then. get it right people. and yea its not a good as it used to be, what is.
Slowly Fading Away - Metalcore is fast becoming an extremely crowded and tired genre. It s a shame when bands who have long been the innovators in the game seem to be simply drifting along with the current trends instead of breaking new ground as they once did. Thus is the case with Caliban, who were once one of the leading bands of the German metalcore scene, and over the last couple years have seen some crossover popularity worldwide. While their last record, 2004 s The Opposite From Within, broke absolutely no new ground, it was an excellent listen and a prime example of the metalcore movement as a whole, Epic, melodic choruses, fierce verses, a slew of chugging breakdowns, plenty of swedish-melodeath riffs, and enough double bass to pound even the heaviest person s chest. Now with virtually every band under the sun immitating this style of music, how would Caliban respond?Not very well it seems. Well to be fair Caliban owe a bit of their popularity to a band called Killswitch Engage. The record before TOFW, Shadow Hearts (arguably their best), while containing a slight bit of melody (done in a very creepy and atmospheric way though, making it light years ahead of how the band does it now), was as fierce as it came. When Caliban decided to move in KSE direction for their last outing (adding a big, epic chorus in almost every song), they pretty much did themselves in. While this formula is tried and true, it basically leaves no room for growth. And it grows old quick. Really quick. Scream the verse, sing the chorus may work well in a few places, but after 12 songs of it, one is going to grow extremely tired. Not to mention no chorus on here is really that great or epic (meaning not many will get stuck in your head and make you want to listen again). Most of the time it just feels like the band felt like they should throw in this melodic chorus just because. Not to mention the lyrics are an extreme downward spiral this time around. Granted the lyrics on TOFW weren t exceptional, but at least they seemed more thought out. Song About Killing? Are you kidding me? I Rape Myself? Is this a joke? If I hadn t heard of this band and I looked at the track list I d probably immediately guess this was an emo or screamo band. Even if the songs are better than their titles, the lyrics are a big inhibiting aspect of this disc.Now yes I also do know that Caliban has been around longer than both KSE and AILD (as one previous reviewer wanted to point out, although he got it wrong, KSE formed in 1999 and their first record came out in 2000 through Ferret records, and AILD formed in 2000 releasing an album in 2001 through Pluto Records). Although the record can feel a bit tired and stale in some places, there a few glimmers of hope. I Rape Myself and My Fiction Beauty are probably the best songs the record has to offer, with their intense verse and big refrains. When the riffs hammer, they definitely hammer as showcased by Moment Of Clarity and song About Killing. The breakdowns are still heavy, and for anyone looking to incite a dance floor, this record will have plenty to offer you in the mosh department. The melodic singing is decent, although nothing special, and in a few select places it actually works quite well.Overall though The Undying Darkness just isn t anything spectacular. Sure if you love metalcore you might find a few songs on here that are promising, but overall Caliban just feels more like immitators instead of innovators now. The only people I can really recommend this as a necessary purchase to are those who either: a) Love metalcore or b) love Caliban. Casual fans just stick with the previous records, because this is absolutely nothing new. It hurts even worse when it feels like some of the songs don t even have the feeling behind them. Could have been a lot better.
Caliban Engage? - I have trouble listening to this album, every song sounds near identical to KsE or As I Lay Dying, just not as good. I guess it s actually a pretty solid album, if you don t mind the repetitiveness of the songs and lack of inspiration. Some people may recall that not too long ago, Caliban had their own sound, but this record and the previous have turned them into just another metalcore band.
(3.5 stars) Not groundbreaking, but decent nonetheless - In 2004 (or thereabouts), the heavy music scene was already over-saturated with metalcore bands. Now, two years later, a few more bands have sprouted up, and the genre has officially been run into the ground. It s obviously hard for bands to break the mold of other hardcore influenced metal bands, so it s also difficult for the listener to discern between some bands, and tell which ones are good or not. But, on the other hand, I enjoy metalcore and its popularity also has a plus side. Some groups (i.e. Bleeding Through) claim that this is only the current fad, and that it s on its way out the door. But as long as a few new metalcore bands keep popping up, this genre should remain popular for a nice long while to come.Caliban are one of those bands that bring nothing new to the table. They follow the same blueprint as nearly every heavy metal outfit which is popular at the present time (which means they sound like an almost uncountable number of other groups). Some modern metal bands, like Bullet For My Valentine, stand apart from the rest of the pack by tossing in a few guitar solos, but Caliban don t take this route. The only real way Caliban stands out from other New Wave of American Metal bands that they re German-based. (Here s a tip for you, if you re in a metalcore band looking to make it big: try including an audible bass part or two, a guitar or bass solo, or try making your music more technical and math-y than that of other bands.) One band this five-piece closely resembles is Killswitch Engage, because nearly every song on Caliban s sixth full length follows the same format (heavy, raging verses continually segueing into big, melodic choruses). So Caliban are definitely not new or fresh, but that doesn t mean can t still be better than most other metalcore bands. Unfortunately, it s apparently quite difficult to improve upon Killswitch Engage s sound. KsE have a singer who is capable of writing poetic lyrics and belting them out with an impressively soulful upper register. Since Caliban don t have this, the melodic parts Undying Darkness aren t even greatly catchy, memorable, or all-around impressive. And, with nine out of these twelve songs following the same format, the melodic choruses eventually grow become tired and expected, and get stretched thin.Undying Darkness does offer a few exceptions to this rule of heavy-soft song structures, but not many. The aptly titled Intro is a predictably soft first track which just consists of gentle piano keys. And there are two tracks, Song About Killing (which is backed by pummeling, blowtorch riffs) and No More 2nd Chances (which has a blistering guitar lead, a pick slide, and puking vocals), which are heavy all the way through. This disc could have benefitted from more of these types of songs. Groups like As I Lay Dying make a type of metalcore which is mostly deficient of melody, making it all that more special when there is a song with a melody guitar line or clean-backing vocal refrain. Unfortunately, Caliban are, again, not like this. These songs verses manage to work up quite a bit of energy, but it s usually just a matter of time before that momentum is slowed down by a soaring chorus.With all that said, Undying Darkness actually makes for a very enjoyable listen. It s held together by hooks, exceptional riffs and all-around strong musicianship, and great excitement. And there are still plenty of good songs on here, and songs which are worth your time and money. I Rape Myself puts scorching riffs atop a booming rhythm, It s Our Burden To Bleed is a fast, almost buzzsaw onslaught of guitars and drums, Together Alone features a thunderous rhythm with machine gun power chords, My Fiction Beauty is composed of pounding, cascading riffs, and Moment Of Clarity, which features a brief cameo by Kreator (who are also a German-based band) singer Miland Petrozza. So, is Undying Darkness innovative? No. Not even close. But is it a bad album? No. Not at all, actually. If you re looking for an exhilarating, catchy, fairly intense album, I don t see why you shouldn t pick this up. Caliban do little to attract the attention of casual metalcore fans, but if you are one, and you happen to stumble upon this C.D., you should almost definitely enjoy it. Just beware that this is the type of record which is best in small doses, so you shouldn t listen to Undying Darkness and something like Killswitch Engage s The End Of Heartache back-to-back.