CD Review: Caliban - Say Hello To Tragedy

German metalcore enthusiasts return to one-up the Americans

Sep 13, 2009

While the oft-maligned metalcore badge is primarily worn by bands from the States, Caliban show that Germany can riff and whine with the best of them.

Now that the nu-metal trend has been largely put to bed, die-hard metal fans have averted their steely gazes to focus their hatred on all things "core". The recent influx of deathcore bands (such as Whitechapel and Suicide Silence) may be ruffling some feathers, but the bulk of the venom is spewed at the melody-embracing guys and gals within the metalcore genre.

Some go so far as to deny that it can be considered metal at all, which is a bit goofy considering the sheer number of blistering riffs and breakdowns found between the saccharine, lovey-dovey choruses. Ostensibly a crossover of metal and hardcore music, metalcore can feel a lot more like "metalpop" than anything else. Yet even the most "troo" headbangers out there begrudgingly give their respect to influential genre forefathers such as the mighty Killswitch Engage.

Caliban Prove That Germans Can Whip Up A Metallic Tempest

Caliban certainly try hard at aping the style and sound of that above-mentioned New England mammoth, which definitely makes sense considering that group's popularity. Yet metalcore as a whole is a shockingly American venture, making it an odd fit for five guys from Hattingen, Germany. Still, this is not unprecedented as the eighties gave birth to the likes of Kreator and Destruction - German bands diving into the extremely Yank-y thrash metal pool.

To be fair, Caliban have been doing their thing for over ten years now, and their new disc Say Hello To Tragedy showcases some impressive chops. Unearth-style breakdowns and the occasional Gojira pinch harmonic meets open string chugs, blistering drumming and sickeningly catchy vocals reminiscent of a bastard child of Soilwork and Fear Factory. And while an occasional hint of Cannibal Corpse brutality punctuates certain sections, there's also a wee bit of Korn to be found at times.

Adam D Provides The Sonic Midas Touch (Whilst Wearing A Cape)

This disc sounds polished and sleek, so it comes as no surprise that Killswitch Engage mastermind Adam Dutkiewicz twiddled the knobs during the mixdown process. There is a ton of vocal layering and some occasional studio wizardry, such as the computerized staccato riffs stuttering during lead track 24 Years. Tunes like End This Sickness kick off so similar to Killswitch that one expects Howard Jones' voice to pop up at any moment.

Not to say that these guys are outright plagiarists, for there are a number of other moments in which their own character shines through - such as the symphonic midsection of No One Is Safe or the slow sludge beginning of In The Name Of Progression. So with talent aplenty, sweet production and a cool Pushead-ish cover image, what could go wrong?

Caliban Can Rock, But They Still Want Their Mommies

Unfortunately, the cloying lyrics threaten to sink this otherwise seaworthy vessel. The transparently titled Love Song is as sickly sweet as anything the Jonas Brothers have ever written, and the opening track features the obnoxiously whiny exclamation of "You taught me how to cry - why?" Certainly metal and post-relationship angst have often made cozy bedfellows, but a little more craft on the writing front would have been appreciated.

In any case, listeners probably won't find the lyric sheet in time to sing along as the songs in the CD booklet are printed out of order. It's best not to think about the words and just let the music do the job. And do the job it does, for at the end of the day Say Hello To Tragedy is catchier than the plague and twice as interesting as the bulk of their American peers. Their next disc will probably be entitled I Want To Cuddle, but they'll still be capable of beating you into next week just for looking at them funny.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

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