With around twenty years and now eleven albums to their name, it is safe to say that Caliban are Metalcore stalwarts. Yet they remain one of the genre’s overlooked, even near forgotten, names. Having never reached the commercial success or the attention levels of the likes of a Killswitch Engage back in the day, the current resurgence in Metalcore today still sees them majorly overshadowed whilst While She Sleeps, Of Mice & Men and others ascend, even as far as to arena level in the latter’s case. Nevertheless, Caliban has always proven to be a reliable entity who continuously deliver strong (if not ground-breaking nor game-changing) material, with The Undying Darkness (All Blacks) and Say Hello To Tragedy (Century Media) being particularly strong efforts.
Similarly consistent in terms of sound, latest album Elements (Century Media) continues this trend without any deviation; this is pretty formulaic for both them and the genre, and in fairness this was pretty much expected; it just happens to be their strongest album since the aforementioned Say Hello…
Right from album opener ‘This Is War’ it is pretty clear that this will be a familiar affair for both fans and anyone who is familiar with the genre, but these are tropes that are done well and with substance. In fact, the biggest differences are in the presence of its multitude of guest spots which in some cases add some new dimension, particularly CJ McMahon’s performance on ‘Before Later Becomes Never’ which adds an extra degree of heaviness. Otherwise, Elements stands out from previous entries by simply being more memorable and loaded with anthemic passages, from the colossal chorus in ‘Carry On’, the fully German, sung ‘Ich Blute Für Dich’ or closer ‘Sleepers Awake’ feeling like easy picks for the live stage.
Despite plenty of strong candidates, however, Elements is hampered by oversaturation, with filler drawing it out way too much; and the samey nature throughout may prove off-putting to many as well; but then, this was never going to be an album to change people’s perceptions as such. Whilst not breaking any new ground whatsoever, Elements nails down the most important aspect of Metalcore – it’s catchy and easy to sing/shout along to. Elements certainly won’t raise Caliban to the heights of the genre’s top echelon, but in the midst of heightened popularity for Metalcore, is surely the best way to raise their stock and gain some much-deserved attention.
6.5/10
CHRIS TIPPELL