Caliban

German deathcore band Caliban was formed in 1997 and signed almost immediately to Lifeforce Records, which released their eponymous EP the very next year. A hard-working bunch, the band embarked on a relentless touring and recording schedule, traveling as far as America and Japan while intermittently putting out records like 1999′s Small Boy and a Grey Heaven, 2000′s split CD with labelmates Heaven Shall Burn, 2001′s Vent, and 2003′s Shadow Hearts. All of this hard work gradually built Caliban’s following and certified them as one of the leading European purveyors of metallic hardcore, which, by then, had also made incredible strides across the pond thanks to bands they had influenced such as Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage. In fact, and rather ironically, Caliban’s next effort, The Opposite from Within (2004), was wisely panned by critics for succumbing to parody of those very same bands they’d inspired; but the band recovered in time for 2006′s The Undying Darkness, which saw longtime members Andy Dörner (vocals), Denis Schmidt (guitar/vocals), and Marc Görtz (guitar) joined by the former Six Reasons to Kill rhythm section of bassist Marco Schaller and drummer Patrick Grün. 2007′s The Awakening peaked at number 36 on the German album charts, and in 2009, the band inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records and released Say Hello to Tragedy, their seventh full-length outing. 2012 saw the release of I Am Nemesis, and in 2014 the band issued the well-received Ghost Empire, which became their first album to hit the Top Ten. Gravity, the band’s tenth studio long player, dropped in March 2016. Elements, released in 2018, saw them focus heavily on vocal production and coaching, leading to a fresh and ultra-melodic feel on the choruses alongside their usual chugging riffs and brutal breakdowns. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia