Caliban
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Andy Dorner - Vocals
Denis Schmidt - Guitar
Marc Gortz - Guitar
Marco Schaller - Bass
Patrick Grun - Drums
Status:Active
Site:calibanmetal.de
Named after the wild and deformed slave in Shakespeare's “Storm”, Caliban are five German musicians who despite their young age are already seen as veterans of the European metal-core scene.
The strange mix of animal-like coarseness, diabolical ruse and mighty impetuosity not only makes Caliban one of the most important characters in Shakespeare's dramas but also the patron saint to the musical orientation of this quintet from Germany's Ruhr region. Within just a few years they have become one of the most important and influential bands of that genre.
Formed in 1997 (under the name Never Again) Caliban signed to Lifeforce Records after recording a two song promo tape. The release of their self-titled EP in the summer of 1998 was the start of a co-operation which was to lay the foundation of Caliban's incredible success. Countless tours all over Europe including a few support gigs for bands like Morning Again, Earth Crisis and Cro-Mags strengthened their reputation and got them an ever increasing army of Caliban “apostles”. Their full-length debut album "A Small Boy And A Grey Heaven" (1999) finally opened the door to fame and became a European metal-core classic. Even then Caliban knew how to combine Slayer-esque, precise metal guitars with emotional hardcore shouting, leaving their own, distinct mark on that sound.
Initially seen as mix of Slayer, Poison the Well and Hatebreed by the critics Caliban didn't jump on the metal-core bandwagon just recently but rather lead the way representing that genre at home and internationally.
The following split EP with their friends from Heaven Shall Burn was to become another metal-core classic and when the band's second album "Vent" came out in April 2001 it was also released on Imperium/Howling-Bull Records in Japan which led to Caliban being invited to play at the famous Beast-Feast 2001 in Yokohama together with Slayer, Pantera, Machine Head, Biohazard and mighty Morbid Angel.
Back from Japan Caliban went on their first US tour with Bloodjinn followed by another US tour with A Life Once Lost, Dead To Fall and The Red Chord in the summer of 2002 and an appearance at the famous Hellfest in New York.
In August 2002 Caliban entered the Woodhouse studio in Germany to record their third long play "Shadow Hearts". As third albums seem to decide on the make or break of an act, expectations for this record were very high. Caliban did, however, manage to transform pressure to a new metal-core milestone introducing a new style of post-modern, destructive metal-core with an unparalleled sense of heaviness and musicianship.
This release saw a matured band moving further in the direction of harmony and melody without ever denying their metal and hardcore roots. The following tour in Japan with Killswitch Engage and Shadows Falls strengthened their musical way and it was the friendship with people like Mike D (Killswitch Engage bass player who is now also designing T-shirts for Caliban) which helped to finally establish them in the US metal-core scene.
In January 2004 Caliban entered “The Room” studios in Göteborg/Sweden to record their fourth album “The Opposite From Within” which was produced by In Flames front man Anders Friden and mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (e.g. Machine Head, Killswitch Engage, Arch Enemy) at the Backstage Studio in the UK.
In the meantime Caliban have inked a deal with Roadrunner Records who will release Caliban's new album “The Opposite From Within”. Fans can look forward to bombastic, straight guitar walls, driving drums, dynamic tempo changes, double bass mosh attacks and hardcore bass lines but also melodic sounds that seem to break through the aggressive shouting parts almost unexpectedly.
The fact that they are excellent, emotional and thoroughly honest musicians should open the doors for them worldwide. But let´s keep the last words to the singer Andy and his lyrics in “The Beloved And The Hatred”:
“a daring mixture of shelter and temptation
the one who dares will gain the blame
lines weave into my heart
to tear it slightly apart
where is your love?”
Posted by roadrunnerrecords.com