The German melodic death metal/metalcore act known as Caliban just keep pumping out one solid album after another, as their latest Gravity follows the equally fun Ghost Empire from a few short years ago in almost identical style. No real surprises here on Gravity just more of the same frantic, melo-death, chock full of those battling growls & clean vocals, chugging riffage, pounding rhythms, and the occasional industrial styled keyboard effects floating in the background. Give these guys credit for always coming up with some catchy material that of course contains plenty of brutality, with tracks like "The Ocean's Heart", "Walk Alone", "Left for Dead", and "For We are Forever" hitting quite hard for the extreme metal fans but still stacked with enough melody and proggy bits for those that like music with a little more subtlety. A tune like "brOKen" however shows that, given the right musical climate, Caliban has it in them to appeal to the masses, as this song has potential breakout hit written all over it. If it's the manic, full speed ahead side of Caliban that you like best though, tracks such as "Inferno", "Hurrican", "Paralyzed", and "No Dream Without Sacrifice" will more than fit the bill.
As with most of their albums, there's a feeling of deja-vu anytime you hear a new Caliban release, but you have to give the band credit for sticking to a style and executing it very well. Gravity is another solid, fun release for anyone into In Flames, Mnemic, Sonic Syndicate, and the like.
Track Listing
1. Paralyzed
2. Mein schwarzes Herz
3. Who I Am
4. Left For Dead
5. Crystal Skies
6. Walk Alone
7. The Ocean's Heart
8. brOKen
9. For We Are Forever
10. Inferno
11. No Dream Without A Sacrifice
12. Hurricane