CALIBAN

Elements

CENTURY MEDIA

Germany’s metalcore veterans add more spice into the mix

Elements begins as it means to go on with This Is War, which kicks off proceedings with a hammering on the drums and Andreas Dörner’s guttural roar doing battle with piercing riffs in a solid slice of traditional metalcore. There’s plenty of meaty melody to get your teeth into throughout the album, too. Choruses are soaring and earnest, and the lyrics alternate between gut-punching anger and flowery ambiguity;

Set Me Free is even reminiscent of the embellished metaphors Miss May I employed on their latest release. Ich Blute Für Dich sees a rare German-language vocal that fits in seamlessly thanks to its tumultuous, discordant grooves, and My Madness almost strays into nu metal territory with its belligerent, hip-swinging rhythm. It’s those subtle touches that keep Caliban interesting; there are enough blink-and-you’llmiss them flourishes to keep

Elements entertaining beyond the first listen.

FOR FANS OF: KSE, THE GHOST INSIDE, HEART OF A COWARD

THEA DE GALLIER