Caliban's sixth-full length practically has "great metalcore" written all over it. Let's go over some of the facts, shall we? A) it was released the U.S.A. through the wealthy Roadrunner Records; b) hardcore-influenced metal is very popular at this point in time (and has been for some time), so it should sell fairly well here in the States; c) it boasts a crystal clear final mixing job from none other than Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz (can you name almost any recent metalcore disc that wasn't?). And finally (and perhaps most importantly), it is chock-full of accessible song structures, would-be hit singles, strong hooks, and melodic choruses that is intent on trying to stick in your head for days. With all of these things considered, "The Awakening" definitely could have been a fantastic dose of modern day melodic metalcore.

It just isn't.

That's not to say, however, that it isn't an enjoyable listen or that it isn't very competent in its delivery, because it certainly is those things. In addition, the band's musicianship has never been better or tighter than it is here; and the record certainly isn't without power or sonic bite. Much of the time, it is an exceedingly forceful, muscular, aggressive, and punishing affair that rocks really darn (and often brutally) hard and convincingly.

At the end of the day, though, there's that certain "something" that is undeniably missing from the equation here -- be it inspiration/feeling, consistency, timelessness, and/or innovation. It seems Caliban had so much confidence in their own potential (and big-budget record label) that their songwriting skills kind of just fell by the wayside. But no matter what the problem/s may be, most of "The Awakening" ultimately doesn't really connect or come together like it should.

"Let Go," "Give Me A Reason," "Rise and Fight," and the aptly (albeit cheesily) titled "Nowhere to Run, No Place to Hide" prove this is easily Caliban's heaviest effort in quite some time. These bludgeoning, full-on death metal tracks do well to completely dispense with the typical, watered-down melodic metalcore cliches, and abuse the listener's eardrums from beginning to end. Here, frontman Andreas Domer gargles broken glass and lays down some really mean and visceral bellows over fiery, Slayer-inspired thrash riffs, rapid fire double bass pummel, and foundation-shaking rhythms. Unfortunately, other tunes -- including "I Will Never Let You Down," "My Time Has Come," and "I'll Show No Fear" - fall waist-deep in decadently emo choruses that would even make someone like Fall Out Boy embarrassed. The former is the most disappointing of the above because it opens with a strong, propulsive, streamlined chainsaw guitar lead and thunderous breakdowns; but as soon as its oddly out-of-place chorus hits, it becomes clear that the song is a miss, and one that sticks out like a green thumb when compared to the others. Elsewhere, the title track is a failed experiment/epic; and "Another Cold Day" and "I Believe" are simple retreads and attempts at capturing past glories. Finally, there is some middle ground: "Life Is Too Short" and "Stop Running" are mostly effective and successful at balancing brutal verses (which evoke a hailstorm of boulders) with open amd melodic (though not overly so) choruses.

All told, "The Awakening" is very hit-or-miss. Skeptics will find it to be a extremely mediocre release, and maybe even a sign that metalcore is finally on its last legs; but diehard fans will think of it as yet another strong release from one of the genre's originators. Personally, I am somewhere in between. The album's melodic fare is mostly ineffectual (and not as memorable or infectious as the band wanted it to be); and the heavier stuff tends to blend together a bit too much. As such, "The Awakening" is enjoyable and decent through and through, but it does not warrant many repeat listens.

Perhaps the structure of the tracks might have been better (harder) and connected but whatever, its a great album.
In a sea of rock/metal wannabes, we see utter failures up to decent acts. I dislike comparing Caliban to others as usually provokes angry replies from competition fans, however these German 'metallers' are more in step with the genre they belong to (metalcore, hardcore punk, extreme metal,...)

Hope Caliban will stick to its roots, deliver the goods and beat the competition nicely.

I will begin by saying that I have an obvious bias towards the longtime metalcore machine that is Caliban. I've been a fan since SHADOW HEARTS, and have really appreciated the diversity of each album which has followed since that release. This is a band that has not been afraid to take chances regardless of criticism and unworthy comparisons to lesser acts.
I wrote a review on THE UNDYING DARKNESS that stated that that album would be the album for which they were going to be judged by. It didn't receive any video or (obviously) radio airplay. More importantly, it received no praise and therefore poor sales. Sadly, the likely-hood of the average heavy music fan picking up THE AWAKENING is slim because of all of this.
If you don't hear this album than you are truely missing out. This is a return to the heavier sounding Caliban with a lot more scream than sing. Yes, Andy really grabs the reins on this one, (displaying THE BEST "SCREAM" VOCALS IN THE BUISNESS), while the "clean" vocals that Dennis does mix in are better than ever. And I've said it before but it bears repeating...NO ONE can break-it-down like Caliban!
A much better release than THE UNDYING DARKNESS, I would love for music lovers teetering on whether or not to buy this album to take my non-partisan word for it...This is one of the better releases of 2007!

The so-called term "metalcore" has a very distinct sound to most people. Some embrace it and love it, others pigeonhole it to death like it's hazardous to your health. Some of them are inspired by punk, and 80's hair metal. The majority of them: thrash metal. Overall, they're influenced by bands like Strapping Young Lad, Hatebreed, and European bands such as In Flames, Soilwork, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, At The Gates, and The Haunted. I've mentioned something like this in a review I did for the Opposite From Within album. Caliban is a unique kind of band with a sound all their own. As they probably are influenced by all of the bands I mentioned, they are actually one of the European bands as they are from Germany, which is interesting if you think about it. Some people nitpicked at The Undying Darkness because of certain sound similarities to other band's songs like on I Rape Myself (which kinda sounds like As I Lay Dying's Confined), No More 2nd Chances (the intro is very similar to the intro on Arch Enemy's Doomsday Machine), and I Refuse To Keep On Living (very similar sounding to Killswitch Engage's Fixation On The Darkness). Even though I loved that album, I could see why some didn't like it at all. I chose not to complain though. Once in a while, you'll hear a song or a part in a song that sounds like something you've heard before. You can't help that. Either listen and enjoy, or don't. If you didn't like that album, you won't be disappointed with this.

Do get this if you see it. I went to look for it, and FYE in the mall over here was the only store that carried it. I know that not all stores will carry every metal cd out there, but....I've spotted several releases at Best Buy and FYE that I'm shocked to find that they even carried.