First, let me just state that Ghost Empire, the latest release from German modern metal act Caliban, is actually a pretty damn good album. Second, let me also state that Caliban are by no means reinventing the wheel here, and much of Ghost Empire for many will have a 'been there, heard that' kind of quality to it. And third, while I feel pretty strongly about both of those first two statements, there are a few unique qualities floating around this CD, coupled with some really good songwriting, that ultimately makes Ghost Empire worth your while. Sure, there are enough cliched thrashy metalcore elements flying around here that will instantly start to sputter your Lamb of God/Darkest Hour/Pantera/Killswitch Engage gauge and have you hitting the stop button if you really oppose such things, but man, some of these tunes are quite catchy, and pack plenty of mountainous, Meshuggah styled grooves, that it's hard not to take notice. Love the clean vocals, which complement the bellows, growls, & screams nicely, and when the band drops in some gothic, industrial, and new wave (!?) flavors, it really adds some depth to what, on the surface anyway, seems like just another run of the mill metalcore album. Plenty of brutality to be found, like on "I Am Ghost", but like I mentioned, the heavy aspect is tempered by some textures and styles that you don't always find on a recording of this type. Very solid, and surprisingly enjoyable when you go in with the perception that Ghost Empire is going to be just another 'same old same old'. Nice job guys!
Track Listing
1. King
2. Chaos
3. Wolves and Rats
4. nebeL
5. I Am Ghost
6. yOUR Song
7. Cries and Whispers
8. Good Man
9. I Am Rebellion
10. Who We Are
11. My Vertigo
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