Caliban (band)

Caliban are a German metalcore band from Essen.[1] They have released eleven studio albums to-date, and two split albums with Heaven Shall Burn.

Caliban Live @ Rock im Park 2016, Germany
Caliban
Caliban at Rock am Ring 2018
Background information
OriginEssen, Germany
GenresMetalcore
Years active1997–present
LabelsLifeforce, Roadrunner, Century Media
WebsiteOfficial site
MembersAndreas Dörner
Denis Schmidt
Marc Görtz
Marco Schaller
Patrick Grün
Past membersAndreas Nikolaou
Engin Güres
Boris Pracht
Robert Krämer

History

Caliban was formed in Essen, Germany in 1997 under the name Never Again.[2] After six months of playing together, the band recorded their first two songs for a demo, which were never released. The songs were sent to several record labels, and Lifeforce Records was the first to offer the band a record deal. The band's first self-titled EP came out in the summer of 1998. To promote it, Caliban played many shows all over Europe and a few support shows for bands including Morning Again, Earth Crisis and Cro-Mags.

After their European tour in 1999, Caliban entered the studio to record their first full-length entitled A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven. The CD received favorable reviews in many big magazines and many smaller hardcore and metal zines. They also released the first part of a split-CD with Heaven Shall Burn, named The Split Program.

Vent came out in April 2001. Vent was released by Imperium Records and by Howling-Bull Records in Japan. Shortly after the release, Caliban was offered the opportunity to tour Japan to play the Beast-Feast 2001 in the Yokohama Arena, sharing stage with bands including Slayer, Pantera, Machine Head, Biohazard and Morbid Angel. The Japan trip was followed by a U.S. tour with Bloodjinn, which was interrupted by the September 11, 2001 attacks.

In August 2002, Caliban recorded their third official release Shadow Hearts. This record was more melodic and harmonic than its predecessors. In 2004 the band got a record deal with Roadrunner Records in Europe (Abacus Recordings in the US) and started to record their fourth Album The Opposite from Within alongside producer Anders Fridén, who is known for fronting In Flames.

In July 2005, the band released the second part of their split-CD with their friends from Heaven Shall Burn, called The Split Program II. The band released their fifth album called The Undying Darkness in February 2006 and toured with All Shall Perish, Bleeding Through and I Killed The Prom Queen for the "Darkness over Europe" tour.

In 2007, Caliban recorded their album The Awakening with producer Benny Richter and it was released in Germany on May 25. The album reached 36 in the German charts.

In 2009, the band toured with German band Kreator on the "Chaos Over Europe Tour". They also signed a worldwide contract with Century Media Records. They released their new album, Say Hello to Tragedy, on August 24, 2009. This album - just like The Awakening - reached 36th place on the German media charts. In October and November they toured Europe on the "Beastfest European Tour 2009" with Suicide Silence, German friend-band Maroon and American acts Emmure and After the Burial.

Caliban entered the studio in February and recorded a cover EP titled Coverfield, released in May 2011. The album consists of 4 songs, although more songs were recorded and may be released later. In mid August, the band entered the studio to finish writing and recording a new full-length album to be released in early 2012.[3] At the beginning of September the band posted a message on their official site, saying that the songwriting is complete and that 12 songs were made. The new album titled I Am Nemesis was released on February 3.[4]

Stormbringer Magazin of Germany Caliban is writing and recording a new full-length album for January 2014. The band released Ghost Empire on 24 January 2014 via Century Media Records. On February 2014, Caliban entered the German Media Control Charts at #7 for this album.[5][6] In the beginning of 2015 they toured with Bury Tomorrow, Dream On, Dreamer and Any Given Day.

Caliban then released the album, Gravity, in the spring of 2016, and via social media teased an upcoming project in 2017, with a possible release date of 2018.

On April 6, 2018 Caliban released their latest album, entitled Elements.

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Caliban discography
Studio albums11
Music videos17
EPs2
Split albums2

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Year Album details Peak chart positions
GER
[7]
AUT
[8]
SWI
[9]
BEL
(WA)

[10]
1999 A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven
2001 Vent
  • Released: January 27, 2001
  • Label: Lifeforce
2003 Shadow Hearts
  • Released: January 31, 2003
  • Label: Lifeforce
2004 The Opposite from Within
2006 The Undying Darkness
  • Released: February 27, 2006
  • Label: Roadrunner
73
2007 The Awakening
  • Released: May 25, 2007
  • Label: Roadrunner
3674
2009 Say Hello to Tragedy
  • Released: August 21, 2009
  • Label: Century Media
366487
2012 I Am Nemesis
  • Released: February 3, 2012
  • Label: Century Media
214761
2014 Ghost Empire
  • Released: January 24, 2014
  • Label: Century Media
73251184
2016 Gravity
  • Released: March 25, 2016
  • Label: Century Media
152627123
2018 Elements
  • Released: April 6, 2018
  • Label: Century Media
62638
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

List of EPs
Title Album details
Caliban EP
  • Released: 10 March 1998
  • Label: Lifeforce
  • Formats: CD
Coverfield EP
  • Released: 6 May 2011
  • Label: Century Media
  • Formats: CD, Digital download

Split albums

List of Split albums
Title Album details
The Split Program

with Heaven Shall Burn

  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Lifeforce
  • Formats: CD, digital download
The Split Program II

with Heaven Shall Burn

  • Released: 26 July 2005
  • Label: Lifeforce
  • Formats: CD, digital download

Music videos

List of music videos, showing year released and director
Title Year Director(s)
"Forsaken Horizon" 2003 N/A
"The Beloved and the Hatred" 2004 N/A
"It's Our Burden To Bleed" 2006 N/A
"Nothing Is Forever" N/A
"I Will Never Let You Down" 2007 N/A
"24 Years" 2009 N/A
"Caliban's Revenge" N/A
"Walk Like The Dead" 2011 N/A
"Memorial" N/A
"We Are The Many" 2013 N/A
"This Oath" Julian Topehlen
"Devil's Night" 2014 Lars Reinert
"Paralyzed" 2016 Moritz Maibaum
"brOKen" 2017 Mirko Witzki
"Intoxicated" 2018 Michael Winkler
"Before Later Becomes Never" Michael Winkler
"Ich Blute Für Dich" Sebastian Biesler & Mirko Witzki

References

  1. "Caliban - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com.
  2. "The Gauntlet - Caliban bio". Thegauntlet.com.
  3. "Blabbermouth.net". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on 2020-03-11.
  4. "CALIBAN: Entered The German Media Control Charts At #7". Metal Shock Finland. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  5. "Caliban, Ghost Empire". Charts.de. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  6. "Chartverfolgung / Caliban / Longplay". Musicline.de (in German). PhonoNet. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  7. "Discographie Caliban". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  8. "Discography Caliban". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  9. "Discographie Caliban". Ultratop.be/fr. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
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