Album Review: Caliban - Ghost Empire

One-time Killswitch Engage clones and perennial metalcore B-Teamers, the Bard's favourite German heavy-hitters continue to peddle much the same melodic chug-fests which won them a respectable following, but subsequently prevented their graduation to major league status. Genuinely ambient genre boundary-flirting (My Vertigo) indicates sprinklings of promise, although memorable tunes (fan-rallying yOUR Song, King, Cries And Whispers) are the exception rather than the rule. In 2014, even with seemingly par-for-the-course djent-y flourishes, their bipolar vocal and gang chant-imbued sound is not so much tired as exhausted. Quality-wise, this is somewhat removed from 2003's sonic gut-punch Shadow Hearts.