Almost faultless set from US lads
Caliban come onstage to intro music that sounds like they've taken it directly from a fairground horror ride and I start to worry. But, I needn't have worried so much - they're a fantastic live band who knows how to play to the crowd. Their singer encourages the front rows to form a circle pit, and response is immediate.
The minute the first crunching guitars start up, a violent circle pit opens up and we're off. You can tell the band are enjoying it, headbanging along with the rest of us. It's so much more enjoyable to watch.
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The thrash metal being played is intricate, and if you listen carefully, you can hear all the layers of each song. Like the band themselves, the music is frenetic, chaotic, never settling on anything for very long. Also, as with As I lay Dying previously, sung vocals are used to compliment the screaming on the second song. The effect is definitely more of a hit than a miss.
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Nothing prepares me though for the Wall of Death. The whole throng divides into two sides - left and right - before colliding together after the count of three. "We want to see everybody moving and not just the first row". It's an awe-inspiring sight watching a tent-long circle pit with a backdrop of Caliban's heaviest song yet.
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Hardcore and metal come together to inspire all of us to sing along (like we could refuse to) on 'The Beloved and The Hated'. It's not too much trouble to scream along at the top of your voice, or to go totally mental.
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However, there are a few downsides. 'Hello Goodbye' seems to be two songs stuck together, the brutality of the first half followed by the indie-type vocals and positivity of the second half just don't go together. They don't fit. Despite 'The Beloved and The Hated' being a cracking tune, the emo vocals are out of place, unnecessary even.
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This is a shame, because Caliban play an otherwise excellent set.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 9 available.