Caliban have always been a band who do not shy away from exploring the boundaries of Metalcore, and whilst they have repeatedly managed to test the limits with Back From Hell, they have managed to elevate things to another level altogether.
Caliban – Back From Hell
Release Date: 25 April 2025
Words: Ash Nash
For more than 20 years, Caliban have been one of Metalcore’s linchpins, dropping full-lengths that mesh unrefined aggression and tears in both its eye and its aggression. And Back From Hell seems to be a make-or-break album for their already legendary career.
From its first press of play, Back From Hell has its hooks in you and never releases. Resurgence, the opening track, is a banger and sets the tone for the album through both explosive energy and emotional depth. It is a daring declaration, one that indicates that Caliban is operating at the top of their game.
The band’s lineup is as strong as ever, with founding member Andreas Dörner (vocals) at the helm and Marc Görtz (guitar) leading the charge.
With the arrival of Iain Duncan on bass and vocals, a new dynamic is introduced. Duncan’s melodic sensibilities infuse their already heavy sound with a layer of emotional richness and help drive the band into thrilling new territory.
But Back From Hell is not just special for its new additions; it is the way that Caliban has matured. In the last two years, they have challenged themselves creatively in ways we have not heard from them previously. It is a record that builds on their signature sound but also incorporates new mid as well as far-sighted production.
The riffs are crushing, and the vocals are guttural and extreme as ever, but there are also pockets of haunting beauty and reflection. This is not a mere Metalcore album; it is a visceral cry of power and fragility, the kind of thing that sticks to listeners’ ribs.
What truly separates Back From Hell, though, is its emotional appeal. Tracks like I Was A Happy Kid Once and Echoes capture the exact mixture of intensity and reflectiveness that defines the band’s ability to integrate heavy riffs with pensive passages that address the soul.
And when you throw in tracks like Guilt Trip featuring Mental Cruelty and Dear Suffering featuring Fit For An Autopsy, the intensity is turned up another level. These guest appearances bring a whole new level of emotional intensity to the album, increasing its already incendiary energy.
“Dear Suffering is our way of facing pain head-on,” the band say, “rather than running from it. It’s about embracing the darkness, acknowledging the struggles that shape us, and turning that suffering into strength. Having Joe [Bad, Fit For An Autopsy] on this track adds another layer of intensity. We knew his voice would bring the raw aggression this song needed, and he absolutely delivered.”
Back From Hell is an album about grit, conquering personal demons, and finding catharsis. It is a deeply personal record that deals with the pain we all endure, whether it is dealing with emotional pain, confronting our demons, or simply just finding the strength to carry on.
Caliban are a band who are not afraid of these things; instead, Caliban face them with the kind of honesty that is not a regular topic. The lyrics are raw and unflinching, and they are a map for anybody looking for an escape from their own turmoil. It is a purging process that leaves you feeling powerful and uplifted, even in the midst of the chaos.
The production on Back From Hell is absolutely flawless. With Wiebe at Hertzwerk Studios, every detail on the album has been meticulously touched up, creating a sound both vicious and polished. The subtlety is there on every track, and the balance between heavy, crunching passages and atmospheric, musing passages is just right.
This is a record that will sound both expansive and intimate at the same time, and so every track comes to feel like an odyssey.
Ultimately, Back From Hell is a triumph for Caliban. It is a heavy, emotional, and progressive album that showcases everything that’s made them one of Metalcore’s most highly respected and enduring bands.
Caliban are a band that are still hungry, still evolving, and still tied and determined to map new ground. Back From Hell is a statement, a declaration that their creative life is hardly over, and they are not slowing down anytime soon.
If you have ever wondered why Caliban are so great, then Back From Hell is the album for you. It is an album that not only provides you with the heavy riffs and screamed vocals you are used to hearing from them but also takes you on a journey of discovery, courage, and liberation.
It is everything you have grown to appreciate about Caliban, elevated, and an album that you absolutely must hear if you are part of the scene.
This is a band at the peak of their strength, and Back From Hell illustrates that they have no intention of slowing down at all anytime soon.
Caliban – Back From Hell will be released on 25 April 2025 via Century Media Records in a number of different formats, as shown below. For more details, visit caliban.lnk.to/BackFromHell-Album.
Back From Hell be available in the following formats:
- Ltd. CD Digipak & Branded Air Freshener
- Standard CD Jewelcase (US version)
- Black LP
- Ltd. creamy white LP (500) – from selected Indie retailers & cmdistro.de
- Ltd. olive green LP (300) – from EMP & cmdistro.de (exclusive bundle w/ tote bag and signed autograph card)
- Ltd. neon orange LP (500) – from Caliban’s webstore
- Digital album.
