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Caliban - A hot day at the Graspop festival
On the first day of the Graspop festival Metalrage got the chance to ask some questions to Caliban. Because this was the second interview we have done since their last release ‘The Opposite From Within’ it was time to talk about the festival, the genre and the future of the band. With great (read extremely hot) weather we sat down near the dressing room of the band.
 
Metalrage.com: Hey guys, welcome! It has been a great day, great music! What are your experiences so far?
 
Caliban: I think the show was amazing. There were great bands playing but there were a lot of people watching our show. The reaction was very good, loved it!
 
Metalrage.com: Have you seen some other bands performing?
 
Caliban: Not yet but maybe we will. Most of the bands playing here were playing on other festivals where we were playing so we saw them there. I think we are going home after the interviews and other promotional stuff. That because we are right in the middle of the writing process for our new record.
 
Metalrage.com: About the new record, your last record got released last year. And you are already in the writing process for the new record. What can we expect?
 
Caliban: There will be more new influences in the music. It will be refreshing but we will keep that one a surprise. We are just figuring out what we are going to do. We are just not sure if we are going to use that, we are just trying and pre producing some songs and examples. We got some more melodic songs but we also have got way more heavier songs. So we can do different things with the new album. But in total we will be more heavy.
 
Metalrage.com: The people around here call your band ‘pioneers’ of the European Metalcore scene. We think pioneers will always make the genre and bring in new elements and ideas. What is your statement to that?
 
Caliban: We are not going to use straight rhythms anymore. That is something we are going to change. We want to use more difficult rhythms. Not something like Meshuggah but in some way you can compare it with that. It will be more complex and more difficult parts. It think that will be our new element which we will bring into the genre.
 
Metalrage.com: Maybe a strange question, on your album the vocals sounds awesome! But I have seen you live three times and it seems you guys have good and bad days with the clean singing. The first time you really blew me away when you were supporting In Flames. What is the problem with that?
 
Caliban: That is strange because the tour with In Flames was the first time our guitar player was singing the clean vocals. Since that tour he has been practising a lot and he has improved his singing. The clean vocals on our record are actually sang by someone else so we had to find some way to do this live. On the new record we will use our guitarist and he can actually use his own voice in stead of sounding like the old one. It was pretty difficult for him to sound like that you know. We have already recorded one song for the new record with his vocals used in it and it just sounds amazing but live he has to sing like someone else and maybe that sounds strange sometimes. It is too low for him, his voice is much higher.
 
Metalrage.com: So about the touring life, you have been touring since your release. You visited America once again. Can you tell us something about your experiences around the world?
 
Caliban: The last tour in the States actually was the best tour so far. It was pretty cool to not being the headliner over there. The three times before we were headlining there and now we were supporting God Forbid. After that we did a Hatebreed tour, a Machine Head tour for ten weeks, In Flames, Soilwork. And before this record we have been to Japan and Australia. We will go back there but it is harder now because we got more equipment and stuff to carry around and that is expensive. But we had a great time so far!
 
Metalrage.com: Is the response in America different from the reaction in Europe?
 
Caliban: Yeah! Definitely. They are acting way more violent over there. They are just crazy!
 
Metalrage.com: Just like in the UK?
 
Caliban: No, they are also crazy but not as violent like in the States. Those people really explode when a band is playing.
 
Metalrage.com: We have heard something about a new split EP with Heaven Shall Burn on Lifeforce. What is the news about that one?
 
Caliban: It will be released on the 26th of July. There will be one new song on it and some old songs which are re-mastered. Those songs are from the very first MCD and other two records we did before. We just rewrote and re-arranged them and that is what is going to be released. Just some refreshing versions of old material. We were actually supposed to release one more full length on Lifeforce but we got the chance to sign at Roadrunner Records and now they offered us this split EP and that was a great opportunity for us to do something back for letting us go to a bigger label.
 
Metalrage.com: Any DVD plans for the future now everybody is releasing one?
 
Caliban: We are always collecting material on stage and backstage but there are no solid plans for a DVD. Maybe we will be releasing a live show sometime. We don’t know yet. Maybe something like the Fullforce festival where there were a lot of kids moshing on our set, that will be amazing to see on DVD. Besides that we are going to add a lot of material if we are going to release something. We want a documentary, live show and extra’s. Just a complete package and no half product. Besides that it is boring to see only a live show, you can see us live on stage. You need to let the fans see what the band is all about.
 
Metalrage.com: So you are looking for something like the Chimaira DVD?
 
Caliban: That one is really good! That is the way it should be. If we will do a DVD, it will be something like that.
 
Metalrage.com: Metalcore is really a hyped word in the alternative music industry, do you think your band has helped creating this hype?
 
Caliban: I don’t know if we helped creating the hype but we helped creating the genre. There were a lot of bands mixing various styles now called Metalcore like Heaven Shall Burn and Liar. But is sure great to see a lot of bands getting the chance to do their own thing in music.
 
Metalrage.com: Thanks for your time, have a great day and success with recording the new record!
 
Caliban: Thanks for the interview and enjoy the festival!