| CD REVIEW Callejon |
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Band : Callejon Although a noble unknown to me untill recently (in spite of the fact that this is already their second full-length on Nuclear Blast), this Dusseldorf based German Metalcore band (currently a quartet looking for a drummer and consisting of lead singer: artwork provider Bastian “BastiBasti” Sobtzick, guitarists Bernard Horn and Thomas Buschhaussen, and bassist Thorsten Becker – weird thing here : between 2007 and 2009 Buschhaussenhad been the drummer, he then switched to the guitar, and I’m surre the band has its reasons for that) with their name taken from the Spanish language has burrowed itself into my mind and soul within a mere 2 listening sessions! Founded late in 2002, Callejon first released a self-titled demo in 2003, then erected their own label My Favorite Toy Records, and went on to release the CronosEP in May 2005 and their debut full-length Wilkommen in Beerdigungscafé in July 2006. For that album they undertook a 3-week promotional tour in February 2007. Winter 2007 saw the band again on tour, this time to promote the Fauler zauber Dunkelherz EP (released Dec. 1). The band then signed their deal with Nuclear Blast in May 2008, with the Zombieactionhauptquartierfull-length album (which contained rapped vocal contributions by Nico from K.I.Z.) as a first result. Single Phantomschmerzfollowed in March 2009. During that same year, the band played at such prestigious festivals as Wacken Open Air, Summerbreeze, Area 4,and Summerblast, and had a concert of theirs recorded by Rockpalazt, the legendary live Rock show on Germany’s national TV channel WDR. The gig was put on air on Sept. 27. In between, of course, the band was constantly touring, but saw time enough to put together and record the 15 tracks on the new platter! One of the things that set Callejon apart in the German “Metalcore” scene, is that they bring their lyrics in their native language…and although the band itself puts the screamed part in their vocals department down to an affection towards things Screamo, I personally feel the German lyrics give the band a “Gothic” touch (huhuh…who would’ve though that, eh? Another thing which sets the band apart, is their music itself! Although I’m certain some people will disagree, I feel the basis of the band’s music is a nice Progressive Heavy Metal, which sees several tempo changes but is usually played at rather “high” speed, without ever becoming Speed Metal. It differs from the “normal” Speed or Heavy Metaal, in that the several tempo changes and the drumming (gee wizz, what a gréat drummer!!!) give the music a Hardcore flavouring. In essence a guitar-based band with frequent double lead passages, there àre nevertheless a couple of moments where synths are used in the short intermezzos (which may either be instrumental, or contain some spoken word – perhaps a sample – passage) on the album (album intro “VI”, shouted spoken word passage “DE”, the calmer instrumental “O”, the spoken word, or sample, containing “DROM”). There’s also a short “Dance” intermezzo in the song “Dieses Lied macht betroffen”. The band ends the album with the lengthy (8:31 long, but almost the entire last minute is nothing but silence) “Gott ist tot”, which opens and ends with acoustic (Spanish) guitars.The band bring at least sóme variety in their vocals, in that there’s not onlly the lead singer, but also two backing singers, making for several cross bred possibilities : they can all go clean, all go screaming, have one screaming with two going clean, or have one going clean with two screaming. And the additional fun thing about it all, is that they all have a slightly different tone in their voice. The guys are not afraid to change their vocal approach within a song either, adding to the underlaying complexities of the otherwize really melodic music and vocal lines! And since I personally am all for intricacies (they make listening that much more interesting, as one can listen to an album several times before getting each and every detail, and once one’s found it all out, one can listen to it all all over again, with yet another ear), you may understand how I like, nay lóve this album! In working towards the early April [yes, I know I’m richly late with the review, for which I offer my apologies – but with all the personal things I need to get done (this is nót a payed-for job, you know) it’s amazing I even gét to make an avarage of 2 reviews per day. I dó hope to get through my back-list of albums by the end of this very month, though] the band posted the complete album as a stream on their MySpace page, of which you’ll currently find 4 songs left (alongside 4 songs off their previous releases), and worked on the preparations of their German headline tour (obviously they hàve a drummer now, but whether that’s simply a hired hand or an official new member, I cannot say, info sources failing) with France’s Darkness Dynamite and Austria’s Artas (at the time of reading that tour is already dóne, albeit with a cancellation of the last gig due to a flue outbreak on the tour bus). The band is already confirmed for several festivals, starting in May (check myspace.com/callejon for more details on dates). Meanwhile, the album entered the German Media Control Album Charts at the #31 position, an event which came as a complete (and positive) surprize to the band. P.S.: I cannot beliéve the negativity of the album’s review in Holland’s leading magazine Aardschok! The writer is obviously unaware of how ugly it is for a music fan/ reviewer to couple his appreciation for music to his xenophobe feelings towards German people and their language. Besides, does he understand the impact he may have on young people reading his review? Gee man, get a happy pill, get a cure for your depressive moods, or get out of music journalism!!! 98/100 Tony. |