The idea of
having younger, established or at least semi-established metal bands pay tribute
to their heroes is one I always liked. Remember when Primus did their 'Rhinoplasty'
album? It was no less than awesome. Of course Six Feet Under are the cover
masters in the death metal/death core genre with their 'Graveyard Classics'
series.
Therefore, I come into this with high expectations as I always do when a good
band decides to pay homage.
The first tune is Type O Negative's My Girlfriend's Girlfriend. I don't know if
it's because this song (and the whole 'October Rust' album) means an awful lot
to me and ranges very high on my all-time best-of albums and that I therefore
tend to be a bit sensitive, but what Caliban do is a complete rape of the song.
In all plainness: I really don't like it! A deathcore scream and grunt where
Pete Steele's (R.I.P) ought to be...no, I can't have it.
Caliban fare much, much better with their rendition of Rammstein's Sonne. The
deathcore outbursts blend in more smoothly with the mechanical warmth of the
slower passages. Excellent cover.
The same can be said of the ultra tight version of At The Gates' Blinded By Fear.
Caliban's version is very true to the original (perhaps too true?) and takes no
prisoners. Gothenburg death metal onslaught pure and delivered with extreme
conviction!
The last track of the EP isn't a big success in my mind. Much respect to Caliban
for showing that there are other genres than metal out there and that we
wouldn't have rock and metal as we know it today without the likes of the Fab
Four from Liverpool, but to be honest; this version of Helter Skelter is no
better than Japanese hardrock band Vow Wow's cover from 1989 (the album was
entitled 'Helter Skelter', even) - i.e. not good.
All in all a mixed affair from the Germans - the more straightforward simply
works best.
