CALLEJON

Zombieactionhauptquartier

Nuclear Blast/ CD 2008

Don't be deceived by Spanish band's name. Those five young zombie lovers were dug out from their tomb in Cologne, Germany by NUCLEAR BLAST's bosses. Re-Born in 2003 CALLEJON has already played many live shows and released two EPs and one full-lenght CD. "ZAHQ" is their second album, but first one released under one of the most recognizable banners in the metal world. I'm sure that promotional machine will be very helpful when it comes to spread the virus of the undead on the metal scene, but frankly speaking I don't think that we have here a band that will change your world.

CALLEJON is simply another modern, melodic (death)metalcore band. I would be very surprised if those guys will not mention: IN FLAMES, AT THE GATES and DAK TRANQUILLITy as a main sources of their musical inspiration. Almost every single riff is bearing a burden of Goethenburg's scene on it's shoulders. Those fast riffs could be easily taken out of any CALLEJON song and put in random chosen song from "The Gallery" or "The Mind's I". It works in the opposite direction, too. However it's quite obvious that there's nothing really new here, I must admit that those moments when they gain high speed and the bloodfeast rages really hard („Zombiefied”, „Infiziert”) are the best pieces of meat for metal maniacs here.

Basti's desperate screams are accompanied, by lower growls in background. But of course we must remember that it's already 2009 so clean singing in choruses is a must. Generally I have nothing against it. But some of them, especially those sang in German (beginnings of "Phantomschmerz" and „Fremdkorper” are the best examples) - remind me of TOKYO HOTEL. I know that I've taken a big risk of being a vitim of Zombie's revenge due to such a comparison. So I'll better watch out. But I think that when you're older than 17, it'd be very hard to believe in sincerity of this kind of tearful emo exhibitionism.Another mistake is the last track „Porn from Spain”. We have a guest appearance of – according to official promo sheet - German hip hop legend K.I.Z. I see no sense in that, maybe beside having another selling point. But if you'd like to trust the label you should see CALLEJON as a band wchich is „far away from the stereotype that is metalcore, copy cats and clichés of today's metal scene”, a band that is „going to turn the music business inside out. It is not just music, it is way more”. Scheiße. I assure you that it's nothing more but bullshitting and bunch of lies. There were many better before, and many better metalcore bands will follow. CALLEJON today is only quite average example of regular metalcore band with a good sense to catchy melodies. Nothing more. Trust me.

6/12