Album review: Caliban – Back From Hell

I’ve planned to write this album review for way too long, but never found the time to do it. I know that by now it’s pretty pointless, as the album’s been out for way too long, but I don’t care because I’m listening to it right now and I have feelings about it that I need to put them into words. Allow me a moment of being a weird fangirl, please.

Back From Hell is Caliban’s 14th studio album, if I didn’t miscount, and it’s the first with their new singer and clear vocalist Iain Duncan. Out of the 13 songs, 5 had been released as singles before, the first one being I Was A Happy Kid Once in July 2024. And I’m not gonna lie, I was hooked immediately after hearing this song only. A new Caliban chapter opened with a bang, because damn, I am a sucker for Iain Duncan’s voice. It was followed by Echoes in October 2024, Guilt Trip in December 2024 (featuring Mental Cruelty), the album’s title track Back From Hell in January 2025 (featuring The Browning) and finally Dear Suffering in March 2025 (featuring Joe Bad of Fit For An Autopsy). Each song was a banger in itself and a great teaser for the new album, I got more and more excited about it.

Thematically, a lot of songs revolve around familiar topics like mental health/struggles… the depths of the human mind, which is probably one reason why the music of Caliban in general, and this album in particular, is so appealing to me. A heavy, „dark“ sound combined with lyrics that deal with topics I can relate to. For me personally, this album is an invitation to headbang, scream and mosh out all the anger and negativity building up inside. (It’s also a great album for driving while loudly ranting about other drivers). Like … I don’t know, for me personally it’s just incredibly difficult to sit still while listening to this album. Caliban – and Back From Hell – take an important place in my personal soundtrack for battling mental health struggles. I am eternally grateful that this band exists – and to have discovered them.

The three mentioned singles are the „only“ features on this album (as if three was a low number), and all of them are damn good choices that match the overall sound and vibe of the album in my personal opinion. And Guilt Trip, makes a great opener (after the intro) because it immediately drags you in with heavy riffs and tons of energy.

However, my personal favourites are hidden mostly in the unreleased tracks. I still have a very soft spot for I Was A Happy Kid Once and I’m also a big fan of Back From Hell and Echoes (you listen to the song and you feel the moshpit – at least that’s my personal impression), but let me mention Insomnia. This song blew me away from the start, both with its super strong lyrics as well as with – you won’t be surprised – Iain Duncan’s vocals. There’s something extremely heartbreaking and powerful about this song. Check out live videos of this song and you’ll understand even better what I mean.

Another favourite of mine is Alte Seele, mostly because I also have a very soft spot for Caliban’s German songs. When I first came across them, hearing German metalcore lyrics felt a little weird – but I’ve come to love them. And Alte Seele is an amazing song.

So is Solace in Suffer by the way, and I guess you’re once again not surprised to hear me praise … Iain’s vocals. Sorry if I sound like a fangirl, but I personally think this man is the best damn choice they could’ve made. His vocals match Andy’s shouts in a way that just scratches my brain and touches my heart in the right way. And this comes out, once again, particularly well in Solace in Suffer. (And let me, once again, mention the touching lyrics of the song.)

I wouldn’t say that Back From Hell is climbing the throne as my new favourite Caliban album, but it definitely got very damn close.

Also: The CD digipack comes with an air freshener for your car printed with the album artwork. Tbh I haven’t unpacked it yet, so I don’t know what it smells like. I can’t stand the mental image of an air freshener dangling in front of my face from the rearview mirror and I’m super sensitve to scents in cars, strong scents can easily trigger my travel sickness. I just wanted to mention it 😂