Fewer than 40 seconds of The Awakening have elapsed when Caliban gives us the album's first breakdown. Then we get chorus full of clean vocals, followed by the band ripping at full speed with harsh vocals. Lather, rinse, repeat. So go most of the songs on the band's sixth studio album and second in the last year. This is the formula for most of today's metalcore acts; if I didn't already know who it is, I'd probably tell you this is As I Lay Dying, not Caliban.

In all fairness, Caliban is one of the better metalcore bands out there, but the entire genre has become too predictable. Sure, Andreas Dorner's vocals are as about as harsh as harsh can get, bordering on black metal at times. The rapid-fire drumming, particularly on “Another Cold Day,” is excellent. There are no emo-style choruses here, no pussy-crap, and some cool samples and programming make some of the material more interesting. The dueling, melodic guitars are a must, and to give credit where credit is due, they sound razor sharp. The main problem is that instead of rushing to release this album, perhaps the band should have spent some time developing new ideas to mix with their strong, yet tired sound. For instance, the title track, “The Awakening,” is a theatrical-sounding ballad with haunting keys and sludging guitars. This song stands out leagues above anything else on this album. Meanwhile, the main riff of “Rise and Fight” will knock you on your ass. But we need more material like this. Two or three songs won't justify buying this album. Wait a minute ... Did he just growl the line “I will kiss you!” on “I Believe”? No, seriously, I think that's what I heard.

Anyway, if you like Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through, I Killed the Prom Queen, All That Remains and the legions of metalcore-type bands out there, The Awakening might be for you. But I like all of those bands, and I just can't get much out of Caliban.