The Explorer by Callider

Callider
The Explorer
Motor Entertainment

Embracing the core aesthetics of metal, Stefan Lange takes a creative approach to Callider’s second release, The Explorer. The album is an examination of cultural narratives that take musical storytelling to a new level.

Lange looks at forgotten history, cultural narratives, and public memory to construct an opus that reflects on what humanity means. Taking things up a notch, Lange gives us a snapshot into his musical mind and comes up with a complex world of sound that emanates from classic ‘70s rock and metal. You can run a thread from Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” to the mantra that makes up The Explorer.

I love how Lange can piece together different sounds and styles and create new worlds that feel exciting and adventurous. Wind instruments, Makam music, and acoustic ballads all collide with classic metal riffage and Scandinavian death rock that send you into a wave pool of sound.

A song like “Stars Shine True” tells the story of Polynesian navigators who relied on the stars without modern technology. Relying on solos and heavy guitars to act as sheer winds into death metal rhythmic pulses, the song serves as a reminder not to lose sight of our own guiding stars.

“Kalamas” is a resistance song that is inspiring because of the depth that Lange goes to, bringing power and anthemic force into the mix. The level of musicianship that came together to make this album is impressive.

Then “By The Dawn” burns with a melting pot of punk, thrash, ‘90s aggro rock, and death metal all molded into a ball of energy. This is Callider at its best.

Callider has stripped away at the traditional construction of metal as pure escapism and created a sound that makes up a pantheon of genre-bending.