Callejon (band)

Callejon
Callejon at Rock am Ring 2018
Background information
OriginDüsseldorf, Germany
GenresMetalcore
Years active2002 (2002)–present
LabelsMy Favourite Toy, Nuclear Blast, Four Music
Members
  • Bastian Sobtzick
  • Thorsten Becker
Past members
  • Frank Walther
  • Simon Vohberger
  • Stefan Vohberger
  • Sebastian Gallinat
  • Sven Wasel
  • Thomas Buschhausen
  • Bernhard Horn
  • Christoph Koterzina
  • Max Kotzmann
Websitecallejon.de
Singer Bastian "BastiBasti"Sobtzick
Guitarist Bernhard Horn and bassist Thorsten Becker
Guitarist Christoph "Kotsche" Koterzina
Drummer Maximilian "Kotze" Kotzmann

Callejon (Spanish callejón "alley", [ka.ʎeˈxon]) is a German metalcore band founded in Düsseldorf in 2002. The band writes and sings the majority of their lyrics in German.

History

Callejon was founded in 2002. Their first release was a self-titled demo released in 2003. On 7 May 2005, the band released their EP Chronos. Their debut album, Willkommen im Beerdigungscafé, was released on 7 July 2006. Both albums were released through their label My Favorite Toy Records, which is based in Mainz.

In February 2003, the band went on a three-weeks promotional tour for their album Willkommen im Beerdigungscafé.

In September 2007, they signed a contract with Edition TAKK, a publishing company associated with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Germany. With a tour in winter 2007 the EP Fauler Zauber Dunkelherz was promoted. After that drummer Sven Wasel was replaced by Bodo Stricker.

In May 2008, the band signed a contract with Nuclear Blast.[1] Their label debut Zombieactionhauptquartier contained 13 songs. It was produced by Eike Freese in Hamburg and was published on 28 November 2008.[2] The album features a song "Porn from Spain" with K.I.Z rapping as guest singers.

In March 2010, the band uploaded their third album Videodrom to their Myspace page. It was released on 3 April 2010 and entered the German Media Control Charts at No. 31. The album is inspired by David Cronenberg's film Videodrome.[3]

Their album Blitzkreuz, produced by Colin Richardson, was released in June 2012. A video for the first single "Blitzkreuz" has been released on 12 April. The album contains "Porn from Spain 2", this time additionally to K.I.Z with Mille from Kreator and Sebastian Madsen from Madsen.

With their album Man spricht Deutsch they released an album consisting only of cover versions in January 2013.

In 2015, a new album called Wir sind Angst, this time exclusively with own songs, was released. It contains a song named Dunkelherz, which points back to the 2007 tour.

It was followed by Fandigo, which introduced a change of style. The newer songs contain more synthesized and melodic parts than older ones, the songs became slightly softer whilst maintaining hard riffs.

In succession to Man spricht Deutsch, Callejon released Hartgeld im Club in 2019. It mainly consists of covers of German rap music, although some own songs and features are included. It also contains a third "Porn from Spain"-Song featuring Ice-T and K.I.Z as well.

In May 2020, the band announced a new album entitled "Metropolis", which was released on 28 August 2020. The album was stated to be inspired by Fritz Lang's film of the same name. The first song of the album, also of the same name, was released three months prior on 29 May 2020. Singer BastiBasti directed the accompanying music video.[4] On 31 July, a second single was released titled "Gottficker" with accompanying music video also directed by BastiBasti.[5][6]

Artwork

Singer Bastian "BastiBasti" Sobtzick creates all cover artwork of the band himself.[7] He has also designed artwork for releases by other bands such as Iconoclast by Heaven Shall Burn, Say Hello to Tragedy by Caliban and others.

Personnel

Current members
  • Bastian "BastiBasti" Sobtzick – vocals (2002–present)
  • Thorsten Becker– bass (2006–present)
Former members
  • Bernhard Horn – guitar (2002–2024)
  • Sebastian Gallinat (2002–2004, died 2010) – bass
  • Stefan Vohberger – guitar (2002–2006)
  • Sven Wasel – drums (2002–2007)
  • Frank Walther – bass (2004–2006)
  • Simon Vohberger – bass (2006)
  • Thomas Buschhausen – guitar (2007–2011)
  • Christoph "Kotsche" Koterzina– guitar (2011–2024)
  • Max "Kotze" Kotzmann – drums (2010–2024)

Discography

Callejon discography
Studio albums8
EPs2
Live albums1
Singles12
Demo albums1

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Year Album details Peak chart positions
GER
[8]
AUT
[9]
2006 Willkommen im Beerdigungscafé
  • Released: July 6, 2006
  • Label: My Favourite Toy
  • Format: CD, digital download
2008 Zombieactionhauptquartier
  • Released: November 21, 2008
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Format: CD, digital download
2010 Videodrom
  • Released: April 3, 2010
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Format: CD, digital download
31
2012 Blitzkreuz
  • Released: June 16, 2012
  • Label: Four Music, Blacksome Music
  • Format: CD, digital download
9 32
2013 Man spricht Deutsch
  • Released: January 11, 2013
  • Label: Four Music
  • Format: CD, digital download
7 61
2015 Wir sind Angst
  • Released: January 9, 2015
  • Label: Four Music
  • Format: CD, digital download
5 24
2017 Fandigo
  • Released: July 28, 2017
  • Label: People Like You Records
  • Format: CD, digital download
9 27
2019 Hartgeld im Club[10]
  • Released: January 4, 2019
  • Label: People Like You Records
  • Format: CD, digital download
5 63
2020 Metropolis
  • Released: August 28, 2020
  • Label: Warner Music Germany
  • Format: CD, digital download
7 25
2022 Eternia
  • Released: October 28, 2022
  • Label: Warner Music Germany
  • Format: CD, digital download
9
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

List of EPs
Year EP details
2005 Chronos
  • Released: February 7, 2005
  • Label: My Favourite Toy
  • Format: CD, digital download
2007 Fauler Zauber Dunkelherz
  • Released: December 1, 2007
  • Label: independent
  • Format: CD, digital download

Singles

  • 2008: Zombiefied / Porn from Spain
  • 2009: Phantomschmerz
  • 2010: Sommer, Liebe, Kokain
  • 2011: Wherever I May Roam
  • 2012: Feindliche Übernahme
  • 2012: Porn from Spain 2
  • 2012: Kind im Nebel
  • 2014: Dunkelherz
  • 2017: Utopia
  • 2017: Monroe
  • 2017: Noch einmal
  • 2017: Hölle Stufe 4
  • 2018: Urlaub fürs Gehirn
  • 2018: Palmen aus Plastik
  • 2018: Von Party zu Party
  • 2018: Was du Liebe nennst
  • 2018: Porn from Spain 3
  • 2020: Metropolis
  • 2020: Gottficker

Demo albums

  • 2003: Demo 2003

Live albums

  • 2015: Live in Köln

References

  1. ^ "CALLEJON – have signed with Nuclear Blast!". Nuclear Blast. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  2. ^ "CALLEJON – Cover artwork, album title and tracklist revealed". Nuclear Blast. 5 September 2008. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012.
  3. ^ Studiobericht pressuremagazine.de
  4. ^ stormbringer.at
  5. ^ CallejonOFFICIAL official Youtube page – Gottficker
  6. ^ "Callejon lassen "Gottficker" von der Leine". Count Your Bruises Magazine. 31 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Callejon Reveals New Album Details Online". metal underground.
  8. ^ "Discographie von Callejon" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Discographie Callejon". austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  10. ^ "Callejon: new album "Hartgeld im Club" announced for January 2019, pre-sale starts TODAY". centurymedia.com. 24 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.