EQUILIBRIUM Album Review: “Renegades”

EQUILIBRIUM
“RENEGADES”
Album Review by Piers Renfree

9/10

The good thing about reviewing music, is that you get a chance to discover artists that are new to you. Whilst I have been reviewing new releases (or old albums being re-released) for Metal Gods TV, I have had the pleasure of coming across some real jewels in the treasure trove of rock & metal music; and so it is with this, the latest from Germany’s Equilibrium.

Formed in Munich, Bavaria in Germany, in 2001, Equilibrium have released six studio albums. Their debut “Turis Fratyr” was released in 2005 on Blakk Attakk records, but by their second album, 2008’s “Sagas” the band had signed to Nuclear Blast Records, where they have found a long time home. “Rekreator” (2010), “Erdentempel” (2014) and “Armageddon” (2016) as well as 2013’s “Waldschrein” E.P. all precede this, last year’s “Renegades”.

Currently, the band’s line-up consists of Robert “Robse” Dahn (clean & unclean vocals), René “Berthammer” Berthiaume (lead & rhythm guitars), Dom R Crey (rhythm & lead guitars), Martin “Skar” Berger (bass guitar), Tuval “Hati” Refaeli (drums) & Skadi Rosehurst (keyboards). 

Not having heard the band’s music before, I did not know what to expect, but I would never have guessed at the aural delights that awaited my ears.

Power metal-esque keyboards with heavy, thrashy modern sounding guitars. Clean and growling, barked unclean vocals trading places – Burton C Bell of Fear Factory’s long copied, but never bettered style now a gift to metal. To try to describe the music on offer here, I would say think Nightwish’s symphonic metal combined with the heaviness of Soilwork. There is even some modern electronic sounds in here, but it all meshes really well, none of it feels forced and the production is crisp. Traditionally, Equilibrium’s lyrics have dealt with German mythological topics, but this time around the theme of the lyrics are  more personal.

On the strength of this I can honestly see myself diving into the band’s back catalogue. 

TRACKLIST

  1. Renegades – A Lost Generation
  2. Tornado
  3. Himmel Und Feuer
  4. Path Of Destiny (feat. The Butcher Sisters)
  5. Moonlight
  6. Kawaakari – The Periphery Of The Mind
  7. Final Tear
  8. Hype Train (feat. Julie Elven)
  9. Rise Of The Phoenix

http://www.equilibrium-metal.net
https://www.facebook.com/equilibrium/

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