Recommended Aussie Tunes:Psycroptic | The new single "A Fragile Existence" | Listen

Album Reviews : Equilibrium – Armageddon

By on August 19, 2016

13239117_10153984494135412_5324605831071823769_n-300x275Germany’s Equilibrium have returned with a brand new album and it’s packed with something for everyone.Well-known for breaking the barriers of how a typically folk-metal album should sound, the band love to keep the listener hooked till the end with an array of elements that may seem odd at first but which are masterfully pieced together to create an epic series of tracks.

The album begins with the melodic tones of ‘Shensucht‘, a German narrative conveying something important that I can’t understand. That very epic, inspirational vibe – sounds like it should be the Olympics theme music. It’s beautiful, uplifting and the orchestral instrumentation really adds to the magnanimity of the track. It seems like an odd track to introduce an album but they make it work as it leads well into the next, ‘Erwachen‘; a track that picks up the pace and packs in soaring melodies. Robse’s familiar style of punchy harsh vocals reminded me of morse code weirdly, and fit perfectly with the heavy yet happy soundscape of this track. Medieval section that adds a little spice to the track  but what I love most is how the keys and guitars guide the vocals to create a very fluid atmosphere.

It’s a track like this that is evidence of Equilibrium finding their niche and sound and really polishing it this time around. ‘Karthasis‘ has an interesting intro with a clean guitar before an aural assault of epic proportions. A flute fills the song with a medieval harmony that fits beautifully with the rest of the track. of course, the combination of clean vocals with harsh vocals is always a welcoming element when it comes to such music. Beautiful use of folk instrumentation in all tracks and merging it with powerful riffage. Following this comes ‘Heimat‘, showing again how extraordinary that whole clean versus harsh tone blend together to create something epic. It’s got a beautiful section that highlights the keys and how well-written and structured this track is, ending with the sound of a peaceful flute melody and the crisp call of the wind.

‘Born To Be Epic‘, continues in the same vein of upbeat riffs and choral background before the actual surprise hits you. Sounding like a metal version of a well-known dubstep track, the chorus/bridge part will certainly get you up and moving if you still haven’t so far. It also features some rather cheesy lyrics and if you know this band well enough, you’ll also know that they are pretty much the only ones who can carry off things like this in a good folk metal album. Tracks like ‘Zum Horizont‘ which is groove-laden and probably one of the fastest tracks on the album and ‘Rise Again‘ with a more orchestral vibe and English lyrics just goes to show how the band likes to keep things varied, like to experiment but don’t stray away from their signature folk metal sound.

‘Prey‘ and ‘Helden‘ certainly keep things interesting, adding a lot of variety to the album.the latter is probably one of the best tracks I’ve heard from this band and in fact one of the weirdest. What begins as a beautiful operatic and melodically driven track continues as an ode to video games with and an absolutely brilliant chorus that you can sing along to (if you know German). This band using all kinds of tricks and treats in their music and prove that metal doesn’t always mean aggression and you can have a bit of fun with it. ‘Koyaaniskatsi‘ slows things down with the elegant sounds of a piano while album closer  ‘Eternal Destination‘ brings forth more tranquility initially before erupting into a heavy track of black-metal-ish riffs and well-structured instrumentation.

Equilibrium have created something that is different, unorthodox and do not shy away from experimenting with their own sound. The diversity in terms of sounds, instruments, lyrics and layers is admirable and it is this diverse nature of their music that sets them apart. ‘Armageddon‘ is definitely a step in the right direction for this German folk metal band.

 

About

Prarthana is a vegan, Indo-Aussie, heavy music addict, fluent in sarcasm and metal. Traveling is an obsession as she enjoys taking in the history of various countries and following her favorite bands. She's either eating, teaching grammar or learning an instrument, when not occupied with windmilling in the faces of other humans.