Kev Rowland By the time that Equlibrium released their 2016 album there had been some changes in the camp, as they were now back to a five-piece, although René Berthiaume was still very much in control. This album sees a shift in the overall sound of the band, as it’s not as crushingly heavy as the previous album, and there is a larger use of keyboards. Robert is still providing the death style growls, but there isn’t as much impact as on the previous release, and one does wonder if the band might be better suited with a different style of vocalist to lift them into yet another direction. In many ways this feels like a transitional work, as they move from styles for which they have become known into something that is potentially more mainstream, although still bringing together lots of different types of metal.

Somehow it just feels lighter, as if there isn’t quite the same amount of passion and angst as there was previously. The drone of the rhythm guitars just don’t have the punch and effect that they need, and although drummer Tuval "Hati" Refaeli does his best to raise the imapct, somehow it just doesn’t work as it should. There are even some songs on the album that have their lyrics in English, and the gruff vocals just don’t work on “Born To Be Epic”, while the least said about the keyboard sounds used on the bridge the better – to call them “twee” would be an understatement.

This is an opportunity missed, and I am sure the reason I am so negative about this album is that the previous one showed so much promise. Mind you, this got to #5 in the German charts, but we all know that chart success is never an indicator of how good anything is. Hopefully the next album will see them more like they were on ‘Erdentempel’

Kev Rowland Formed in 2001, Equilibrium combine elements of folk music, black metal and symphonic metal to create something that is more than the sun of its parts. This 2014 was their fourth release, but they were going through something of a traumatic period of the band in terms of line-up and was actually recorded as a duo, with founder member René Berthiaume providing all the instrumentation and production and Robert "Robse" Dahn (who had joined in 2010) the vocals . Mind you, this never comes across as a duo, but rather a band firing very much on all cylinders. Lyrically they focus on Germanic myths, and the vast majority of their songs are performed in German, so I have no idea what they’re singing about, and instead view the death-style vocals as another instrument in their own right.

That this is brutal and extreme is never in doubt, but it also contains an incredible amount of melody within the sheer heaviness of what is happening. There is a fierce bottom end that wouldn’t sound out of place on Sabbath album, but mixed with Nightwish lightness and symphonies that also brings in Amon Amarth to create something that is quite unique and never boring. This is incredibly impressive, with strong production that dares the listener to play it as loud as they dare. I found the only way to have this at the correct volume was by listening to it on headphones, and then just when one thinks it can’t get any heavier there is a short mandolin interlude and then they are off again. There is something quite Celtic about it, but far more majestic and over the top than one would normally expect: Enya never sounded like this!

This may not suit everyone, but I was enthralled the very first time I heard it and repeated playings have only made me love it even more.

Kev Rowland Given that the new album is still a year away, Equilibrium have decided to release their first ever EP to given an idea of what they have been working on. Produced by guitarist René Berthiaume in Helion Studios and mixed and mastered by the Resetti Brothers ‘Waldschrein’ includes the brand-new title track, an acoustic version of the same song, a re-recorded and extended version of “Der Sturm” from ‘Turis Fratyr’ (originally sung by ex-vocalist Helge Stange, now by front man Robse Dahn), a previously unreleased song “Zwergenhammer” as well as a cover version of Skyrim’ opening theme. The result is something that has certainly got me itching for the full album as this is just wonderful as it blends metal with symphonic and folk to create something that is vibrant, fun, complex, layered, simple and extremely powerful indeed. Hearing music as exciting and vibrant as this makes all of the hours I spend listening to ‘new’ bands (to me, these guys have already released three albums) more than worthwhile. This is great stuff.